☰ Units · Arabic A2

Weather, seasons, months and dates

Unit 12 · Part B · Arabic A2 (Elementary)
3

Months

Arabic A2 · Unit 12
GoalSay the names of the months in the two sets and use them with فِي شَهْر.
New words
شَهْر (shahr) · monthيَنَايِر (yanāyir) · Januaryمَارِس (māris) · Marchمَايُو (māyū) · Mayيُولْيُو (yūlyū) · Julyسِبْتَمْبَر (sibtambar) · Septemberأُكْتُوبَر (ʾuktūbar) · Octoberدِيسَمْبَر (dīsambar) · December
Explanation

A year has twelve months; one month is شَهْر. Arabic has two sets of month names. In Egypt, Saudi Arabia and many other countries people say يَنَايِر، فِبْرَايِر، مَارِس… In Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq they say كَانُون الثَّانِي، شُبَاط، آذَار… Both sets are correct Arabic, and you will hear both. The table shows them side by side. To say “in March” we use فِي مَارِس or فِي شَهْر مَارِس.

No.Egypt / Gulf namesLevant / Iraq names
1يَنَايِركَانُون الثَّانِي
2فِبْرَايِرشُبَاط
3مَارِسآذَار
4أَبْرِيلنِيسَان
5مَايُوأَيَّار
6يُونْيُوحَزِيرَان
7يُولْيُوتَمُّوز
8أُغُسْطُسآبْ
9سِبْتَمْبَرأَيْلُول
10أُكْتُوبَرتِشْرِين الْأَوَّل
11نُوفَمْبَرتِشْرِين الثَّانِي
12دِيسَمْبَركَانُون الْأَوَّل
Worked examples
Months in sentences. Listen and repeat.
Ahmad

فِي أَيّ شَهْر عِيد مِيلَادِكِ يَا مَرْيَم؟

Maryam

فِي شَهْر مَايُو. وَأَنْتَ؟

Ahmad

فِي شَهْر دِيسَمْبَر.

Ahmad and Maryam talk about birthdays. Press each line.
The same month with the other name.
Class activity

Write the twelve months in order from memory, with the set you prefer. Then write the month of your birthday: عِيد مِيلَادِي فِي شَهْر … and the month in which the weather is the hottest and the coldest where you live.

Practice
1
Press Listen. How many months?
2
Write: “in the month of June” (first set).
3
The picture shows a calendar. Which month comes before مَارِس (first set)?
4
How do people in Syria and Iraq say “April”?
5
The picture shows a birthday cake. Write: “My birthday is in December.”