Learn Arabic: Time Expressions

Mastering time expressions is a fundamental step in achieving fluency in Arabic. This lesson covers a comprehensive range of vocabulary used to describe when actions occur, from immediate moments to vast historical spans. You will learn basic units of measurement such as sāʿah (hour), daqīqah (minute), and thāniyah (second), alongside periods of the day like ṣabāḥ (morning) and masā' (evening). Understanding these terms allows you to navigate daily routines, set appointments, and recount past events using words like ams (yesterday) or al-ān (now).

One useful pattern to observe in this list is the use of the "an" sound at the end of many temporal adverbs. This grammatical feature is frequently seen in words like dāʾiman (always), aḥyānan (sometimes), and qarīban (soon). It often indicates that the word is being used as an adverb of time or manner. Additionally, you will see how Arabic structures relative time using specific descriptors for the future and the past. For instance, to describe the "next" or "last" period, the language uses adjectives that follow the noun, as seen in al-usbūʿ al-qādim (next week) and al-usbūʿ al-māḍī (last week). Learning these pairings, along with prepositions like qabl (before) and baʿd (after), will help you connect your thoughts and provide essential context to your daily conversations.