Arabic has two common sets of names for the 12 Gregorian months. Egypt, the Gulf and North Africa mostly use names borrowed from European languages (Yanayir, Fibrayir…). Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq use older Syriac names (Kanun ath-Thani, Shubat…). The Islamic Hijri months are a separate calendar.
Reviewed by Omar Saeed, Bloomtivo teacher · Updated
↓ The full answer
Both sets of names
Month
Egypt / Gulf
Levant / Iraq
January
يَنَايِر Yanayir
كَانُون ٱلثَّانِي Kanun ath-Thani
February
فِبْرَايِر Fibrayir
شُبَاط Shubat
March
مَارِس Maris
آذَار Adhar
April
أَبْرِيل Abril
نَيْسَان Naysan
May
مَايُو Mayu
أَيَّار Ayyar
June
يُونْيُو Yunyu
حَزِيرَان Haziran
July
يُولْيُو Yulyu
تَمُّوز Tammuz
August
أَغُسْطُس Aghustus
آب Ab
September
سِبْتَمْبَر Sibtambar
أَيْلُول Aylul
October
أُكْتُوبَر Uktubar
تِشْرِين ٱلْأَوَّل Tishrin al-Awwal
November
نُوفَمْبَر Nufambar
تِشْرِين ٱلثَّانِي Tishrin ath-Thani
December
دِيسَمْبَر Disambar
كَانُون ٱلْأَوَّل Kanun al-Awwal
The word for month is shahr (شَهْر), plural ashhur (أَشْهُر). Year is sanah (سَنَة).
Teacher’s tip: Start with the set your family or teacher uses, and add your child’s birthday month first: “Wulidtu fi…” (I was born in…).
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