Learn Arabic: Psychology Terms

This lesson introduces essential terminology for psychology in Arabic, a field known as عِلْمُ النَّفْسِ (ilm an-nafs), which literally translates to the science of the soul or self. Learning these words is vital for anyone wishing to discuss mental health, human behavior (سُلُوكٌ - sulūk), or personality (شَخْصِيَّةٌ - shakhṣiyyah) in a professional or academic context. From clinical terms like depression (اِكْتِئَابٌ - ikti’āb) and anxiety (قَلَقٌ - qalaq) to social concepts like empathy (تَعَاطُفٌ - taʿāṭuf), this vocabulary provides a framework for understanding the complexities of the human experience.

When studying these terms, you will notice the frequent use of the suffix "-iyyah" to form abstract nouns. This is a common pattern in Arabic for creating technical or conceptual terms, such as identity (هُوِيَّةٌ - huwiyyah) and motivation (دَافِعِيَّةٌ - dāfiʿiyyah). Another important pattern is the use of the prefix "lā" to create an opposite or negative state. For instance, while conscious is وَعْيٌ (waʿy), the unconscious is referred to as لَاوَعْيٌ (lā-waʿy). Recognizing these morphological structures will help you expand your vocabulary more quickly as you explore topics like memory (ذَاكِرَةٌ - dhākirah) and self-esteem (تَقْدِيرُ الذَّاتِ - taqdīr adh-dhāt).