Asking about professions is one of the most common conversation topics in Arabic. “What do you do?” is ما هي مهنتك؟ (maa hiya mihnatuk?) in formal Arabic, or شو شغلك؟ (shoo shaghlak?) in Levantine dialect. Tap any word above to hear it.
Profession patterns
Many profession words follow recognizable patterns, which makes them easier to remember:
| Pattern | Example | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| مُفَعِّل (mufa33il) | مُعَلِّم | mu3allim | teacher |
| مُفَعِّل (mufa33il) | مُبَرْمِج | mubarmij | programmer |
| فَاعِل (faa3il) | سَائِق | saa’iq | driver |
| فَعِيل (fa3eel) | طَبِيب | ṭabeeb | doctor |
| مُفَاعِل (mufaa3il) | مُحَامِي | muḥaamee | lawyer |
| مُفَنْعِل (mufan3il) | مُهَنْدِس | muhandis | engineer |
Talking about your job
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| أنا طبيب | ana ṭabeeb | I am a doctor |
| هي مهندسة | hiya muhandisa | she is an engineer |
| هو معلم | huwa mu3allim | he is a teacher |
| ما هي مهنتك؟ | maa hiya mihnatuk? | what is your profession? (formal) |
| شو شغلك؟ | shoo shaghlak? | what do you do? (colloquial) |
| أعمل في المستشفى | a3mal fee al-mustashfa | I work in the hospital |
| أدرس الطب | adrus aṭ-ṭibb | I study medicine |
| أنا طالب | ana ṭaalib | I am a student |
Cultural note
Some jobs carry particular prestige in the Arab world — medicine and engineering are traditionally highly respected, and families often take pride in a relative who becomes a doctor or engineer. When asking about someone’s work, it is polite to show interest and ask a follow-up question rather than moving on quickly.
Practice
How do you say 'I am a doctor' in Arabic?
hint: Use 'أنا' for 'I am'
What does 'مهندس' mean?
hint: It follows the مُفَنْعِل pattern
How do you ask 'what is your profession?' formally?
hint: Use 'مهنتك' for 'your profession'
Want to introduce yourself and your job? Try the self-introduction lesson.
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