A rumor from one source in Arabic
Two employees decide whether the figures in the report can be trusted in Arabic. 8 phrases that the conversation is made of: «هذا الرقم يبدو مشكوك فيه، انظر النسبة.» — This figure seems doubtful; look at the ratio; «صحيح. من أين المعلومات؟» — Right. Where is the information from?
How the whole thing sounds
The situation: two employees decide whether the figures in the report can be trusted. First the whole conversation, then each line on its own, with a translation.
- هذا الرقم يبدو مشكوك فيه، انظر النسبة.хаза ар-ракам йябду мушкук фихи, унзур ан-нисба.This figure seems doubtful; look at the ratio.
- صحيح. من أين المعلومات؟сахиих. мин айна аль-маʿлумат?Right. Where is the information from?
- من السماع. لا دليل موثوق.мин ас-самааʿ. ля далииль маусуук.By hearsay. There is no reliable proof.
- إذن نفحص الخبر مرة أخرى أو ندحضه.изан нафхас аль-хабар марра ухра ау надхадуху.Then we will double-check the news item or refute it.
- قياس جديد سيبين، كان وهم أو لا.кийас джадиид сайябийин, кян вахм ау ля.A new measurement will show whether it is a delusion or not.
- اشرح الطريقة بإيجاز، لا سطحيا.ашрах ат-тариикат би-ль-иджааз, ля сатхийян.Describe the method briefly, not superficially.
- بناء على المراقبة نبني الاستنتاج.бинааʾ аля аль-мараакаба набний аль-истинтаадж.On the basis of the observation we will draw the conclusion.
- إذا يتبين أن الخطأ منا، نصححه فورا.иза йятабайян анн аль-хатааʾ минна, насаххихуху фауран.If it comes to light that the mistake is ours, we will fix it at once.
Lines one by one
| Arabic | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| هذا الرقم يبدو مشكوك فيه، انظر النسبة. | хаза ар-ракам йябду мушкук фихи, унзур ан-нисба. | This figure seems doubtful; look at the ratio. |
| صحيح. من أين المعلومات؟ | сахиих. мин айна аль-маʿлумат? | Right. Where is the information from? |
| من السماع. لا دليل موثوق. | мин ас-самааʿ. ля далииль маусуук. | By hearsay. There is no reliable proof. |
| إذن نفحص الخبر مرة أخرى أو ندحضه. | изан нафхас аль-хабар марра ухра ау надхадуху. | Then we will double-check the news item or refute it. |
| قياس جديد سيبين، كان وهم أو لا. | кийас джадиид сайябийин, кян вахм ау ля. | A new measurement will show whether it is a delusion or not. |
| اشرح الطريقة بإيجاز، لا سطحيا. | ашрах ат-тариикат би-ль-иджааз, ля сатхийян. | Describe the method briefly, not superficially. |
| بناء على المراقبة نبني الاستنتاج. | бинааʾ аля аль-мараакаба набний аль-истинтаадж. | On the basis of the observation we will draw the conclusion. |
| إذا يتبين أن الخطأ منا، نصححه فورا. | иза йятабайян анн аль-хатааʾ минна, насаххихуху фауран. | If it comes to light that the mistake is ours, we will fix it at once. |
How to prepare for a conversation like this
Memorizing the lines is not enough: the other person will say their own thing, not what is written. What helps more is catching the key words by ear and keeping three rescue phrases ready: “I don't understand”, “repeat, please”, “slower”.
And one more thing phrasebooks do not mention: awkwardness gets in the way more than not knowing the words.
- Fear of making mistakes gets in the way of learning a language, and noticeably so. The link turns up study after study, and together those studies cover almost twenty thousand people.checked many timesTeimouri, Goetze & Plonsky, 2019, Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(2) · 19,933 participants from 23 countries; correlation with results r = −0.36.
- That fear can be dealt with — the methods have been tested and they work.checked many timesXiong et al., 2024, Journal of Language and Social Psychology · 37 studies, anxiety reduced by −0.61. Of the seven conditions examined, only age turned out to matter.
Frequently asked
How do you start a conversation in Arabic in this situation?
“هذا الرقم يبدو مشكوك فيه، انظر النسبة.” (хаза ар-ракам йябду мушкук фихи, унзур ан-нисба.) — This figure seems doubtful; look at the ratio. The first line in such a conversation is almost always the same, and that is the one worth learning: the other person will carry it from there.
What if you did not understand the reply?
Say “I don't understand” and “repeat, please” — both are in the rescue set. Admitting your language is still shaky almost always makes the other person more patient.
Should you memorize the dialogue?
No. It is more useful to catch the key words by ear: the other person will say their own thing, and a memorized line will not always fit their reply.