How is your Arabic?

[Jenn! 918]

Just curious....

After over 7 years together, my Arabic is still horrible. I can understand some basic things and I know some words, but I can't put together a sentence, read, or have a conversation. Even having my MIL here for the past 4 months hasn't helped too much - I understand more, but I still can't speak. I'm embarrassed about it and it's one of those things that I keep saying I need to do, but never get around to.

[Staashi 371]

I understand some Arabic because of the Moors bringing their language to Spain. As of now, their are about 25,000 words that are the same in Arabic as in Spanish - hence, I can understand it. Also know a few greetings and such.

[IncorrectPolitics 26]

My wife understands everything in the Lebanese dialect but she is too shy to speak.

[Mithra 1,185]

I can understand quite a bit of Arabic and can say many words and phrases. I'm able to have very basic and short conversation but nothing in depth. Like I can greet people (more than just "hi"), ask where certain things are, ask for certain things, tell people where things are, etc. - basic stuff. I have taken one college course in Arabic but learned most of the Arabic I know from my husband and friends. I'm in no way fluent and probably never will be. Plus I'm sure my accent sounds awful.

ETA: most of the Arabic I know how to understand and speak is Egyptian dialect but I can understand and speak some Levant and "standard" Arabic dialect.

Edited August 27, 2010 by je veux ton amour

[Kenza 1]

I understand and speak the Moroccan dialect only

[~ameriptian~ 54]

I am a native speaker. My husband only says a few words and phrases (not enough to hold a conversation). Our daughter barely says a couple of words. Our son is conversational basic.

I can understand speak Standard, Egyptian, Lebanese, and Syrian dialects. And do have a hard time understanding Algerian, Moroccan, and Tunisian ones...they're too hard to understand and speak.

[venusfire503 54]

I wish I knew more....

I spent a lot of time learning the 'alphabet', and can transliterate most of the time (still learning the rules about some of the vowels, etc). I've made some flash cards to learn vocabulary. It's really difficult to figure things out sometimes - not like when I learned Spanish in school. I tried to transliterate and then translate an email... YIKES! It doesn't help that my Moroccan Arabic / English dictionary doesn't have the arabic script in it. When I try to look something up, I have to guess how they spelled it... and there doesn't seem to be a hard and fast rule about alphabetizing in it. Then there are those words that aren't always the same. For instance, I've noticed that many words sometimes have "l" or "al" at the beginning - but only sometimes (khobz/lkhobz, lhalib/alhalib). My husband isn't always really good at explaining it....

venusfire

[And_Sam 44]

I can say a few things and understand the egyptian dialect quite a bit. I wish I could READ it!! I have tried several times and can sound out things if it is printed, but hand written forget it!!!!

[caybee 21]

Jenn, I'm probably not quite up to where you are, as you describe it. I can understand a few words, but that's about it. Languages were my elective of choice in school, and it frustrates me that I haven't put the work into this. My 73-year-old mom, on the other hand, is working hard at learning Arabic (she uses Livemocha and follows up by asking Jamal questions), and she's putting me to shame.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I put that I can understand a little bit and know some words. Last summer when I lived in Hurghada with dh he taught me conversational Arabic for ordering at a cafe and also how to ask for the bathroom and directions for getting around. He also taught me the number system and currency. I can order a number of things off of the menu and get around town using the microbus. I also know greetings, how to tell people to leave me alone or come here and hurry up lets go. Since he's been here I've learned a few prayers and their meanings and some other words associated with Ramadan. That's the extent of my knowledge.

I plan on becoming fluent in Arabic.

[tnh9479 1]

I know Jenn. I want to learn but time is now the real issue.

The words I know are exceptionally funny. I do know what my husband talks about with his family. I pretty good at guessing from intonation, etc. He is always amazed.

[R and F 34]

I do not understand Arabic at all. I hear Farid speaking with family daily and I hear my name being said but that is all. I lived in Morocco over a year and I did not pick up on anything. Just hello to everyone. But I do like people looking at Farid when he speaks in public, they seemed astonished and tend to move away especially when he starts raising his voice.

[Liz Rodriguez 1]

I said mostly the lovey dovey stuff but I am learning more about greeting people and responding to them and I definitely know how to tell them I dont understand. and I had found one phrase and had it written down but my kids lost it that told someone to take me to my husband. I hope to learn more and more to be able to have a basic conversation. now the script is confusing.

[FaithfulandTrue 6]

Just a few basic words.. that's it.. i'm sad

[sara535 15]

I know Jenn. I want to learn but time is now the real issue.

The words I know are exceptionally funny. I do know what my husband talks about with his family. I pretty good at guessing from intonation, etc. He is always amazed.

hahahah I do the same thing. sometimes Adnan says, "are you SURE you dont know arabic and you've just been hiding it all the time?"