A Conversational Course in Qur'ānic Arabic
لُغَةُ القُرْآنِ
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Phase 1 · Chapter Seven

الْأُسْرَةُ وَالْأَلْوَانُ

Family and Colours — Practical Vocabulary

With the full grammar toolkit in hand, this chapter and the next focus purely on expanding your practical vocabulary — the words you'll reach for constantly in real conversation. Every possessive, plural, and verb pattern you've learned applies directly to these new words.

Every Arabic passage has a small circle button — click it to hear it read aloud using your browser's own Arabic voice.

BY THE END OF THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL BE ABLE TO

TEACHER NOTES
Pacing: 50–60 min
Prerequisite check: Adjectives from Chapter Five for the colour-agreement pattern.
Watch out for: The core family words (father/mother/brother/sister) are now in the supplementary table, not the original vocab table — don't skip that box.
01 — LISTEN & REPEAT

حِوَارٌDialogue

Yūsuf shows Maryam a family photo. Listen twice, then read aloud.

YŪSUF
هَذِهِ صُورَةُ أُسْرَتِي.
hādhihi ṣūratu usratī.
This is a picture of my family.
MARYAM
مَنْ هَذَا بِجَانِبِ جَدَّتِكَ؟
man hādhā bi-jānibi jaddatik?
Who is this next to your grandmother?
YŪSUF
هَذَا عَمِّي، وَتِلْكَ خَالَتِي بِالثَّوْبِ الْأَخْضَرِ.
hādhā ‘ammī, wa tilka khālatī bi-th-thawbi-l-akhḍar.
This is my paternal uncle, and that's my maternal aunt in the green dress.
MARYAM
وَمَنْ يَلْبَسُ الْقَمِيصَ الْأَزْرَقَ؟
wa man yalbasu-l-qamīṣa-l-azraq?
And who is wearing the blue shirt?
YŪSUF
ذَلِكَ ابْنُ عَمِّي، وَهُوَ صَدِيقِي الْمُفَضَّلُ.
dhālika-bnu ‘ammī, wa huwa ṣadīqī-l-mufaḍḍal.
That's my cousin, and he's my favourite friend.
02 — CORE WORDS

الْمُفْرَدَاتُVocabulary

Colour adjectives follow the same masculine/feminine agreement rule from Chapter Five.

ArabicSaysMeaningNote
NEWعَمٌّ / عَمَّةٌ ‘amm / ‘ammahpaternal uncle / aunt—
NEWخَالٌ / خَالَةٌ khāl / khālahmaternal uncle / aunt—
NEWابْنُ عَمٍّ ibnu ‘ammcousin (paternal, m.)An iḍāfah — literally ‘son of an uncle.’
NEWأَحْمَرُ / حَمْرَاءُ aḥmar / ḥamrā’red (m./f.)Colour adjectives use a special pattern, not just ة.
NEWأَزْرَقُ / زَرْقَاءُ azraq / zarqā’blue (m./f.)—
NEWأَخْضَرُ / خَضْرَاءُ akhḍar / khaḍrā’green (m./f.)—
NEWأَبْيَضُ / بَيْضَاءُ abyḍ / bayḍā’white (m./f.)—
NEWأَسْوَدُ / سَوْدَاءُ aswad / sawdā’black (m./f.)—

Core family words this chapter's own table skips. The dialogue and reading lean heavily on father, mother, brother, sister, grandparents, and the two words for "family" itself — none of which are in the table above. These are worth teaching properly here, not leaving implicit.

ArabicSaysMeaningNote
NEWأَبٌ / أُمٌّab / ummfather / motherأَبِي, أُمِّي — "my father," "my mother."
NEWأَخٌ / أُخْتٌakh / ukhtbrother / sisterPlurals إِخْوَة / أَخَوَات come with the Plurals chapter.
NEWجَدٌّ / جَدَّةٌjadd / jaddahgrandfather / grandmother—
NEWابْنٌ / بِنْتٌibn / bintson / daughter—
NEWأُسْرَةٌ / عَائِلَةٌusrah / ‘ā’ilahfamilyTwo common synonyms — the dialogue uses both.

Also in this chapter's dialogue and reading.

ArabicSaysMeaningNote
EARLYسَيَّارَةٌsayyārahcar—
EARLYقَمِيصٌqamīṣshirtUseful for practising colour agreement: قَمِيصٌ أَحْمَرُ.
EARLYقَلْبٌ / صُورَةٌqalb / ṣūrahheart / picture, photo—
EARLYمُفَضَّلٌmufaḍḍalfavourite—
03 — HOW THE LANGUAGE WORKS

رُكْنُ الْقَوَاعِدِGrammar Corner

Colour adjectives follow a special pattern. Unlike جَمِيلٌ/جَمِيلَةٌ (Ch.5), basic colours use the pattern أَفْعَلُ (m.) and فَعْلَاءُ (f.) — no simple ة added.

قَمِيصٌ أَزْرَقُ
qamīṣun azraqu
a blue shirt (m. noun → أَفْعَلُ pattern)
حَدِيقَةٌ خَضْرَاءُ
ḥadīqatun khaḍrā’u
a green garden (f. noun → فَعْلَاءُ pattern)

Everything else about these adjectives works exactly like Chapter Five: they follow their noun, and this pattern is simply a different “feminine ending” family to memorise for colours specifically.

Quick check: how would you say “a red house”, starting from بَيْتٌ (masculine)? (بَيْتٌ أَحْمَرُ.)

04 — READING THE SOURCE

وَقْفَةٌ قُرْآنِيَّةٌQur'ān Connection

A verse noting the beauty and variety of colour in creation — a lovely showcase of this chapter's adjective pattern.

SŪRAT FĀṢIR — 35:27 (EXCERPT)
جُدَدٌ بِيضٌ وَحُمْرٌ
[mountain] paths, white and red...
جُدَدٌ
judad
paths, streaks
بِيضٌ
bīḍ
white (plural)
وَحُمْرٌ
wa ḥumr
and red (plural)
بِيضٌ and حُمْرٌ are the plural forms of أَبْيَضُ and أَحْمَرُ — this verse continues describing mountains of varying colours as a sign of Allah's power, part of a passage you'll be able to read almost entirely once you finish this course.
05 — SAY IT LIKE A NATIVE

عِبَارَاتٌ يَوْمِيَّةٌEveryday Phrases

Everyday phrases using family and colour vocabulary.

عَائِلَتِي كَبِيرَةٌ
‘ā’ilatī kabīrah — my family is big
لَوْنِي الْمُفَضَّلُ أَزْرَقُ
lawnī-l-mufaḍḍalu azraq — my favourite colour is blue
جَدِّي وَجَدَّتِي
jaddī wa jaddatī — my grandfather and grandmother
أَوْلَادُ عَمِّي
awlādu ‘ammī — my paternal uncle's children
السَّمَاءُ زَرْقَاءُ
as-samā’u zarqā’ — the sky is blue
قَلْبٌ أَبْيَضُ
qalbun abyḍ — a pure heart (lit. white heart)
يَوْمٌ أَسْوَدُ
yawmun aswad — a bad day (lit. black day)
أَقَارِبِي
aqāribī — my relatives
SKILLS PRACTICE

الِاسْتِمَاعُListening

Audio track 23.1

Aḥmad describes his cousins. Listen first, script second.

AḨMAD
عِنْدِي ابْنَا عَمٍّ، وَاحِدٌ يُحِبُّ الْأَحْمَرَ وَالْآخَرُ يُحِبُّ الْأَخْضَرَ.
SALMĀ
وَخَالَتُكَ، أَيْنَ تَسْكُنُ؟
AḨMAD
تَسْكُنُ فِي بَيْتٍ أَبْيَضَ بِجَانِبِ بَيْتِ جَدَّتِي.
SALMĀ
مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ، عَائِلَتُكَ قَرِيبَةٌ مِنْ بَعْضِهَا!
  1. What colours do Aḥmad's two cousins like?
  2. Where does his maternal aunt live?
  3. What does Salmā say about his family?
Reveal answers
1. Red and green.   2. In a white house next to his grandmother's house.   3. That his family lives close to each other.
SKILLS PRACTICE

التَّحَدُّثُSpeaking

Pair work

Partner drill. Describe three family members and one thing each of them owns, using a colour adjective for each.

Recycling round. Now that أَبٌ، أُمٌّ، أَخٌ، أُخْتٌ are on the table, this is the first chapter where a real "tell me about your family" conversation is possible — let it run longer than the other drills.

LettersWord 1Word 2Tip
أَحْمَرُ vs حَمْرَاءُقَمِيصٌ أَحْمَرُسَيَّارَةٌ حَمْرَاءُThe colour pattern changes shape entirely between masculine and feminine — not just a simple ة.
SKILLS PRACTICE

الْقِرَاءَةُReading

Read silently, then aloud

Read once for meaning, then aloud.

عَائِلَتِي كَبِيرَةٌ وَجَمِيلَةٌ. عِنْدِي عَمٌّ وَخَالَةٌ يَسْكُنَانِ قَرِيبًا مِنَّا. بَيْتُ جَدِّي أَبْيَضُ، وَبَابُهُ أَخْضَرُ. سَيَّارَةُ أَبِي حَمْرَاءُ، وَهِيَ سَيَّارَةٌ قَدِيمَةٌ لَكِنَّهَا جَمِيلَةٌ. نَجْتَمِعُ كُلَّ جُمُعَةٍ عِنْدَ جَدِّي.
1) كَيْفَ بَيْتُ الْجَدِّ؟
2) مَا لَوْنُ سَيَّارَةِ الْأَبِ؟
3) مَتَى يَجْتَمِعُونَ عِنْدَ الْجَدِّ؟
Reveal answers
1. ب — أَبْيَضُ   2. ب — حَمْرَاءُ   3. ب — كُلَّ جُمُعَةٍ
SKILLS PRACTICE

الْكِتَابَةُWriting

On paper or in your notebook

Sentence building. Put these words in the correct order, then translate.

  1. كَبِيرَةٌ   عَائِلَتِي
  2. أَبْيَضُ   جَدِّي   بَيْتُ
  3. حَمْرَاءُ   أَبِي   سَيَّارَةُ

Guided writing. Write four sentences describing your family and the colours of things they own or wear.

06 — CHAPTER EXERCISES

التَّدْرِيبَاتُExercises

1اخْتَرِ الْإِجَابَةَ الصَّحِيحَةَChoose the correct answer
1. عَمٌّ means:
2. The feminine of أَحْمَرُ (red) is:
3. “a green garden” (حَدِيقَةٌ, feminine) is:
4. خَالَةٌ means:
Reveal answers
1. b   2. b   3. b   4. b
2صِلْ كُلَّ كَلِمَةٍ بِمَعْنَاهَاMatch each item to its meaning
  1. عَمٌّ
  2. خَالَةٌ
  3. أَحْمَرُ
  4. أَزْرَقُ
  5. أَخْضَرُ
  1. green
  2. blue
  3. maternal aunt
  4. red
  5. paternal uncle
Reveal answers
1–e, 2–c, 3–d, 4–b, 5–a
3تَرْجِمْ إِلَى الْإِنْجِلِيزِيَّةِTranslate into English

Self-check — type your answer, then compare with the model answer below. This one isn’t scored.

  1. هَذِهِ صُورَةُ أُسْرَتِي.
  2. عِنْدِي عَمٌّ وَخَالَةٌ.
  3. بَيْتُ جَدِّي أَبْيَضُ.
  4. سَيَّارَتُهُ حَمْرَاءُ.
Reveal answers
1. This is a picture of my family.
2. I have a paternal uncle and a maternal aunt.
3. My grandfather's house is white.
4. His car is red.
4تَرْجِمْ إِلَى الْعَرَبِيَّةِTranslate into Arabic

Self-check — type your answer, then compare with the model answer below. This one isn’t scored.

  1. My family is big and beautiful.
  2. My grandfather's house is white and green.
  3. My favourite colour is blue.
Reveal answers
١) عَائِلَتِي كَبِيرَةٌ وَجَمِيلَةٌ.
٢) بَيْتُ جَدِّي أَبْيَضُ وَأَخْضَرُ.
٣) لَوْنِي الْمُفَضَّلُ أَزْرَقُ.
5أَكْمِلِ الْحِوَارَComplete the dialogue
Word bank: عَمِّي — خَالَتِي — الْأَخْضَرِ — الْأَزْرَقَ
يوسف: هَذَا ، وَتِلْكَ بِالثَّوْبِ .
مريم: وَمَنْ يَلْبَسُ الْقَمِيصَ ؟
Reveal answers
عَمِّي — خَالَتِي — الْأَخْضَرِ — الْأَزْرَقَ
6صَحِيحٌ أَمْ خَطَأٌ؟True or false? (based on the reading passage)
بَيْتُ الْجَدِّ أَسْوَدُ.true / false
سَيَّارَةُ الْأَبِ حَمْرَاءُ.true / false
الْعَائِلَةُ لَا تَجْتَمِعُ أَبَدًا.true / false
Reveal answers
1. False — it's white.   2. True.   3. False — they gather every Friday.
SKILLS PRACTICE

قِرَاءَةٌ حُرَّةٌFree Reading

Hover to check — no test, just read

A short passage using only words you've met so far. Just read for meaning — hover any word if you get stuck. Flip the switch to check whole sentences instead of single words.

Word Sentence
أُسْرَتِي كَبِيرَةٌ وَسَعِيدَةٌ. أَبِي طَوِيلٌ وَأُمِّي طَيِّبَةٌ. أَخِي صَغِيرٌ وَأُخْتِي كَبِيرَةٌ. جَدِّي وَجَدَّتِي هُنَا الْيَوْمَ. عِنْدَ عَمِّي سَيَّارَةٌ خَضْرَاءُ. وَعِنْدَ خَالِي قَمِيصٌ أَبْيَضُ. ابْنُ عَمِّي هُنَاكَ وَهُوَ سَعِيدٌ جِدًّا. هَذِهِ صُورَةُ أُسْرَتِي وَهِيَ جَمِيلَةٌ.
SKILLS PRACTICE — NEW

مُحَادَثَةٌ حُرَّةٌConversation Practice

Chat with Yūsuf or Maryam using only what you've learned so far — type it or say it out loud, your choice.

تَمَّ الدَّرْسُ السَّابِعُ بِحَمْدِ اللَّهِ
Chapter Seven complete — next chapter: Days, Months, and Prayer Times (الزمن)
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