Learn Arabic words and phrases: Months in Arabic - Part1

Asmaa Akl

21 Nov 2019

Going through life we experience multiple events at various times and locations. In order to be able to talk about these events in Arabic and be able to set up appointments in the future we need to learn about dates. So, in this article and the next one in this series we will try to learn the Arabic words for months of the year as they are expressed in different calendars.

Different Calendars

The word “Calendar” is derived from the Latin word calendar, which was used to reference the first day of the month in the Roman calendar. Calendars divide a year into specific intervals of time in the form of days and months for cultural and religious purposes. Cultural purposes would include marking important events in the year. And religious purposes are to mark important religious rituals for example; the fasting of Ramadan, Eid and times for performing Umrah and Hajj. In our pursuit to learn Arabic words, learning the names of different months in Arabic is an extremely important step. Below are some calendars you should learn about:

The Arabic names for months in the Gregorian calendar

The Gregorian calendar is a calendar that is based on its predecessor the Julian calendar which measures a year by the time it takes for the earth to orbit the sun: a solar cycle. It is essential to learn Arabic month names of this calendar, since it’s widely known and used all over the world. The year is divided into 365 days and 12 months:

The Arabic names for months in the Islamic (Arabic) calendar

The first year of the Islamic Calendar or Takwim Al-Hijri التقويم الهجري marks the year the prophet Muhammad PBUH and his followers performed Hijra (migrated) from Mecca to Medina to spread the word of Islam. It also consists of 12 months however it usually contains around355 since it is based on the lunar cycle as opposed to a solar year. The Islamic Calendar is based off of the calendar the Arabs used before Islam. This year (2019) marks the 1441 Higri year since the prophet’s migration to Medina.

The Islamic Calendar is essential to learn Arabic and Islam History. Each month has both a religious and cultural story and meaning behind it but that’s a story for another article. To learn the Arabic words behind the months in Hebrew and Coptic calendars check out this article. Additionally, If you’re interested to learn Arabic words and phrases about more topics stay tuned for the next articles in the series ‘Learn Arabic words and phrases.’

We at Nour Academy strive to provide an enriching learning experience wherever you are in the world. If it is your goal to learn Arabic, it is ours to help you reach it. Check our “Learn Arabic Classes” online for more information about the course. We hope this article was helpful in your pursuit to learn Arabic words and phrases.