How to say "to do" in Arabic
CognateMeaningto do
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
faʿalaפעל
فعل
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
asaأَسَا
How the two words are related
Same Semitic root, same meaning — you already know this word.
Arabic root
ف-ع-لHebrew root
פ-ע-לRoot פ-ע-ל = ف-ع-ل exactly, and both grammars use it as THE model verb: Hebrew names its paradigm פָּעַל, Arabic names its verb patterns after faʿala. Compare פועל (worker) and פעולה (action).
Related Hebrew word:פעלpa'alپَاآل
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On the street
How people actually say it in the spoken dialects, where it differs from the standard word.
Levantine · Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria
In speech, faʿala is formal; Levantine uses ʿimil (from عمل) for everyday 'to do/make'.
Egyptian · Cairo and the Nile Delta
Cairo says ʿamal for 'did / made': ʿamalt ēh? — 'what did you do?'
Moroccan · Morocco — Casablanca, Rabat, Fes
Darija's 'to do / make' is dār: shnu derti? — 'what did you do?'; kaydīr — 'he does'.
In a phrase
He did good