How do I teach Arabic time words like today, tomorrow and yesterday?

Question

Bloomtivo Academy · Accepted Answer

Start with six: الْيَوْمَ (today), غَدًا (tomorrow), أَمْسِ (yesterday), الْآنَ (now), قَبْلَ (before) and بَعْدَ (after). Use them every day with real plans: “الْيَوْمَ عِنْدِي دَرْسٌ” (Today I have a lesson), “غَدًا نَذْهَبُ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ” (Tomorrow we go to the masjid). Then add صَبَاح (morning), مَسَاء (evening) and لَيْل (night). Time words let children talk about plans and memories. They are used constantly, so they stick quickly.Core time wordsArabicSay itMeaningالْيَوْمَal-yawmtodayغَدًاghadantomorrowأَمْسِamsiyesterdayالْآنَal-annowقَبْلَqablabeforeبَعْدَba‘daafterصَبَاحsabahmorningمَسَاءmasa’eveningلَيْلlaylnightDaily sentencesالْيَوْمَ يَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ: Today is Friday.غَدًا عِنْدِي دَرْسُ قُرْآنٍ: Tomorrow I have a Quran lesson.أَمْسِ لَعِبْتُ كُرَةَ الْقَدَمِ: Yesterday I played football.بَعْدَ الصَّلَاةِ: after prayer.Quran linksغَدًا appears in Al-Kahf: “Never say of anything, ‘I will do it tomorrow’, except ‘if Allah wills’” (18:23–24). See In sha Allah.وَاللَّيْلِ opens Surah Al-Layl.A morning routineAt breakfast, ask: مَاذَا سَتَفْعَلُ الْيَوْمَ؟ (What will you do today?)Teacher’s tip: write “الْيَوْمَ: ...” on a whiteboard each morning with the day’s main plan. Children read it without trying.Related: Days of the week and telling the time.

Arabic	Say it	Meaning
الْيَوْمَ	al-yawm	today
غَدًا	ghadan	tomorrow
أَمْسِ	amsi	yesterday
الْآنَ	al-an	now
قَبْلَ	qabla	before
بَعْدَ	ba‘da	after
صَبَاح	sabah	morning
مَسَاء	masa’	evening
لَيْل	layl	night

How do I teach Arabic time words like today, tomorrow and yesterday?

Core time words

Daily sentences

Quran links

A morning routine

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