Arabic A2, Unit 8: The neighbourhood

The neighbourhood

Arabic A2 · Unit 8

GoalTalk about your area and say what is near and what is far.

New words

جَار (jār) · neighbour (man)جَارَة (jāra) · neighbour (woman)حَيّ (ḥayy) · neighbourhood, districtصَيْدَلِيَّة (ṣaydaliyya) · pharmacyمَخْبَز (makhbaz) · bakeryمَلْعَب (malʿab) · playground, pitchمَتْجَر (matjar) · shop, storeمَوْقِف (mawqif) · stop (bus stop)

Explanation

Your area is your حَيّ, and your neighbours are جَار (man) and جَارَة (woman). Say “near” with قَرِيب مِن and “far from” with بَعِيد عَن. The little word is different: مِن after “near”, عَن after “far”. Use the construct for stops and shops: مَوْقِف الْحَافِلَة, “the bus stop”. Say “in our area” with فِي حَيِّنَا.

Idea	Say	Example
near	قَرِيب مِن	الْمَتْجَر قَرِيب مِنَ الْبَيْت
far from	بَعِيد عَن	الْمَلْعَب بَعِيد عَنِ الْمَدْرَسَة
a stop	مَوْقِف الْحَافِلَة	bus stop
in our area	فِي حَيِّنَا	فِي حَيِّنَا مَخْبَز

Worked examples

Near and far. Listen and repeat.

Omar

هَل فِي حَيِّكُم صَيْدَلِيَّة؟

Fatima

نَعَم، هِيَ قَرِيبَة مِن مَوْقِف الْحَافِلَة.

Omar

وَالْمَلْعَب؟

Fatima

الْمَلْعَب بَعِيد عَن بَيْتِنَا لَكِن جَمِيل.

Omar asks Fatima about her area. Press each line.

A neighbour and bread.

Class activity

Draw a map of your neighbourhood and label six places in Arabic (مَخْبَز، صَيْدَلِيَّة، مَتْجَر …). Write five sentences with قَرِيب مِن or بَعِيد عَن, and one sentence about a neighbour.

Practice

Press Listen. Which place is it: a library, a bakery or a pharmacy?

Write in Arabic: “my neighbour (f.)”.

The picture shows a shop. Write “the shop is near the school”.

The picture shows a bus. Write “the bus stop”.

Which little word follows بَعِيد: مِن or عَن?

Home and neighbourhood

The neighbourhood