Lesson 60 · مَكْتَبٌ
Place and tool words: مَسْجِدٌ and مِفْتَاحٌ
Two patterns build hundreds of everyday words. مَفْعَلٌ or مَفْعِلٌ names the place of an action: كَتَبَ → مَكْتَبٌ (office, desk), سَجَدَ → مَسْجِدٌ (mosque, the place of prostration). مِفْعَالٌ or مِفْعَلٌ names the tool: فَتَحَ → مِفْتَاحٌ (key, the opener).
Learn with pictures
Tap a picture to hear the sentence.
Examples
صَلَّيْنَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِṣallaynaa fil-masjidiWe prayed in the mosque.
أُمِّي فِي الْمَطْبَخِummii fil-maṭbakhiMy mother is in the kitchen.
تَغَدَّيْنَا فِي مَطْعَمٍtaghaddaynaa fii maṭʿaminWe had lunch in a restaurant.
وَصَلْنَا إِلَى الْمَطَارِwaṣalnaa ila l-maṭaariWe arrived at the airport.
أَيْنَ الْمِفْتَاحُ؟ayna l-miftaaḥu?Where is the key?
يَلْعَبُ الْأَوْلَادُ فِي الْمَلْعَبِyalʿabu l-awlaadu fil-malʿabiThe boys play in the playground.
Key points
- Places: مَطْبَخٌ kitchen (طَبَخَ cook) · مَلْعَبٌ playground (لَعِبَ play) · مَطْعَمٌ restaurant (طَعِمَ eat) · مَدْرَسَةٌ school (دَرَسَ study) · مَطَارٌ airport (طَارَ fly).
- Tools: مِفْتَاحٌ key · مِقَصٌّ scissors · مِيزَانٌ scales · مِصْبَاحٌ lamp · مِكْنَسَةٌ broom.
- Look back at lesson 1: مَسْجِدٌ, مَكْتَبٌ and مِفْتَاحٌ were among your first words. The root behind each word is the key to Arabic.
Practice
Tap a question to see the answer.
Make the place word from جَلَسَ (sit).
مَجْلِسٌ majlisun
a sitting room, a council
Make the place word from نَزَلَ (stay, go down).
مَنْزِلٌ manzilun
a home, a stopping place
Make the tool word from نَشَرَ (to saw).
مِنْشَارٌ minshaarun
a saw