Arabic_for_Dummies
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186 Part II: Arabic in Action
Fun & Games
From the following list, choose the words that describe the rooms pictured here:
Hammaam
maTbakh
ghurfat an-nawm
ghurfat al-ma’iisha |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
The answers are in Appendix C.
Part III
Arabic on the Go
You receive the tools you need to take Arabic on the road. Find out how to open a bank account, how to
plan a trip, how to make a reservation at a hotel, and how to ask for directions.
Chapter 11
Money, Money, Money
In This Chapter
Handling financial matters at the bank
Understanding ATM commands
Changing your currency
al-maal (al-mal; money) is an essential part of everyday life. Whether you’re in a foreign country or at home, having access to maal is neces-
sary in order to do the things you need to do — buy food, buy clothes, pay rent, go to the movies, and so on. Because very few activities in this world are majjaanan (mah-jah-nan; free), in this chapter you discover the Arabic terminology you need to manage your financial life. Specifically, I tell you how to open and maintain a bank account, how to withdraw money from the bank as well as from an automated teller machine (ATM), and how to exchange currency in case you travel to different countries.
At the Bank
The source of al-maal is the maSraf (mas-raf; bank); conveniently another word for “bank” in Arabic is al-banka or simply banka. In this section, you become familiar with some of the items you find and transactions that take place at the maSraf. Here are some common terms associated with the maSraf:
fuluus (foo-loos; cash/physical currency)
nuquud (noo-kood; money/coins)
naqd (nah-ked; coin)
‘awraaq (aw-rak; money/paper currencies)
biTaaqa al-‘i’timaad (bee-tah-kah al-eeh-tee-mad; credit card)
biTaaqaat al-‘i’timaad (bee-tah-kat al-eeh-tee-mad; credit cards)
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biTaaqa al-‘istilaaf (bee-tah-kah al-ees-tee-laf; debit card)
shiik (sheek; check)
shiikaat (shee-kat; checks)
Hisaab maSrafii (hee-sab mas-rah-fee; bank account)
Opening a bank account
One of the most important things you may do in a maSraf is open a Hisaab maSrafii (bank account). Depending on your current financial situation and your future economic needs, you may open different types of Husub maSrafiiyya (hoo-soob mas-rah-fee-yah; bank accounts). Here are some of the types of Husub (hoo-soob; accounts) you may inquire about:
Hisaab maSrafii ‘aadii (hee-sab mas-rah-fee ah-dee; checking account)
Hisaab maSrafii li at-tawfiir (hee-sab mas-rah-fee lee ah-taw-feer; savings account)
Hisaab maSrafii li at-tawfiir wa at-taqaa’ud (hee-sab mas-rah-fee lee ah-taw-feer wah ah-tah-kah-ood; retirement savings account)
Hisaab maSrafii li aT-Tulaab (hee-sab mas-rah-fee lee ah-too-lab; student checking account)
After you determine which type of Hisaab is right for you, you’re ready to talk to the ‘amiin al-maSraf (ah-meen al-mas-raf; bank teller) (M) or the ‘amiina al-masraf (ah-mee-nah al-mas-raf; bank teller) (F) to open your
Hisaab. The ‘amiin al-maSraf or ‘amiina al-maSraf may ask you to step into his or her maktab (mak-tab; office) in order to ensure your shakhsiiyya (shak- see-yah; privacy), because futuuH (foo-tooh; opening) a Hisaab must be done securely.
Talkin’ the Talk
Said has recently moved to a new city to attend college. One of the first things he does as he’s settling into his new hometown is go to the bank to open an account. Sarah, a bank teller, helps Said decide which bank account meets his needs.
Sarah: SabaaH al-khayr. kayfa yumkin ‘an ‘usaa’iduka al-yawm?
sah-bah al-kah-yer. kay-fah yoom-keen ann oo-sah-ee-doo-kah al-yah-oum?
Good morning. How may I help you today?
______________________________________ Chapter 11: Money, Money, Money 191
Said: SabaaH an-nuur. ‘uriidu ‘an ‘aftaHa Hisaab maSrafii. sah-bah ah-noor. oo-ree-doo an af-tah-hah hee-sab mas-rah-fee.
Good morning. I would like to open a bank account.
Sarah: Tayyib, yumkin ‘an ‘usaa’iduka. tafaDDal min faDlik
‘ilaa maktabii.
tah-yeeb, yoom-keen an oo-sah-ee-doo-kah. tah-fah-dal meen fad-leek ee-lah mak-tah-bee.
Great, I’ll be able to help you with that. Please come in to my office.
Said: raai’, shukran. rah-eeh, shook-ran.
Excellent, thank you.
Sarah: ‘ay naw’ min Hisaab maSrafii tuHibb?
ay nah-weh meen hee-sab mas-rah-fee too-heeb?
What type of bank account would you like?
Said: ‘ay ‘anwaa’ min al-Husub al-maSrafiiyya ‘indakum? ay an-wah meen al-hoo-soob al-mas-rah-fee-yah een-dah-koom?
What types of bank accounts do you have?
Sarah: ‘indanaa ‘anwaa’ mutaghayyira. ‘indanaa Hisaab maSrafii ‘aadii wa Hisaab maSrafii li at-tawfiir. wa ‘indanaa Hisaab maSrafii li aT-Tulaab. hal ‘anta Taalib?
een-dah-nah an-wah moo-tah-gah-yee-rah. een-dah- nah hee-sab mas-rah-fee ah-dee wah hee-sab mas- rah-fee lee ah-taw-feer. wah een-dah-nah hee-sab mas-rah-fee lee ah-too-lab. hal an-tah tah-leeb?
We have a lot of different types. We have regular checking accounts as well as savings accounts. And if you’re a student, we also provide student checking accounts. Are you a student?
Said: na’am, ‘anaa Taalib. nah-am, ah-nah tah-leeb.
Yes, I’m a student.
Sarah: ‘aDHunnu ‘anna al-Hisaab maSrafii li aT-Tulaab sa-yuwaafiquk.
ah-zoo-noo ah-nah al-hee-sab mas-rah-fee lee ah-too-lab sah-yoo-wah-fee-kook.
I believe that the student checking account will suit you well.
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Said: maa huwa al-farq bayna al-Hisaab al-maSrafii al-’aadii wa al-Hisaab al-maSrafii li aT-Tulaab?
mah hoo-wah al-fah-rek bay-nah al-hee-sab al-mas- rah-fee al-ah-dee wah al-hee-sab al-mas-rah-fee lee ah-too-lab?
What’s the difference between a regular checking account and a student checking account?
Sarah: ‘idhaa ‘aradta ‘an taftaHa Hisaab maSrafii ‘aadii yajib
‘an yakuun ‘indaka ‘alf daraahim fii al-’arbuun. wa laakin yumkin ‘an taftaHa Hisaab maSraffi li aT-Tulaab bi ‘arbuun bi khamsat mi’a daraahim faqat.
ee-zah ah-rad-tah an taf-tah-hah hee-sab mas-rah-fee ah-dee yah-jeeb an yah-koon een-dah-kah ah-lef dah- rah-heem fee al-ar-boon. wah lah-keen yoom-keen an taf-tah-hah hee-sab mas-rah-fee lee ah-too-lab bee ar-boon bee kam-sat mee-ah dah-rah-heem fah-kat.
If you want to open a regular checking account, you need a minimum deposit of one thousand dirhams. However, you may open a student checking account with only five hundred dirhams.
Said: wa hal hunaaka farq ‘aakhar baynahumaa? wah hal hoo-nah-kah fah-rek ah-kar bay-nah-hoo-mah?
And is there any other difference between the two?
Sarah: na’am. al-farq al-’aakhar ‘anna al-Hisaab al-maSrafii al-’aadii ‘indahu faa’ida thalaatha fii al-mi’a wa laakin al-Hisaab al-maSrafii li aT-Tulaab ‘indahu faa’ida ‘arba’a fii al-mi’a.
nah-am. al-fah-rek al-ah-kar ah-nah al-hee-sab al- mas-rah-fee al-ah-dee een-dah-hoo fah-ee-dah thah- lah-thah fee al-mee-ah wah lah-keen al-hee-sab al-mas-rah-fee lee ah-too-lab een-dah-hoo fah-ee-dah ar-bah-ah fee al-mee-ah.
Yes. The other difference is that the regular checking account yields three percent interest while the student checking account yields four percent interest.
Said: shukran. ‘uriidu ‘an aftaHa Hisaab maSrafii li aT-Tulaab.
shook-ran. oo-ree-doo an af-tah-hah hee-sab mas-rah-fee lee ah-too-lab.
Thank you. I would like to open a student checking account.
______________________________________ Chapter 11: Money, Money, Money 193
Words to Know
yaftaHu |
yaf-tah-hoo |
to open |
maktab |
mak-tab |
office |
naw’ |
nah-weh |
type |
‘anwaa’ |
an-wah |
types |
yuwaafiq |
yoo-wah-feek |
to suit (suitable) |
farq |
fah-rek |
difference |
‘arbuun |
ar-boon |
deposit |
faqat |
fah-kat |
only |
‘aakhar |
ah-kar |
other |
faa’ida |
fah-ee-dah |
interest rate |
fii al-mi’a |
fee al-mee-ah |
percentage |
Presenting your ID
After you decide which Hisaab is right for you, you need to take care of some initial paperwork. You must present a number of wathaa’iq (wah-tah-eek; documents) and then answer a few ‘as’ila (ass-ee-lah; questions). Here are some of the wathaa’iq you should have with you when you want to open a Hisaab:
biTaaqa shakhsiyya (bee-tah-kah shak-see-yah; personal identification card)
biTaaqat as-saa’iq (bee-tah-kat ah-sah-eek; driver’s license)
jawaaz as-safar (jah-waz ah-sah-far; passport)
biTaaqat at-tilmiidh (bee-tah-kat ah-teel-meez; student identification card)
biTaaqat raqm al-‘amn ash-shakhsiiy (bee-tah-kat rah-kem al-ah-men ah-shak-see; social security card)
Providing your contact info
After you establish your identity by presenting various personal identification cards, the ‘amiin al-maSraf will probably ask you for some more wathaa’iq so that he can process your application. For example, he may ask
194 Part III: Arabic on the Go ____________________________________________
for your ‘unwaan ar-raahin (oon-wan ah-rah-heen; current address) or your ‘unwaan as-saabiq (oon-wan ah-sah-beek; former address). Of course, in order to prove that you actually do live where you say you live, the ‘amiin al-maSraf may ask you for a risaala (ree-sah-lah; letter) addressed to you at your ‘unwaan (address).
Filling out the forms
After you provide the wathaa’iq that the ‘amiin al-maSraf requests, you usually receive an ‘istimaarat aT-Talab (ees-tee-mah-rat ah-tah-lab; application form) to fill out. Here are some items you’re likely to find on the ‘istimaarat aT-Talab:
‘ism shakhsii (ee-sem shak-see; first name)
‘ism ‘aa’ilii (ee-sem ah-ee-lee; last name/family name)
taariikh al-miilaad (tah-reek al-mee-lad; date of birth)
makaan al-miilaad (mah-kan al-mee-lad; place of birth)
al-mihna (al-meeh-nah; occupation)
al-mustakhdim (al-moos-tak-deem; employer)
taariikh al-‘amal (tah-reek al-ah-mal; work history)
naw’ al-Hisaab (nah-weh al-hee-sab; type of account)
raqm al-haatif (rah-kem al-hah-teef; telephone number)
After you fill out the ‘istimaarat aT-Talab, the ‘amiin al-maSraf will ask for your ‘imdaa’ (eem-dah; signature) on the document. When you finish with all the paperwork and have successfully opened your bank account, you’re ready to start using it!
Talkin’ the Talk
Jennifer is filling out a new bank account application. Adam, the bank manager, helps her with the application form.
Adam: maa huwa ‘ismukii ash-shakshii?
mah hoo-wah ees-moo-kee ah-shak-see?
What’s your first name?
Jennifer: Jennifer.
jeh-nee-fer.
Jennifer.
Adam: wa maa huwa ‘ismukii al-’aa’ilii?
wah mah hoo-wah ees-moo-kee al-ah-ee-lee?
And what’s your last name?
______________________________________ Chapter 11: Money, Money, Money 195
Jennifer: Jones.
Jones.
Jones.
Adam: maa huwa taariikh milaadukii?
mah hoo-wah tah-reek mee-lah-doo-kee?
What’s your date of birth?
Jennifer: yanaayir al-’awwal sanat ‘alf wa tis’a mi’a wa thamaaniin.
yah-nah-yeer al-ah-wal sah-nat ah-lef wah tees-ah mee-ah wah thah-mah-neen.
January 1, 1980.
Adam: maa hiya mihnatukii?
mah hee-yah meeh-nah-too-kee?
What’s your occupation?
Jennifer: ‘anaa mumarriDa.
ah-nah moo-mah-ree-dah.
I’m a nurse.
Adam: wa man huwa mustakhdimuk?
wah man hoo-wah moos-tak-dee-mook?
And who is your employer?
Jennifer: ‘anaa ‘a’mal fii al-mustashfaa. ah-nah ah-mal fee al-moos-tash-fah.
I work at the hospital.
Adam: shukran. naHnu qarrabnaa ‘ilaa ‘annihaaya. shook-ran. nah-noo kah-rab-nah ee-lah ah-nee-hah-yah.
Thank you. We’re almost finished.
Jennifer: raai’. rah-eeh.
Great.
Adam: ‘uriidu ‘imdaa’uki hunaa.
oo-ree-doo eem-dah-oo-kee hoo-nah.
I’d like your signature right here.
Jennifer: Taba’an. tah-bah-an.
Of course.