A Dictionary of Arabic Idioms and Expressions: Arabic-English Translation

Are you at your wits’ end (ضاقت بك الأرض) trying to master the Arabic language (تجيد اللغة)? With thousands of entries, this dictionary will help you to rattle off (تحدر حدراً) idioms and expressions in no time (في لمح البصر). The ability to use and understand idioms and expressions often marks the difference between a language-learning beginner and a natural-sounding language user. This dictionary translates over 8,000 Arabic idioms and expressions into English, covering a wide range of situations and registers. It helps intermediate and advanced learners of Arabic working in fields including translation, academia and business to hone their skills, and is equally useful to native Arabic speakers involved in translating and interpreting from Arabic to English.

Professor El Mustapha Lahlali is Professor of Applied Linguistics and Media at the University of Leeds. He is the author of several books, including: Arabic Media Coverage of Pandemics: Discourse, Strategy and Impact, Routledge, 2023; Arabic Political Discourse in Transition, Edinburgh University Press, 2022; How to Write in Arabic: Developing Your Academic Style, (2nd edition), Edinburgh University Press, 2021; Arabic Media Dictionary, Routledge, 2019; Essential Skills in Arabic: from the Intermediate to the Advanced Level, Edinburgh University Press (co-authored), 2020; Advanced Media Arabic, Edinburgh University Press, 2nd edition, 2017; Advanced English-Arabic Translation: A Practical Guide, Edinburgh University Press, 2014 (co-authored); Contemporary Arab Broadcast Media, Edinburgh University Press, 2011; Ibn al-Tayyib: the Forgotten Journey of an 18 Century Arab Traveller, I.B. Tauris, 2010 (co-authored); How to Write in Arabic, Edinburgh University Press, 2009 (1st edition); Advanced Media Arabic, Edinburgh University Press, 2008 (1st edition); Critical Discourse Analysis and Classroom Discursive Practices, Lincom Europa, 2007.

Dr. Tajul Islam is a lecturer in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Leeds. He is the co-director of Iqbal Centre for Critical Muslim Studies. Dr. Islam has a wealth of experience in teaching Arabic and Islamic Studies to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. He has actively contributed to national and international conferences on Arabic and Islamic Studies. His interdisciplinary research allowed him to combine Islamic texts with linguistics, translation, phonetics and orthography.