Are you learning Arabic and looking to expand your Arabic vocabulary with some expressive verbs?
In this blog post, we continue our blog series that focuses on Arabic verbs that can be used with different body parts. In our previous blog in this series, we looked at verbs that can be used with the eyes. Today, we will explore 10 verbs in Arabic that are related to hands. Understanding and using these verbs can make your conversations more engaging and help you express yourself more effectively.
Let’s start!
Arabic Hand-related Verbs
1. يَكْتُبُ \ كَتَبَ
/Yaktubu - Kataba/ (to write) |
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كَتَبَ مُحَمَّدٌ رِسَالَةً إِلَى صَدِيقِه
/Kataba muḥammadun risālatan ilá ṣadīqih/ (Muhammad wrote a letter to his friend) ——————————————————————- |
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يَكْتُبُ الطَّالِبُ المُعَادَلَةَ عَلَى السُّبورَة
/Yaktubu alṭṭālibu almuʻādalata ʻalá alssubwrah/ (The student is writing the equation on the chalkboard) ——————————————————————- |
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تَكْتُبُ الصَّحَفِيَّةُ تَقْرِيرًا عَنِ الحَدَث
/Taktubu alṣṣaḥafīyatu taqrīran ʻani alḥadath/ (The journalist is writing a report about the event) ——————————————————————- |
Writing is at the heart of any language, and in Arabic, the verb يكتب
captures this action in the present tense, while كتب denotes the past tense. You can use this verb to describe someone writing a letter or a journalist crafting an insightful report. This Arabic verb is crucial for expressing the act of writing in Arabic.
2. يَحْمِلُ \ حَمَلَ
/Yaḥmilu - Ḥamala/ (to carry) |
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يَحْمِلُ الرَّجُلُ الحَقِيبَةَ لِزَوْجَتِهِ
/Yaḥmilu alrrajulu alḥaqībata lizawjatihi/ (The man carries the bag for his wife) ——————————————————————- |
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تَحْمِلُ الأُمُّ طِفْلُهَا فِي ذِرَاعَيْهَا
/Taḥmilu alʼummu ṭifluhā fī dhirāʻayhā/ (The mother carries her child in her arms) ——————————————————————- |
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حَمَلَ العَامِلُ الصَّنَادِيْقَ إِلَى المُسْتَودَع
/Ḥamala alʻāmilu alṣṣanādīqa ilá almustawdaʻ/ (The worker carried the boxes to the warehouse) ——————————————————————- |
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We often carry things in our daily lives, and the Arabic verb يحمل conveys this action, with حمل as its past tense counterpart. As the examples show, you can use this verb to describe various situations, such as someone carrying a bag, cradling a child, or moving boxes to a warehouse.
3. يُلَوِّحُ \ لَوَّحَ
/Yulawwiḥu - Lawwaḥa/ (to wave) |
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يُلَوِّحُ الطِّفْلُ لِوَالِدَتِهِ مِنَ النَّافِذَة
/Yulawwiḥu alṭṭiflu liwālidatihi mina alnnāfidhah/ (The child is waving to his mother from the window) ——————————————————————- |
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لَوَّحَ العُلَمَاءُ لِلجُمْهُورِ بَعْدَ المُؤْتَمَر
/Lawwaḥa alʻulamāʼu liljumhūri baʻda almuʼtamar/ (The scientists waved to the audience after the conference) ——————————————————————- |
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لَوَّحَ الرَّجُلُ لِسَائِقِ السَّيَّارَةِ لِيَتَوَقَّف
/Lawwaḥa alraajulu lisāʼiqi alssayyārati liyatawaqqaf/ (The man waved to the taxi driver to stop) ——————————————————————- |
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We wave to greet each other, bid someone farewell, or attract attention. The Arabic verb يلوّح is used to describe this gesture, while لوّح signifies the past tense. As illustrated in the examples, the verb is used in many situations, like a child waving to their parent, scientists acknowledging an audience or a passenger signaling to a taxi driver.
4. يُصَافِحُ \ صَافَحَ
/Yuṣāfiḥu - Ṣāfaḥa/ (to shake hands) |
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صَافَحَ الرَّئِيْسُ المَنْدوبِينَ في القِمَّة
/Ṣāfaḥa alrraʼīsu almandwbīna fī alqimmah/ (The president shook hands with the delegates at the summit) ——————————————————————- |
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صَافَحَ اللّاعِبونَ بَعْضَهُمْ البَعْض قَبْلَ المُباراة
/Ṣāfaḥa alllāʻibwna baʻḍahum albaʻḍ qabla almubārāh/ (The players shook hands with each other before the match) ——————————————————————- |
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يُصَافِحُ النّاسُ بَعْضَهُم عِنْدَ اللِّقَاءِ في المُناسَبَاتِ الاِجْتِمَاعية
/Yuṣāfiḥu alnnāsu baʻḍahum ʻinda allliqāʼi fī almunāsabāti alāijtimāʻyh/ (People shake hands when meeting at social events) ——————————————————————- |
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Handshaking is a vital social custom in numerous cultures, particularly in the Arab world. The Arabic verb يصافح represents this action, and صافح is used for the past tense. You can use this verb to illustrate various contexts, such as a president greeting delegates, athletes exchanging handshakes before a match, or people meeting at social events.
5. يَرْسُمُ \ رَسَمَ
/Yarsumu - Rasama/ (to draw) |
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يَرْسُمُ الفَنّانُ لَوْحَةً جَدِيْدَةً
/Yarsumu alfannānu lawḥatan jadīdatan/ (The artist is drawing a new painting) ——————————————————————- |
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رَسَمَتِ الطِّفْلَةُ قَوْسَ قُزَحٍ عَلَى الأَرْضِيَّة
/Rasamati alṭṭiflatu qawsa quzaḥin ʻalá alʼarḍīyah/ (The little girl drew a rainbow on the ground) ——————————————————————- |
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يَرْسُمُ المِعْمَارِيُّ خُطَّةَ المَبْنَى
/Yarsumu almiʻmārīyu khuṭṭata almabná/ (The architect draws the building plan) ——————————————————————- |
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Creating visual art through drawing is a captivating aspect of human expression. In Arabic, the verb يرسم conveys this action, and رسم indicates the past tense. Use this verb to describe an artist working on a new painting, a child creating a chalk drawing, or an architect drafting a building plan.
6. يُمْسِكُ \ أَمْسَكَ
/Yumsiku - Amsaka / (to hold) |
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يُمْسِكُ الطَّبِيْبُ بِالإِبْرَة
/Yumsiku alṭṭabību biālʼibrah/ (The doctor is holding the needle) ——————————————————————- |
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تُمْسِكُ العَرُوسُ بِيَدِ شَرِيْكَهَا
/Tumsiku alʻarūsu biyadi sharīkahā/ (The bride is holding her partner’s hand) ——————————————————————- |
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أَمْسَكَ الطَّالِبُ بِقَلَمِهِ وَبَدَأَ الاِخْتِبَار
/Amsaka alṭṭālibu biqalamihi wabadaʼa alāikhtibār/ (The student holds his pen and starts the exam) ——————————————————————- |
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The action of holding something or someone is a fundamental aspect of human interaction. The Arabic verb يمسك represents this action, with أمسك as the past tense. This versatile verb can be applied to various situations, such as a doctor handling a needle, a bride holding her partner’s hand, or a student gripping their pen during an exam.
7. يَلْتَقِطُ \ اِلْتَقَطَ
/Yaltaqiṭu - Iltaqaṭa/ (to catch) |
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اِلتَقَطَ الحَارِسُ الكُرَةَ فِي المُبَارَاة
/Iltaqaṭa alḥārisu alkurata fī almubārāh/ (The goalkeeper caught the ball during the match) ——————————————————————- |
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اِلتَقَطَتِ الفَتَاةُ الزُهُورَ مِنَ الحَدِيقَة
/Iltaqaṭati alfatātu alzuhūra mina alḥadīqah/ (The girl caught the flowers from the garden) ——————————————————————- |
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يَلْتَقِطُ الصَّيادُ السَّمَكَ بِالشَّبَكَة
/Yaltaqiṭu alṣṣayādu alssamaka biālshshabakah/ (The fisherman catches the fish with a net) ——————————————————————- |
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Catching objects or even moments is an integral part of our lives. The Arabic verb يلتقط describes this action, while التقط is used for the past tense. You can find this verb useful when describing a goalkeeper saving a goal, a girl picking flowers, or a fisherman netting his catch.
8. يَصْفَعُ \ صَفَعَ
/Yaṣfaʻu - Ṣafaʻa/ (to slap) |
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صَفَعَ المُمَثِّلُ زَمِيلَهُ في المَشْهَد
/Ṣafaʻa almumaththilu zamīlahu fī almashhad/ (The actor slapped his colleague in the scene) ——————————————————————- |
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صَفَعَتِ الأمُّ البَعوضَة عَلى ذِراعِها
/Ṣafaʻati alʼmmu albaʻwḍah ʻalá dhirāʻihā/ (The mother slapped the mosquito on her arm) ——————————————————————- |
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صَفَعَ الشّابُ نَفْسَهُ لِيَسْتَفِيقَ مِنَ النَّوم
/Ṣafaʻa alshshābu nafsahu liyastafīqa mina alnnawm/ (The young man slapped himself to wake up from sleep) ——————————————————————- |
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Although slapping may not always have pleasant connotations, it is still a significant hand-related action. The Arabic verb يصفع is used to convey this action, and صفع represents the past tense. Use this verb to describe a range of scenarios, such as an actor slapping their colleague in a dramatic scene, a mother swatting a mosquito on her arm, or a young man playfully slapping himself to stay awake.
9. يَلْمِسُ \ لَمَسَ
/Yalmisu - Lamasa/ (to touch) |
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لَمَسَ الزّائِرُ النَّحْتَ في المَتْحَف
/Lamasa alzzāʼiru alnnaḥta fī almatḥaf/ (The visitor touched the sculpture in the museum) ——————————————————————- |
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لَمَسَتِ المُعَلِّمَةُ كَتِفَ الطّالِبِ لِتَشْجِيْعِه
/Lamasati almuʻallimatu katifa alṭṭālibi litashjīʻih/ (The teacher touched the student’s shoulder to encourage him) ——————————————————————- |
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لَمَسَ الطِّفْلُ المِدفأةَ وتَأَلّم
/Lamasa alṭṭiflu almidfʼta wtaʼallm/ (The child touched the heater and felt pain) ——————————————————————- |
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Touching is a fundamental human experience that allows us to connect with the world around us. The Arabic verb يلمس signifies this action, while لمس is used for the past tense. Use this verb to describe a variety of situations, like a visitor admiring a sculpture in a museum, a teacher offering encouragement with a gentle touch, or a child experiencing the sensation of a hot surface.
10. يَرْفَعُ \ رَفَعَ
/Yarfaʻu - Rafaʻa/ (to raise) |
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رَفَعَ الطَّالِبُ يَدَهُ لِيُجِيبَ عَلى السُّؤال
/Rafaʻa alṭṭālibu yadahu līujība ʻalá alssuʼāl/ (The student raised his hand to answer the question) ——————————————————————- |
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رَفَعَ العُمّالُ لافِتاتٍ تُطالِبُ بِرَفْعِ الأُجور
/Rafaʻa alʻummālu lāfitātin tuṭālibu birafʻi alʼujwr/ (The protesters raised banners demanding higher salaries) ——————————————————————- |
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رَفَعَ العَامِلُ الصُّنْدوقَ عَلى رَأْسِهِ لِنَقْلِه
/Rafaʻa alʻāmilu alṣṣundwqa ʻalá raʼsihi linaqlih/ (The worker raised the box onto his head to transport it) ——————————————————————- |
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Raising objects or even making gestures can be essential in communication and daily life. In Arabic, the verb يرفع conveys this action, and رفع indicates the past tense. Use this verb to describe scenarios such as a student raising their hand to answer a question, protesters displaying banners demanding change, or a worker lifting a box to transport it.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about these 10 expressive hand-related verbs in Arabic! Incorporating these verbs into your daily conversations will enhance your communication skills and deepen your understanding of the Arabic language and culture. Keep practicing these verbs and watch your fluency in Arabic soar. Happy learning, and don’t forget to share this post with fellow Arabic learners!
Don’t forget to check out our planner, which offers a 30-page worksheet along with more than 200 exercises and activities. This comprehensive planner will help you consolidate what you’ve learned and boost your learning journey with the necessary practice.
