How to say "to speak" in Arabic
New wordMeaningto speak
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
تَكَلَّمَ
takallamaתכלם
تكلم
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
דיבר
diberدِيبِر
How the two words are related
New word
No Hebrew relative — learn it fresh.
Arabic root
ك-ل-مLearn it
On the street
How people actually say it in the spoken dialects, where it differs from the standard word.
Levantine · Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria
حَكَى
ḥakaחכאLevantine says ḥaka for 'to speak/talk'. Careful: it sounds like Hebrew חיכה (waited) — a fun trap.
Egyptian · Cairo and the Nile Delta
اِتْكَلِّم
itkallimאתכלםCairo says itkallim: bititkallim ʿarabi? — 'do you speak Arabic?'
Moroccan · Morocco — Casablanca, Rabat, Fes
هْضر
hḍerהצ'רDarija's 'to talk' is hḍer (tkellem also exists): kathḍer l-ʿarbiya? — 'do you speak Arabic?'
In a phrase
تَكَلَّمَ بِالْعَرَبِيَّة
takallama bi-l-ʿarabiyyaתכלם באל-ערביהHe spoke in Arabic