teach in Arabic: علم (ʿallama) – meaning, pronunciation, examples

Other meanings

دَرَّسَ darrasa — teach · to teach (a subject, at a school)

How to use it

The verb 'ʿallama' (to teach, to instruct) is often used more broadly than 'darrasa' (to teach a subject, to lecture). 'ʿallama' can imply imparting knowledge or skills, while 'darrasa' is more specific to academic teaching.

Example sentences

علّم المعلم الطلاب اللغة العربية.

ʿallama l-muʿallimu ṭ-ṭullāba l-lughata l-ʿarabiyyah.

The teacher taught the students Arabic.
درّستْ في الجامعة لمدة عشر سنوات.

darrasat fī l-jāmiʿati limuddatin ʿashra sanawāt.

She taught at the university for ten years.
أريد أن أعلّم أطفالي القراءة.

urīdu an uʿallima ʾaṭfālī l-qirāʾah.

I want to teach my children to read.

Examples from real texts

Sentences taken from published bilingual texts (subtitles, documents). They show the word in context and are not reviewed one by one.

You teach Arabic.

نحن ندرس العربي

The teachers teach.

يعلمون المعلمون.

We teach life, world!

نحن نعلم الحياة، يا عالم!

Woman should not teach

المرأة لا ينبغي لها أن تدرس

Teach a woman to drive

قم بتعليم امرأة على القيادة

What did she teach you?

ماذا علمَتك؟

I chose to teach Berber.

اخترتُ تدريس الأمازيغية.

Can you teach me English?

أيمكنكَ تعليمي الإنجليزية؟

Teach me some kanji, please.

علمني بعض الكانجي من فضلك.

Command and teach these things.

اوص بهذا وعلّم

These things command and teach.

اوص بهذا وعلّم

Obviously, life can teach us something in the entertainment section. Life has a lot to teach us.

ومن الواضح أن الحياة تستطيع أن تعلمنا شيئاً في مجال التسلية، حسناً. الحياة لديها الكثير لتعلمنا اياه.

Questions and answers

What is the noun for 'teacher'?

The noun for a male teacher is 'muʿallim' (مُعَلِّم) and for a female teacher is 'muʿallimah' (مُعَلِّمَة).

Is there a difference between 'ʿallama' and 'darrasa'?

Yes, 'ʿallama' is more general, meaning to teach or instruct, while 'darrasa' specifically means to teach a subject or course, often in an academic setting.