Arabic A1, Unit 18: Right, left, straight

Right, left, straight

Arabic A1 · Unit 18

GoalAsk for a place and understand simple directions.

New words

يَمِين (yamīn) · rightيَسَار (yasār) · leftعَلَى الْيَمِين (ʿalā l-yamīn) · on the rightعَلَى الْيَسَار (ʿalā l-yasār) · on the leftمُبَاشَرَةً (mubāsharatan) · straight aheadاِذْهَب (idhhab) · go! (to a man)قَرِيب (qarīb) · nearبَعِيد (baʿīd) · far

Explanation

To give directions you need three words: يَمِين (right), يَسَار (left) and مُبَاشَرَةً (straight ahead). Use عَلَى to say “on”: عَلَى الْيَمِين is “on the right”. A direction is often a command. The command “go!” to a man is اِذْهَب: اِذْهَب مُبَاشَرَةً is “go straight”, and اِذْهَب إِلَى الْيَمِين is “go to the right”. To say how far, use قَرِيب (near) and بَعِيد (far); they match the noun like other adjectives.

Direction	Arabic	Say
right	يَمِين	yamīn
left	يَسَار	yasār
straight ahead	مُبَاشَرَةً	mubāsharatan
near	قَرِيب	qarīb
far	بَعِيد	baʿīd

Worked examples

Fadi

مِن فَضْلِك، أَيْن الْمَحَطَّة؟

Layla

اِذْهَب مُبَاشَرَةً.

Fadi

هَل هِيَ بَعِيدَة؟

Layla

لَا، هِيَ قَرِيبَة.

Fadi

شُكْرًا.

Fadi asks Layla for the way to the station.

Arrows show the directions: left, straight and right.

Read each direction, then listen.

Class activity

Give directions. Ask a friend to close his eyes and walk around your room or your home. Guide him with اِذْهَب مُبَاشَرَةً and اِذْهَب إِلَى الْيَمِين or الْيَسَار. If you are alone, write three commands that lead from your door to the window.

Practice

Press Listen. Do you hear يَمِين, يَسَار or neither?

…

The arrow points to the left. Say “go to the left”.

The arrow points up. Say “go straight to the market”.

What is the opposite of قَرِيب?

Write in Arabic: “the park is on the right”.

In the city and shopping

Right, left, straight