The family

Family is عَائِلَةٌ ('aa'ila) or أُسْرَةٌ (usra).

Parents and children: • أَبٌ (ab): father; أُمٌّ (umm): mother • وَالِدَانِ (waalidaan): the two parents • اِبْنٌ (ibn): son; بِنْتٌ (bint): daughter • أَخٌ (akh): brother; أُخْتٌ (ukht): sister • زَوْجٌ (zawj): husband; زَوْجَةٌ (zawja): wife

Grandparents: • جَدٌّ (jadd): grandfather; جَدَّةٌ (jadda): grandmother

Uncles and aunts. Arabic distinguishes the father's side from the mother's side: • عَمٌّ ('amm): paternal uncle (father's brother); عَمَّةٌ ('amma): paternal aunt • خَالٌ (khaal): maternal uncle (mother's brother); خَالَةٌ (khaala): maternal aunt

Notice again the ta marbuta (ـَةٌ) that forms the feminine: جَدٌّ / جَدَّةٌ, عَمٌّ / عَمَّةٌ, خَالٌ / خَالَةٌ, زَوْجٌ / زَوْجَةٌ.

The word وَالِدَيْنِ (parents) comes up often in the Qur'an, when Allah asks us to be good to our parents, for example: وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا "and be good to your parents" (meaning of part of verse 17:23).

A useful sentence: هٰذِهِ عَائِلَتِي (haadhihi 'aa'ilatii): this is my family. You will see "my" in the next lesson.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Why does Arabic have two words for "uncle" and two for "aunt"? Because the language reflects the importance of the extended family and its ties. Knowing whether someone is on the father's side (عَمّ، عَمَّة) or the mother's side (خَال، خَالَة) is useful every day, and the religious texts also use these distinctions.

The root و ل د (to give birth) gives وَلَد (child, boy), وَالِد (father), وَالِدَة (mother) and وَالِدَانِ (both parents). The Qur'an often speaks of parents with this word, which recalls that they gave us life.

Family ties are sacred: "Be mindful of Allah, in whose name you ask things of one another, and of the ties of kinship" (meaning of verse 4:1). The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever wishes his provision to be increased and his life extended should maintain his family ties (Bukhari 5986, Muslim 2557).

Common mistakes: mixing up عَمّ and خَال; saying أُمّ without doubling the m; confusing بِنْت (daughter) and بَيْت (house); forgetting the feminine ـَةٌ (جَدّ for a grandmother).

Lessons to draw • Learn the words while thinking of real people in your family: memory keeps what has meaning. • Draw a small family tree in Arabic. • Call a parent or relative this week: family words are also for keeping the bond. • Stay good to your parents, as verse 17:23 asks.

Key points • أَبٌ / أُمٌّ, اِبْنٌ / بِنْتٌ, أَخٌ / أُخْتٌ, جَدٌّ / جَدَّةٌ. • عَمٌّ / عَمَّةٌ: father's side; خَالٌ / خَالَةٌ: mother's side. • ـَةٌ often forms the feminine.

The main message Family words remind us that family ties are precious: knowing them in Arabic is also learning to honour them.