Children love talking about what they want to be. Job words are a fun way to practise Arabic sentences.
Ten job words
| Arabic (man) | Arabic (woman) | English |
|---|---|---|
| طَبِيب | طَبِيبَة | doctor |
| مُعَلِّم | مُعَلِّمَة | teacher |
| مُهَنْدِس | مُهَنْدِسَة | engineer |
| مُمَرِّض | مُمَرِّضَة | nurse |
| شُرْطِيّ | شُرْطِيَّة | police officer |
| طَبَّاخ | طَبَّاخَة | cook |
| طَيَّار | طَيَّارَة* | pilot |
| مُزَارِع | مُزَارِعَة | farmer |
| نَجَّار | – | carpenter |
| إِمَام | – | imam |
*In everyday Arabic, طَيَّارَة also means “plane”, so “a woman pilot” is often said differently. A good example of how context matters.
Two sentences
- مَاذَا تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَكُونَ؟: What do you want to be?
- أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَكُونَ طَبِيبًا: I want to be a doctor.
Prophets and their work
Children love knowing that Prophets worked: Prophet Dawud made armour, Prophet Nuh built the ark, Prophet Musa looked after sheep, and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was a shepherd and a trader. Work is honourable in Islam.
Teacher’s tip: play “Who am I?” Your child acts out a job and you guess in Arabic, then swap. It’s the fastest way to learn all ten.
Related: Introducing yourself in Arabic.
