Levantine Arabic Work and Professions — 150 Words
This page lists 150 work and professions in Levantine Arabic, one of the most widely spoken varieties of Arabic. Each entry includes the Arabic script, an English translation, and a phonetic transliteration to help you pronounce each word correctly. Whether you are a beginner or building on existing knowledge, this word list is a practical starting point for learning Arabic.
| Arabic | Transliteration | English |
|---|---|---|
| شيْف | šēf | chef |
| عامِل نضافة | 3āmil naɖāfa | cleaner |
| طبّاخ | ʈabbāx | cook |
| منْدوب خِدْمِةْ العُملا | mandūb xídmit il3úmala | customer service representative |
| دكْتوْر سْنان | daktōr snān | dentist |
| دكْتوْر (دكاتْرة) | daktōr (dakātra) | doctor |
| مُحرِّر | muɧárrir | editor |
| كهْربائي | kahrabāʔi | electrician (repairman) |
| مُهنْدِس | muhándis | engineer |
| فلّاح | fallāɧ | farmer |
| إطْفائي | iʈfāʔi | fire fighter |
| رجُل إطْفاء | rájul iʈfāʔ | fire fighter |
| صيّاد (سمك) | ʂayyād (sámak) | fisherman |
| مُضيف طَيَران | muɖīf ʈayarān | flight attendant |
| زبّال | zabbāl | garbage collector |
| جنايْني | janāyni | gardener |
| كَوافيْرة | kawāfēra | hairdresser (for women) |
| إمام | imām | imam |
| قاضي | gāɖi | judge |
| اِشْتغل، يِشْتِغِل | ištáɣal, yištíɣil | to work, be employed |
| هِيَّ بْتِشْتِغِل في المدْرسة. | híyya btištíɣil fi -lmádrasa. | She works as a teacher. |
| أنا بشْتِغِل خمس تِيّام بِالإسْبوع. | ána baštíɣil xámas tiyyām bi-lʔisbū3. | I work five days a week. |
| وَظيفة | waʐīfa | job, task |
| دَوام كامِل | dawām kāmil | full-time |
| بشْتِغِل دَوام كامِل. | baštíɣil dawām kāmil. | I work full-time. |
| نُصّ دَوام | nuʂʂ dawām | part-time |
| دوام جُزْئي | dawām júzʔi | part-time |
| بِدّي شُغُل بْنُصّ دَوام. | bíddi šúɣul b-nuʂʂ dawām. | I want a part-time job. |
| الخاصّ | ilxāʂʂ | the private sector |
| الحُكومة | ilɧukūma | the public sector |
| السُّلْطة | issúlʈa | the public sector |
| مُوَظّف حُكومي | muwáʐʐaf ɧukūmi | civil servant |
| دوّر على شُغُل، يْدوِّر على شُغُل | dáwwar 3ála šúɣul, ydáwwir 3ála šúɣul | to look for a job |
| قدّم على شُغُل، يْقدِّم على شُغُل | gáddam 3ála šúɣul, ygáddim 3ála šúɣul | to apply for a job |
| مْقدِّم على شُغُل | mgáddim 3ála šúɣul | applicant, candidate |
| خِبْرة | xíbra | experience |
| عِنْدو مُقابلِةْ شُغُل | 3índu mugābalit šúɣul | to have a job interview |
| قابل، يْقابِل | gābal, ygābil | to interview |
| لقى شُغُل | lāga [55] šúɣul | to find a job |
| لقيْت شُغُل وَلّا لِسّا؟ | lāgēt šúɣul wálla líssa? | Have you found a job yet? |
| اِتْوظّف، يِتْوظّف | (i)twáʐʐaf, yitwáʐʐaf | to obtain employment |
| وَظّف، يْوَظِّف | wáʐʐaf, ywáʐʐif | to employ |
| مُوَظّف | muwáʐʐaf | employee |
| صاحِب شُغُل (صْحاب شُغُل) | ʂāɧib šúɣul (ʂɧāb šúɣul) | employer |
| مُدير | mudīr | boss, manager |
| زميل (زُملا) | zamīl (zúmala) | colleague, coworker |
| شِرْكة | šírka | company |
| بدا شُغُل | báda [55] šúɣul | to start work |
| أخد بْريْك | áxad [55] brēk | to take a break |
| أخد راحة | áxad [55] rāɧa | to take a break |
| بْريْك الغدا | brēk ilɣáda | lunch break |
| خلّص شُغُل، يْخلِّص شُغُل | xállaʂ šúɣul, yxálliʂ šúɣul | to finish work, get off work |
| اِشْتغل أوْفر تايْم | ištáɣal ōvar tāym | to work overtime |
| دَوام | dawām | working hours |
| أنا بشْتِغِل دَوام تمن ساعات في اليوْم. | ána baštíɣil dawām táman sā3āt fi -lyōm. | I work eight hours a day. |
| دَوام بِالِنْهار | dawām bi-linhār | day shift |
| دَوام لَيْلي | dawām lēli | night shift, graveyard shift |
| دَوام بِاللّيْل | dawām bi-llēl | night shift, graveyard shift |
| أنا بشْتِغِل دَوام ليْلي. | ána baštíɣil dawām lēli. | I work the night shift. |
| أنا بشْتِغْلِش. | ána baštíɣliš. | I'm off work. |
| أنا قاعِد. | ána gā3id. | I'm off work. |
| أنا فاضي آخِر الإسْبوع. | ána fāɖi ʔāxir ilʔisbū3. | I have weekends off. |
| مكْتب (مْكاتِب) | máktab (mkātib) | office |
| مُوَظّف مكْتب | muwáʐʐaf máktab | office worker |
| منْدوب شِرْكة | mandūb šírka | company representative |
| اِتْأخّر في المكْتب، يِتْأخّر في المكْتب | (i)tʔáxxar fi -lmáktab, yitʔáxxar fi -lmáktab | to stay late at the office |
| سافر مع الشُّغُل | sāfar [24] ma3 iššúɣul | to go on a business trip |
| عِنْدو اِجْتِماع | 3índu ʔijtimā3 | to have a meeting |
| زْبون (زبايِن) | zbūn (zabāyin) | client |
| عميل (عُملا) | 3amīl (3úmala) | client |
| قبض، يُقْبُض | gábaɖ, yúgbuɖ | to earn (money); get paid |
| دُفْعة | dúf3a | wage, pay |
| راتِب | rātib | salary |
| قبْضة | gábɖa | salary |
| راتْبي كْوَيِّس. | rātbi kwáyyis. | My salary is just okay. |
| يوْم القبْضة | yōm ilgábɖa | payday |
| أنا بقْبُض أوّل الشّهِر. | ána bágbuɖ áwwal iššáhir. | I get paid on the first of the month. |
| حافِز (حَوافِز) | ɧāfiz (ɧawāfiz) | bonus, incentive |
| بوْنص | bōnas | bonus, incentive |
| علاوَة | 3alāwa | pay raise |
| زْيادة | zyāda | pay raise |
| أخد علاوَة | áxad [55] 3alāwa | to get a raise |
| أعْطى __ علاوَة | á3ʈa [55] __ 3alāwa | to give __ a raise |
| ترْقِيَة | tárgiya | promotion |
| اِتْرقّى، يِتْرقّى | (i)trágga, yitrágga | to get promoted |
| أنا اتْرقّيْت الشّهِر هاد. | ána -traggēt iššáhir hād. | I got a promotion this month. |
| بيشْتِغْلش | bištíɣliš | unemployed, jobless |
| قاعِد | gā3id | unemployed, jobless |
| عاطِل | 3āʈil | unemployed, jobless |
| بطالة | baʈāla | unemployment |
| اِسْتقال، يِسْتقيل | istagāl, yistagīl | to resign |
| ساب الشُّغُل | sāb [55] iššúɣul | to quit one's job |
| اِسْتغْنى عن، يِسْتغْني عن | istáɣna 3an, yistáɣni 3an | to lay off, make redundant |
| فصل، يِفْصِل | fáʂal, yífʂil | to fire |
| طرّد، يْطرِّد | ʈárrad, yʈárrid | to fire |
| اِنْفصل [مِن شُغْلو]، يِنْفِصِل [مِن شُغْلو] | infáʂal [min šúɣlu], yinfíʂil [min šúɣlu] | to get fired |
| اِتْقاعد، يِتْقاعد | (i)tqā3ad, yitqā3ad | to retire |
| معاش | ma3āš | pension |
| راتِب تقاعُد | rātib taqā3ud | pension |
| سِنّ التّقاعُد | sinn ittaqā3ud | (age of) retirement |
| بتْمنّى أتْقاعد لمّا أصير سِتّين. | batmánna ʔatqā3ad lámma ʔaʂīr sittīn. | I hope to retire when I'm sixty. |
| صنْعة | ʂán3a | trade, craft |
| شو بْتِشْتِغِل؟ | šū btištíɣil? | What do you do? |
| أنا __. | ána __. | I'm a (+occupation). |
| بشْتِغِل __. | baštíɣil __. | I'm a (+occupation). |
| مُحاسِب | muɧāsib | accountant |
| مُمثِّل | mumássil | actor |
| مُهنْدِس مِعْماري | muhándis mi3māri | architect |
| فنّان | fannān | artist |
| رِياضي | riyāɖi | athlete |
| خبّاز | xabbāz | baker |
| مُوَظّف بنْك | muwáʐʐaf bank | bank teller; banker |
| مُدير بنْك | mudīr bank | bank manager |
| حلّاق | ɧallāg | barber |
| سوّاق باص | sawwāg bāʂ | bus driver |
| لحّام | laɧɧām | butcher |
| نجّار | najjār | carpenter |
| مُحاسِب | muɧāsib | cashier |
| طبّاخ | ʈabbāx | chef |
| عامِل (عُمال) | 3āmil (3umāl) | laborer |
| مُحامي | muɧāmi | lawyer |
| خدّامة | xaddāma | maid |
| ميْكانيكي | mēkānīki | mechanic |
| موسيقار | mūsīqār | musician |
| مُمرِّض | mumárriɖ | nurse |
| رسّام | rassām | painter (of art) |
| دهّين | dahhīn | painter, house painter |
| صَيْدلي (صَيادْلة) | ʂáydali (ʂayādla) | pharmacist |
| طيّار | ʈayyār | pilot |
| سبّاك | sabbāk | plumber |
| شُرْطي | šúrʈi | police officer |
| سِياسي | siyāsi | politician |
| قِسّيس | qissīs | priest |
| أُسْتاذ جامْعة | ustāz jām3a | professor |
| سِمْسار (سماسْرة) | simsār (samāsra) | real estate agent |
| مْصلِّح | mʂálliɧ | repairman |
| بحّار | baɧɧār | sailor |
| منْدوب مبيعات | mandūb mabī3āt | salesperson |
| سِكِرْتيْر | sikirtēr | secretary |
| خدّامة | xaddāma | servant, housekeeper, maid |
| بيّاع | bayyā3 | shop assistant |
| بيّاع خُضْرة | bayyā3 xúɖra | shopkeeper |
| خُضرْجي | xuɖárji | shopkeeper |
| عسْكري (عساكِر) | 3áskari (3asākir) | soldier |
| سوّاق تاكْسي | sawwāg tāksi | taxi driver |
| أُسْتاذ (أساتْذة) | ustāz (asádza) | teacher |
| فنّي | fánni | technician |
| وَكيل سفْرِيّات (وُكلا سفْرِيّات) | wakīl safriyyāt (wúkala safriyyāt) | travel agent |
| (دكْتوْر) بَيْطري | (daktōr) báyʈari | veterinarian |
| غرْسوْن | garsōn | waiter, waitress |
Ready to go deeper?
Explore thousands of Arabic words across dialects, or sign up to start practicing with interactive lessons.