أقرأ
aqra'
The Arabic phrase for "I read" is أقرأ (aqra').
This phrase is used to express the action of reading in the first-person singular present tense.
Which one should you use?
The phrase أَنَا بَقْرَأ means "I read" in informal spoken Arabic. The word أَقْرَأُ means "I read" in a formal context.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase represents the first-person singular present tense of the verb "to read".
How do you pronounce it?
aqra'
Did you know?
- If you use the formal أَقْرَأُ in a street market or a café, you might sound like a news anchor or a character in a historical drama.
- In Arabic, the action of reading أقرأ is conceptually linked to the act of gathering or reciting. This differs from English, where 'read' is primarily associated with visual decoding of text.
- Depending on the region, the pronunciation of the qaf in أقرأ can change drastically, sounding like a 'k' in some dialects or becoming a silent glottal stop in others like Egyptian Arabic.
Examples in context
- أقرأ على الأقل كتاباً واحداً في الشهر.I read at least one book every month.This sentence is useful for describing the frequency of reading.Tatoeba #383703 by saeb, translation #258681 by CK
- أنا أقرأ كتابهI read his book.This sentence is useful for identifying an object being read.Tatoeba #6679570 by marhabaan, translation #2920854 by shekitten
- أقرأ كتابين في الأسبوعI read two books a week.This sentence is useful for stating a quantity of books read per week.Tatoeba #9867900 by trans6, translation #9867896 by trans6
- أَقْرَأُ كِتَابًاI read a book
- بَقْرَأ مَجَلَّةI read a magazine
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ahmed and Nour are talking about their hobbies.
- أحمد Ahmedماذا تفعلين في وقت فراغك يا نور؟Madha taf'alina fi waqti faraghiki ya Nour?What do you do in your free time, Nour?
- نور Nourأنا أقرأ القصص القصيرة كثيراً.Ana aqra' al-qisas al-qasira kathiran.I read short stories a lot.
- أحمد Ahmedهذا رائع، هل تحبين الروايات أيضاً؟Hadha ra'i', hal tuhibbin al-riwayat aydan?That's great, do you like novels too?
- نور Nourنعم، أقرأ رواية جديدة الآن.Na'am, aqra' riwaya jadida alan.Yes, I am reading a new novel now.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
