Children make requests all day. Turning them into Arabic is the quickest way to make the language useful.
Three key phrases
| Arabic | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| أُرِيدُ | I want | أُرِيدُ تُفَّاحَةً (I want an apple) |
| أَحْتَاجُ إِلَى | I need | أَحْتَاجُ إِلَى مُسَاعَدَةٍ (I need help) |
| هَلْ يُمْكِنُنِي …؟ | Can I…? | هَلْ يُمْكِنُنِي أَنْ أَخْرُجَ؟ (Can I go out?) |
Want + verb
Add أَنْ + a verb: أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَنَامَ (I want to sleep), أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَقْرَأَ (I want to read).
Add “please”
أُرِيدُ مَاءً مِنْ فَضْلِكَ: I’d like water, please. See polite words.
The house rule
For one week, snacks and treats are only given when asked for in Arabic. Children learn these phrases very quickly when they want something.
Answers parents can give
- نَعَم (yes) / لَا (no)
- بَعْدَ قَلِيلٍ (in a little while)
- تَفَضَّلْ (here you are)
Teacher’s tip: أُرِيدُ is one of the most useful words in Arabic. A child who masters it can build dozens of sentences with the nouns they already know.
Related: Present-tense verbs.
