تويت
Some of the Differences in the Use of the Articles in
English and Arabic
In this short article, we consider some of the differences in the use of the articles in English and Arabic. Understanding the differences is crucial for the English language learner as well as the translator; whether the translation is from English to Arabic or vice versa.
A translator must be aware of the differences in the use of the articles in English and Arabic, otherwise his translation will not be accurate.
Of course, there are many differences between the articles in the two languages. However, here, we consider only some of the main differences.
Articles are words which have no meaning of their own but they have meaning only in association with nouns.
This is the case both in English and Arabic.
In English there are two articles; the indefinite article a/an and the definite article the. Some is sometimes considered as an article.
In Arabic there is only one article which is equivalent to the definite article the. This is the article (ال). There is no indefinite article in Arabic.
In terms of form, the articles in English a/an and the are
used as separate words from nouns. In Arabic, however, the article ال is annexed to the noun
Examples: English: a book , an apple , the book
Arabic: الكتاب
A/an is used with singular indefinite count nouns;
e.g. a book, an apple,
a is used with nouns that begin with a consonant and an is used with nouns that begin with a vowel. Some is used with indefinite plural nouns.
e.g. I bought some books.
اشتريت بعض الكتب
The following are examples of the use of a/an
He ate a banana= أكل تفاحة
She boiled an egg=سلقت بيضة
Non-count nouns (nouns that cannot be counted, e.g. milk, as a rule cannot take the indefinite article a/an.
The can be used with singular count nouns, and non-count and plural nouns if they are definite.
e.g. I drank the milk =شربت الحليب
I bought a book.= اشتريت كتابا
I bought the books= أشتريت الكتب
Proper nouns do not take the articles in English except in some special cases.
e.g. I visited the Wilsons(the family of Wilson)
زرت عائلة ولسون
In Arabic, ( ( الis used with singular count nouns, non-count nouns, plural nouns and sometimes even proper nouns :- e.g.
,الرجال ,the men الرجل the man الماء the water
القاهرة Cairo
If there is a modifier to the noun, e.g. an adjective then the article precedes the modifier in English.
e.g. The young boyالولد الصغير
In Arabic, the article is used with both the noun and the adjective
الرجل الطويل the tall man
There are two main uses of the article the ال; specific use and generic use;
The lion chased the deer (specific,
a particular lion and a particular deer).
This is the same in Arabic.
طارد الأسد الغزال
As for the generic use, the noun refers to a class or species or something in general
The lion is a wild animal
الأسد حيوان بري
In English in this sense, we can use the indefinite article a with singular count nouns or no article with plural nouns or non-count nouns;
1. A lion is a wild animal.
2. Lions are wild animals.
3. Water is essential for life.
In Arabic all these examples must be translated as follows:
1.الأسد حيوان بري
2. الأسود حيوانات برية
3.الماء ضروري للحياة
When nouns are used in the generic sense in Arabic, they must take the definite article ال but not in English as is shown in the previous examples.
As we pointed out earlier, being aware of these differences in the use of articles in English and Arabic is very important especially for the translator if he wants his translation to be accurate. If the translation is not accurate it will be disastrous as what happened in one of the United Nations’ resolutions in 1967¬1.
In 1967, war broke out between the Arabs and Israel. In that war Israel occupied some territories from the Arabs.
The Security Council issued a resolution by which it demanded that Israel withdraw from these territories it occupied during the war. In drafting the resolution in its English version it said "…withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict…" (It used the noun territories without the article the. By the use of the article the before the noun it makes the reference specific to the occupied territories in that war. The Israelis said that this does not refer to all the territories and we have to negotiate which territories we withdraw from. From that time, Israel still occupies these territories.
(¬¬1) Security Council Resolution 242 (1967).
Dr. Bashir Shawish
Adapted from Texts for the Practice of Translation(Pending)
English and Arabic
In this short article, we consider some of the differences in the use of the articles in English and Arabic. Understanding the differences is crucial for the English language learner as well as the translator; whether the translation is from English to Arabic or vice versa.
A translator must be aware of the differences in the use of the articles in English and Arabic, otherwise his translation will not be accurate.
Of course, there are many differences between the articles in the two languages. However, here, we consider only some of the main differences.
Articles are words which have no meaning of their own but they have meaning only in association with nouns.
This is the case both in English and Arabic.
In English there are two articles; the indefinite article a/an and the definite article the. Some is sometimes considered as an article.
In Arabic there is only one article which is equivalent to the definite article the. This is the article (ال). There is no indefinite article in Arabic.
In terms of form, the articles in English a/an and the are
used as separate words from nouns. In Arabic, however, the article ال is annexed to the noun
Examples: English: a book , an apple , the book
Arabic: الكتاب
A/an is used with singular indefinite count nouns;
e.g. a book, an apple,
a is used with nouns that begin with a consonant and an is used with nouns that begin with a vowel. Some is used with indefinite plural nouns.
e.g. I bought some books.
اشتريت بعض الكتب
The following are examples of the use of a/an
He ate a banana= أكل تفاحة
She boiled an egg=سلقت بيضة
Non-count nouns (nouns that cannot be counted, e.g. milk, as a rule cannot take the indefinite article a/an.
The can be used with singular count nouns, and non-count and plural nouns if they are definite.
e.g. I drank the milk =شربت الحليب
I bought a book.= اشتريت كتابا
I bought the books= أشتريت الكتب
Proper nouns do not take the articles in English except in some special cases.
e.g. I visited the Wilsons(the family of Wilson)
زرت عائلة ولسون
In Arabic, ( ( الis used with singular count nouns, non-count nouns, plural nouns and sometimes even proper nouns :- e.g.
,الرجال ,the men الرجل the man الماء the water
القاهرة Cairo
If there is a modifier to the noun, e.g. an adjective then the article precedes the modifier in English.
e.g. The young boyالولد الصغير
In Arabic, the article is used with both the noun and the adjective
الرجل الطويل the tall man
There are two main uses of the article the ال; specific use and generic use;
The lion chased the deer (specific,
a particular lion and a particular deer).
This is the same in Arabic.
طارد الأسد الغزال
As for the generic use, the noun refers to a class or species or something in general
The lion is a wild animal
الأسد حيوان بري
In English in this sense, we can use the indefinite article a with singular count nouns or no article with plural nouns or non-count nouns;
1. A lion is a wild animal.
2. Lions are wild animals.
3. Water is essential for life.
In Arabic all these examples must be translated as follows:
1.الأسد حيوان بري
2. الأسود حيوانات برية
3.الماء ضروري للحياة
When nouns are used in the generic sense in Arabic, they must take the definite article ال but not in English as is shown in the previous examples.
As we pointed out earlier, being aware of these differences in the use of articles in English and Arabic is very important especially for the translator if he wants his translation to be accurate. If the translation is not accurate it will be disastrous as what happened in one of the United Nations’ resolutions in 1967¬1.
In 1967, war broke out between the Arabs and Israel. In that war Israel occupied some territories from the Arabs.
The Security Council issued a resolution by which it demanded that Israel withdraw from these territories it occupied during the war. In drafting the resolution in its English version it said "…withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict…" (It used the noun territories without the article the. By the use of the article the before the noun it makes the reference specific to the occupied territories in that war. The Israelis said that this does not refer to all the territories and we have to negotiate which territories we withdraw from. From that time, Israel still occupies these territories.
(¬¬1) Security Council Resolution 242 (1967).
Dr. Bashir Shawish
Adapted from Texts for the Practice of Translation(Pending)
تعليق