Arabic A2, Unit 17: Same and different

Same and different

Arabic A2 · Unit 17

GoalSay that things are alike, the same or different.

New words

مِثْل (mithl) · likeنَفْس (nafs) · sameمُخْتَلِف (mukhtalif) · differentمُتَشَابِه (mutashābih) · similarيُشْبِه (yushbih) · he resemblesفَرْق (farq) · difference

Explanation

To say that two things are alike, use مِثْل “like”: هُوَ طَوِيل مِثْل أَبِيه. “The same” is نَفْس, and it works like a construct: نَفْس الْمَدْرَسَة “the same school”. “Different” is مُخْتَلِف, and “from” is عَن: هَذَا الْقَمِيص مُخْتَلِف عَن ذَلِك. “Similar” is مُتَشَابِه. For two things the describing word is dual: الْبَيْتَان مُتَشَابِهَان. The verb يُشْبِه means “resembles”: هُوَ يُشْبِه جَدَّه. The noun فَرْق means “difference”.

Idea	Say	Example
like	مِثْل	هُوَ طَوِيل مِثْل أَبِيه
the same	نَفْس	نَفْس الْمَدْرَسَة
different	مُخْتَلِف عَن	هَذَا الْقَمِيص مُخْتَلِف عَن ذَلِك
similar (two)	مُتَشَابِهَان	الْبَيْتَان مُتَشَابِهَان
resembles	يُشْبِه	هُوَ يُشْبِه جَدَّه

Worked examples

Same and different. Listen and repeat.

Ahmad

هَل هَاتِفُكِ مِثْل هَاتِفِي؟

Maryam

لَا، هَاتِفِي مُخْتَلِف عَن هَاتِفِك.

Ahmad

كَيْف؟

Maryam

لَوْنُه أَزْرَق، وَلَوْن هَاتِفِك أَسْوَد.

Ahmad and Maryam compare their phones. Press each line.

Like a family member.

Class activity

Choose two people in your family or two friends. Write five sentences: two things in which they are alike (مِثْل، نَفْس) and two in which they are different (مُخْتَلِف عَن), and one sentence with يُشْبِه.

Practice

Press Listen. Who are they: friends, twins or neighbours?

Write: “We are in the same class.”

The picture shows two books. Write: “The two books are similar.”

The picture shows a girl and a woman. Write: “She resembles her mother.”

Write: “This house is different from that house.”

Comparing and describing

Same and different