Let’s talk about people, jobs and professions. These words and phrases will help you when talking about yourself and others, or when you’re planning to apply for a new job abroad.

This lesson is part of the chapter “Learning Arabic“.

People & Professions in Arabic

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People

EnglishArabicArabic
(Romanization)		Pronunciation
(Audio)
human (being) / personإنسان
شخص		ensan
shakhs
people / humansأشخاص
ناس
بشر		ashkhas
nas
bashar [1]

womanامرأةemra'h
manرجلrajol
childطفلtefl
girlفتاة
بنت		fatah
bent
boyغلام
ولد		gholam
walad

Professions

EnglishArabicArabic
(Romanization)		Pronunciation
(Audio)
professionمهنةmehnah
employee / workerعامل, عاملةa'amel (m), a'amelah (f)
clerk / officialموظف, موظفةmowazaf (m), mowazafah (f) [2]
colleagueزميل, زميلةzameel (m), zameelah (f)
pensioner / retireeمتقاعد عن العمل, متقاعدة عن العملmotaqae'd a'n el-a'mal (m), motaqae'dah a'n el-a'mal (f)
unemployed person / jobseekerعاطل, عاطلة
باحث عن العمل, باحثة عن العمل		a'tel (m), a'telah (f)
baheth a'n a'mal (m), bahethah a'n a'mal (f)
doctorطبيب, طبيبةtabeeb (m), tabeebah (f)
journalistصحفي, صحفيةsahafy (m), sahafeyah (f)
engineerمهندس, مهندسةmohandes (m), mohandesah (f)
bossرئيس العمل, رئيسة العملraees al-a'mal (m), raeesat al-a'mal (f)
directorمدير, مديرةmodeer (m), modeerah (f)
managerمدير, مديرةmodeer (m), modeerah (f)
secretaryسكرتير, سكرتيرةsecerteer (m), secerteerah (f)
driverسائق, سائقةsae'q (m), sae'qah (f)
farmerمزارع, مزارعة
فلاح, فلاحة		mozare' (m), mozare'ah (f)
falah (m), falahah (f)
bakerخباز, خبازةkhabbaz (m), khabbazah (f)
salesman (m), saleswoman (f)موظف مبيعات, موظفة مبيعاتmowazaf mabe'at (m), mozafat mabe'at (f)
nurseممرض, ممرضةmomared (m), momaredah (f)
policeman (m), policewoman (f)شرطي, شرطيةshorty (m), shorteyah (f)
cook / chefطاه, طاهيةtahi (m), taheyah (f)
teacher (m), female teacher (f)معلم, معلمةmoa'lem (m), moa'lemah (f)
shoemaker [Sg]إسكافي
صانع الأحذية		eskafy
sane' ahdeyah
shoemakers [Pl]صانعي الأحذيةsane'y al-ahdeyah
watchmaker [Sg] ساعاتي
صانع الساعات		sa'aty
sane' sa'at
watchmakers [Pl]صانعي الساعاتsane'y al-sa'at

Work & Application

EnglishArabicArabic
(Romanization)		Pronunciation
(Audio)
(to) workعَمَلa'mal
work / jobعمل
وظيفة		a'mal
wazefah
workplaceمكان العملmakan al-a'mal
employment / occupationتعيين
توظيف		tae'en
tawzeef
officeمكتبmaktab
factoryمصنعmasna'
construction siteموقع بناءmawqe' bena'
salaryراتبrateb
(to) earnكَسَبَ
رَبَحَ		kasab
rabah
(to) look for a jobبَحَثَ عن عملbahath a'n a'mal
(to) find a jobوَجَدَ عملاًwagad a'malan
job interviewمقابلة التقدم للعملmoqabalat al taqadom lel a'mal
CVسيرة ذاتيةserah dzateyah
educationتعليمta'leem
experienceخبرةkhebrah

Notes:

1 All three are synonyms. Arabic doesn't differentiate much between 'people' and 'humans' when talking about a general topic. The only case it does is when talking about humanity or biology, and if that is the case بشر is used to express human behavior that is different or opposite to 'animal', حيوان.2 Employee, clerk, and official share the same translation of موظف.

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