Lesson 8
Work and Professions
العمل والمهن
Discuss what you do for work and ask about others' professions. Verbal nouns (maṣādir) appear here for the first time a key building block of Arabic grammar.
Profession Vocabulary
ArabicTransliterationMeaning
طَبِيبṭabībdoctor
مُدَرِّسmudarristeacher
مُهَنْدِسmuhandisengineer
تَاجِرtājirmerchant / trader
مُحَاسِبmuḥāsibaccountant
عَمَلʿamalwork / job
مَا عَمَلُك؟ أَنَا مُهَنْدِس، أَعْمَلُ فِي شَرِكَة كَبِيرَة
Mā ʿamaluk? Anā muhandis, aʿmalu fī sharikatin kabīra
What is your work? I am an engineer, I work in a big company.
يُحِبُّ أَبِي الْعَمَلَ فِي التِّجَارَة
Yuḥibbu abī l-ʿamala fī t-tijāra
My father loves working in trade/commerce.
- Active participle pattern فَاعِل: مُدَرِّس (teacher from دَرَّس), تَاجِر (trader from تَجَرَ) many professions follow this pattern.
- Verbal noun (masdar): عَمَل (work) and تِجَارَة (trade) are verbal nouns used as objects after يُحِبّ.
- Islamic work ethic: The Prophet ﷺ praised the honest trader التَّاجِرُ الصَّادِق (the truthful merchant).
- Agreement: Profession adjectives must agree with the person طَبِيبَة (female doctor), مُهَنْدِسَة (female engineer).