Arabic School and University Vocabulary for Students and Parents

Education vocabulary is useful for students, parents choosing schools abroad, and anyone reading academic material in Arabic.

Places

• مدرسة (madrasa) — school
• جامعة (jami'a) — university
• كلية (kulliya) — college or faculty
• مكتبة (maktaba) — library
• فصل / صف (fasl / saff) — classroom
• قاعة (qa'a) — hall or lecture room

People

• طالب / طالبة (talib / taliba) — student
• معلم / معلمة (mu'allim / mu'allima) — teacher
• أستاذ (ustadh) — professor, or a polite title for a teacher
• مدير المدرسة (mudir al-madrasa) — headteacher

Classroom items

• كتاب (kitab) — book
• دفتر (daftar) — notebook
• قلم (qalam) — pen
• حقيبة (haqiba) — bag
• سبورة (sabbura) — board
• ورقة (waraqa) — sheet of paper

Study and assessment

• درس (dars) — lesson
• واجب (wajib) — homework
• امتحان (imtihan) — exam
• نتيجة (natija) — result
• علامة / درجة ('alama / daraja) — mark or grade
• نجح / رسب (najaha / rasaba) — passed / failed
• شهادة (shahada) — certificate or degree

Subjects

• الرياضيات (ar-riyadiyyat) — mathematics
• العلوم (al-'ulum) — sciences
• التاريخ (at-tarikh) — history
• الجغرافيا (al-jughrafiya) — geography
• اللغة الإنجليزية (al-lugha al-injliziya) — English language

Higher education

• بكالوريوس (bakaluriyus) — bachelor's degree
• ماجستير (majistir) — master's degree
• دكتوراه (duktura) — doctorate
• منحة (minha) — scholarship
• تخصص (takhassus) — major, speciality
• بحث (bahth) — research

Useful phrases

• ما تخصصك؟ (ma takhassusuk?) — What is your major?
• متى الامتحان؟ (mata al-imtihan?) — When is the exam?
• أدرس في الجامعة (adrus fi al-jami'a) — I study at the university.

A note on "ustadh"

The word أستاذ (ustadh) is used both for university professors and, more casually, as a polite way to address teachers, and even as "Mr" in some countries. Learn the context before using it.

Practice

1. Write a schedule of your week using subject names.
2. Practise introducing yourself as a student.
3. Look up the Arabic names of your subjects.
4. Read a school notice online and identify words you know.

Look up academic words in Arabic script with English Arabic Dictionary →