Yaminan means to the right, yasaran means to the left, and mustaqiman means straight ahead in these directions. Start with those three words, then use the small map to connect what you hear with where you go. Every route in this lesson begins at the same marked starting point.
01Match a word to a movement
yasaran
To the left
yaminan
To the right
mustaqiman
Straight ahead
Left and right depend on the traveller’s facing direction. Straight ahead continues along that direction without turning. In the next map, you will start at Home and face up the screen, so your left matches the map’s left.
02Start at Home, facing up
Walk from Home to junction A, keeping your original upward direction. At A:
- Turn left for the Library.
- Turn right for the Shop.
- Continue straight for the Café.
All map questions use this starting position. Do not begin at another building or turn the map around. The labels repeat the route information so you can practise without relying on colour alone.
03Ask for a destination
أَيْنَ الْمَكْتَبَة؟
ayna almaktaba
Where is the library?
أَيْنَ ayna asks where. Replace the destination when necessary: أَيْنَ الْمَتْجَر؟ ayna almatjar asks “Where is the shop?”
These questions identify the place you want. The reply needs to fit where you are standing. On our map, knowing the library is left at A is useful because the starting point and facing direction are already clear.
04Recognise a full instruction
اِذْهَبْ مُسْتَقِيمًا
idhhab mustaqiman
Go straight ahead. Addressing one man.
اِنْعَطِفْ يَسَارًا
inatif yasaran
Turn left. Addressing one man.
To one woman, these instructions become اِذْهَبِي مُسْتَقِيمًا idhhabi mustaqiman and اِنْعَطِفِي يَسَارًا inatifi yasaran. The direction word stays the same; the command changes with the addressee.
Learn the whole expression first. The extra final sound in the feminine command is part of its grammar, not a different route.
05Follow two steps in order
- From Home to A: اِذْهَبْ مُسْتَقِيمًا
Go straight ahead. - At A: ثُمَّ اِنْعَطِفْ يَسَارًا
Then turn left.
ثُمَّ thumma means then. These two instructions, addressed to one man, take you along the purple route to the library. The second step happens at A, not immediately outside Home.
Trace the route before answering. In an actual conversation, first establish the starting point and the junction where a turn is needed. A left turn by itself is incomplete if the other person does not know where to make it.
These are Modern Standard Arabic examples. Regional everyday instructions may use different words. Plain transliteration helps you read, but it does not show every Arabic sound.
What to remember
- Yasaran means left, yaminan means right, and mustaqiman means straight ahead.
- Always establish the traveller’s starting point and facing direction.
- Thumma links the first movement to the next; a turn also needs a clear junction.
Your reference shelf
Open a guide whenever you need it.
Directions to one man or one womanCompare the command forms and map vocabulary
| Meaning | To one man | To one woman |
|---|---|---|
| Go straight | اِذْهَبْ مُسْتَقِيمًا idhhab mustaqiman | اِذْهَبِي مُسْتَقِيمًا idhhabi mustaqiman |
| Turn left | اِنْعَطِفْ يَسَارًا inatif yasaran | اِنْعَطِفِي يَسَارًا inatifi yasaran |
| Turn right | اِنْعَطِفْ يَمِينًا inatif yaminan | اِنْعَطِفِي يَمِينًا inatifi yaminan |
Library: مَكْتَبَة maktaba. Shop: مَتْجَر matjar. Café: مَقْهَى maqha. Home: بَيْت bayt.
Sources & further learning
References for the language explanations and learning guidance.
