قرأ
qara'a
To read in Arabic is قرأ (qara'a).
The verb refers to the act of looking at and understanding written words or symbols.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Levant region, the phrase عم بقرا is used to express "I'm reading" in an ongoing sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form يقرأ is the third-person masculine singular present tense form, which can be used to mean "he reads" or as the infinitive "to read" in many contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
qara'a
Did you know?
- The word قرأ is the root of القرآن ('the Quran'), which literally means 'the reading' or 'the recitation'.
- Depending on the region, the letter ق in قرأ can be pronounced as a 'k' sound, a 'g' sound, or even as a glottal stop.
- The root of the verb قرأ is also connected to the word for 'recitation', which is why the word for reading can often imply a rhythmic or spoken performance of a text.
Examples in context
- اقرأ الكتابRead the book.
- أنا أقرأ كتابًا جديدًاI am reading a new book.
- أنا أقوم بالقراءة في وقت فراغيI am engaged in reading in my free time.
- قاعد بأقرأ مقالة ممتعةI am currently reading an interesting article.
- مش بقرأ كتب كتيرI'm not reading many books.
- عم بقرا رواية حلوةI'm reading a nice novel.
- قرأ الولد القصة.Qara'a al-waladu al-qissah.The boy read the story.
- هل قرأت هذا الكتاب؟Hal qara'ta hadha al-kitab?Did you read this book?
- قرأتُ الرسالة بسرعة.Qara'tu al-risalah bi-sur'ah.I read the letter quickly.
Example conversation
Nour and Ziad are talking about a new book at home.
- نور Nourهل قرأت الرواية الجديدة؟Hal qara'ta al-riwayah al-jadidah?Did you read the new novel?
- زياد Ziadنعم، قرأتُها أمس.Na'am, qara'tuha ams.Yes, I read it yesterday.
- نور Nourهل أعجبتك؟Hal a'jabatka?Did you like it?
- زياد Ziadنعم، كانت ممتعة جداً.Na'am, kanat mumti'ah jiddan.Yes, it was very enjoyable.
