Learn Arabic: Electronic Devices

Modern life is increasingly digital, making it essential to learn the Arabic terminology for the devices we use every day. This lesson covers a wide range of electronics, from office essentials like the computer or hāsūb to portable gadgets like the smartphone, known as hātif dhakī. Mastering these terms will help you navigate professional environments, shop for hardware, or simply discuss your daily routine with native speakers.

One useful pattern to observe in this list is how Arabic forms compound terms using adjectives that must agree with the gender of the noun. For instance, the word for smart is dhakī. Because phone or hātif is a masculine noun, a smartphone is called hātif dhakī. However, because watch or sā‘ah is feminine, a smartwatch becomes sā‘ah dhakiyyah. You will also notice that while many terms have unique Arabic roots, such as tābi‘ah for printer, several others are phonetic adaptations of international words, like kāmīrā for camera and mīkrūfūn for microphone. Additionally, pay attention to how descriptive words like mahmūl or portable are used to modify base nouns, turning a computer into a laptop, or hāsūb mahmūl. Understanding these descriptive structures and gender agreements will help you identify and describe new technology as you encounter it in the Arabic-speaking world.