Arabic A2, Unit 7: Describing a person

Describing a person

Arabic A2 · Unit 7

GoalDescribe a person with six common words, for a man and for a woman.

New words

لَطِيف (laṭīf) · kind, niceذَكِيّ (dhakiyy) · cleverهَادِئ (hādiʾ) · quiet, calmمَرِح (mariḥ) · cheerfulكَرِيم (karīm) · generousشُجَاع (shujāʿ) · braveمُجْتَهِد (mujtahid) · hard-working

Explanation

A word that describes a person has a form for a man and a form for a woman. For a woman add ـَة: لَطِيف becomes لَطِيفَة and كَرِيم becomes كَرِيمَة. With ذَكِيّ the form for a woman is ذَكِيَّة. After a noun with الْ the describing word also takes الْ: الْمُعَلِّمَة اللَّطِيفَة, “the kind teacher”. Without الْ you get a sentence: الْمُعَلِّمَة لَطِيفَة, “the teacher is kind”.

Man	Woman	Meaning
لَطِيف	لَطِيفَة	kind
ذَكِيّ	ذَكِيَّة	clever
هَادِئ	هَادِئَة	quiet
مَرِح	مَرِحَة	cheerful
كَرِيم	كَرِيمَة	generous
شُجَاع	شُجَاعَة	brave
مُجْتَهِد	مُجْتَهِدَة	hard-working

Worked examples

A man and a woman. Listen and repeat.

Karim

كَيْف مُعَلِّمَتُكِ الْجَدِيدَة؟

Salma

هِيَ لَطِيفَة وَذَكِيَّة.

Karim

وَهَل هِيَ هَادِئَة؟

Salma

لَا، هِيَ مَرِحَة.

Karim asks Salma about her new teacher. Press each line.

A phrase and a sentence.

Class activity

Describe three people you know: a friend, a teacher and someone in your family. For each one write two sentences with the words of this lesson, for example أُخْتِي مَرِحَة وَذَكِيَّة. Then change each sentence for a man.

Practice

Press Listen. Is the word for a man or for a woman?

Write the form for a woman: شُجَاع.

The picture shows a teacher. Write “the teacher (f.) is kind”.

The picture shows a boy. Write “the boy is clever”.

What is the difference between الْبِنْت الْهَادِئَة and الْبِنْت هَادِئَة?

Family and describing people

Describing a person