How Do You Say the F-Word in Arabic? The MSA vs. Dialect Dilemma
English uses one obscene root for everything, but Arabic splits the "F-word" into two worlds: the sanitized MSA of subtitles (تبًا, اللعين) and the raw dialect of the street (like the root ن-ي-ك). Learn why Netflix subtitles delete 48% of curses and how Arabs actually swear.
https://yalla.li/5ykgq

A CLASSIC | How to Say "Me" in Arabic: A Guide to Accusative Pronouns (like إِيّايَ)
While rare in everyday speech, Arabic expresses "me" (إِيّايَ) and other direct/indirect objects using specific accusative (مَنْصُوب) and genitive (مَجْرُور) forms of personal pronouns, such as إِيّاهُ ("him") or إِيّاكَ ("you"). This article illustrates these literary constructions and their applications, including the Quranic phrase إِيّاكَ نَعْبُدُ (Thee alone we worship). #Grammar #Translation  https://y...

A CLASSIC | Mind the Hamza
A sign in the Saudi desert warns drivers about camels, but doesn't stop at mistakes itself. #Errabic https://yalla.li/udsfp

Bild's Broken Arabic
Even with an Arabic expert like Constantin Schreiber featured, Bild.de managed to publish a headline where the letters are disconnected and the reading direction is reversed.
https://yalla.li/iv1kc

Inside the Arabic Language Academy's Race to Finish Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabeer
Reflecting on his visit to Cairo's Arabic Language Academy, Ambassador Ulric Shannon shares new insights on المعجم الكبير. He breaks down their 90-year progress, the threat of dictionary piracy, and why this lexicon is trapped in print.
https://yalla.li/fmn8a

A CLASSIC | How to Say You Did Something "Once" in Arabic: A Guide to the Noun of Frequency - اسم المرة
Arabic has an elegant way to express how often an action occurs using the "noun of frequency" (اسم المرة), or فَعْلة. This article differentiates between the general absolute object (مَفْعُولٌ مُطْلَقٌ) and the specific noun of frequency, which denotes an action done a certain number of times (e.g., "jumped once" vs. "jumped generally"). #Grammar  https://yalla.li/09vbh

A CLASSIC | How to Pronounce the Number 10 in Arabic: 'Ashara or 'Ashra?
Arabic numbers can be tricky, especially "ten" (عشر). This article clarifies its pronunciation based on the noun's gender: use a fatḥa on the letter ش of عَشَرة when referring to a masculine word (e.g., ten pens) and a sukūn on the ش of عَشْر for feminine words (e.g., ten pages). #Grammar  https://yalla.li/us7kr

The Language of "Epic Fury" and Houthi Restraint | Media Arabic Booster 03/26
As US-Israeli strikes hit Iran, Arab front pages capture a region on the brink. Yet, for the war's first 4 weeks, the Houthis kept quiet. We translate reports exposing their exhausted arsenals and break down the key Media Arabic vocab.
https://yalla.li/yawbq

A CLASSIC | The Meaning of Hussein: How Diminutives Work in Arabic Names
Arabic diminutives (تَصْغِيرٌ) add a nuance of smallness or endearment, often making translation tricky. This article explains how names like Hussein (حُسَيْنٌ) are diminutives of Hasan (حَسَنٌ), meaning "little beauty." It explores common patterns like فُعَيْلٌ and فُعَيْلِلٌ, showing their application to nouns, adverbs, and feminine forms. #Grammar #Translation  https://yalla.li/tdhnb

A CLASSIC | Scan & Correct
A sign for a halal restaurant in Poland. Some of the Arabic text is a bit harder to digest. #Errabic https://yalla.li/hd34u