1. How to Translate Articles
Submitted to: Prof. Walid Amer
Presented by: Mohammed Y. Abdelnabi ( )

2. Indefinite Articles (a/ an)
We can use literal translation to translate the indefinite articles (a/an) from English to Arabic.
e.g. There was a queen named Elizabeth.
TT: كان هناك ملكة تدعى إليزابيث
e.g. a pair of shoes
TT : زوج من الأحذية
80 kms an hour
TT: 80 كيلومتر في الساعة

3. Indefinite Article (a/an)
However, with some English collocations, literal translation should be avoided to understand the collocations and get their Arabic equivalent.
e.g. a sigh of relief
TT: تنفس الصعداء
e.g. a cake of soap
TT: قطعة صابون
e.g. seize an opportunity
TT: ينتهز الفرصة

4. Indefinite Articles a/ an
However we should take the cultural differences into consideration when translating from English to Arabic and vice versa.
e.g. We’ll slaughter him like a pig.
TT: سنذبحه ذبح الخراف
e.g. Israeli PM Spokesman: ‘We Want a Real Peace Deal' With Palestinians.
TT: الناطق باسم رئاسة الوزراء : نحن نريد اتفاقية سلام حقيقية مع الفلسطينيين.
He is wise like an owl
هو حكيم كلقمان

5. Definite Article (the)
However, literal translation will be inappropriate in understanding English collocations properly.
e.g. (the) heart of the matters
TT: جوهر الأشياء
e.g. (the) throes of death
TT: سكرات الموت

6. Definite Articles (the)
Arabic has one definite article "the". It consists of two letters: "al". It is attached to the beginning of nouns and their adjectives. However, Arabic has no overt indefinite articles, unlike English. The definite article “the” is redundantly used by Arab learners of English with nouns that require the definite article in Arabic but not in English.

7. There are three types of errors in the translation of articles by the Arabic speaking learners of English .
Omission of the definite article
e.g. معدات الجنود تتكون من أسلحة خفيفة وخناجر.
TT: INCORRECT: Arms of soldiers are guns and daggers.
CORRECT: The arms of soldiers are guns and daggers.
In the above sentence, the definite article "the" should be used before "arms", but has been dropped because it is not used in Arabic, as it is in the genitive case.

8. 2. Omission of the indefinite article “a”.
e.g. يعمل أبي في بنك.
INCORRECT: My father works in bank.
CORRECT: My father works in a bank
In the this sentence, the indefinite article "a" should be used before the noun "bank" in English; but it is dropped, maybe because in Arabic such article is non-existent.

9. e.g. السعادة لا تأتي من المال
3. Wrong Insertion
Arab students tend to use “the” before nouns which are not normally preceded by this definite article, such as names of most diseases, names of days, names of some places, and in many idiomatic expressions. The reason for this is that in Arabic such nouns are usually preceded by the definite article. In English, abstract words referring to ideas, attributes, or qualities are used without the article 'the'. In Arabic, however, such abstract words are preceded by the definite article equivalent to 'the' in English.
e.g. السعادة لا تأتي من المال
INCORRECT : The happiness doesn't come from the money.
CORRECT : Happiness doesn't come from the money.

10. Other examples People can work in the agriculture or in the industry.
He went to the Doha.
John suffers from the cancer.
He was filled with the sadness.
He studies the music.
He works in the agriculture.
The CORRECT forms of all the above sentences should be without the use of the definite article “The”