Collocations in English and their
Translations into Arabic
Background
Collocations are typically translated as خ١ اٌّزًلصِبد اٌٍفظٚخ أ١ اٌّصبحجبد اٌٍفظٚخ أ١افمبد اٌٍفظٛاٌّز
1. What is a collocation?
A collocation is two or more words that often go together. These combinations just sound "right" to
native English speakers, who use them all the time. On the other hand, other combinations may be
unnatural and just sound "wrong". Look at these examples:
Natural English Unnatural English
the fast train the quick train
fast food quick food
a quick shower a fast shower
a quick meal a fast meal
Other examples of English collocations:
perform a task
make a suggestion
do homework
black and white
peace and war
deliver or give a speech
Examples of Arabic collocations:
ّخِٙ ٕدض٠
خ١ٌضٗ إٌّضٚ فشٞؤد٠
اٌحشةٚ َاٌغًل
دٛأعٚ ض١أث
خطجخٍٟم٠
2. Why are collocations important?
They are important because they make the translation appear natural as if written in its own source
language.
3. What are the different types of collocations?
There are several different types of collocation made from combinations of verb, noun, adjective etc.
Some of the most common types are:
Adverb + Adjective: completely satisfied (NOT downright satisfied)
We entered a richly decorated room.
ٕخ ثفخبِخ٠ِض
Are you fully aware of the implications of your action?
اع رّبِبٚ
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Adjective + Noun: severe pain (NOT severe joy)
He was writhing on the ground in severe pain.
أٌُ ِجشذ
Noun + Noun: a surge of anger (NOT a rush of anger)
Let's give Mr. Jones a round of applause.
ك حبد١رصف
I'd like to buy two bars of soap please.
ْٛٓ ِٓ اٌصبث١لطؼز
Noun + Verb: lions roar (NOT lions shout)
The lion started to roar when it heard the dog barking.
ش األعذ – ٔجبذ اٌىٍت١صئ
Snow was falling as our plane took off.
غمظ اٌثٍح – رمٍغ اٌطبئشح٠
The bomb went off when he started the car engine.
أفدشد اٌمٕجٍخ
Verb + Noun: commit suicide (NOT undertake suicide)
The prisoner was hanged for committing murder.
ًّخ اٌمز٠اسرىبة خش
I always try to do my homework in the morning, after making my bed.
ٖش٠شرت عش٠ -خ١اخجبرٗ اٌّذسعَٛ ثٛم٠
He has been asked to give a presentation about his work.
مذَ ػشضب٠
Verb + Expression with Preposition: burst into tears (NOT blow up in tears)
We had to return home because we had run out of money.
ٔفذ اٌّبي
At first her eyes filled with horror, and then she burst into tears.
اٌجىبءٟ أفدشد ف-ء ثبٌشػتٍِٟ
Verb + Adverb: wave frantically (NOT wave feverishly)
Mary whispered softly in John's ear.
ّظ ثشلخٙ٠
Translating collocations:
It is better to search for the correct equivalent in the target language (TL).
If not found, try to reach the best known or the most frequently used translation.
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Example:
The police drew the lawyer’s attention to the murderer’s fingerprints on the dead body of the victim.
. ٗ١ٍ ػٟٕ خثخ اٌّدٍٝد ثصّبد اٌمبرً ػٛخٚ ٌٝ إٌِٝفزذ اٌششطخ أزجبٖ اٌّحب
More examples of English collocations and their Arabic equivalents:
Pure: Run into a problem صبدف ِشىٍخ٠
Pure man شح٠ اٌغشٝسخً ٔم A thorny problem ِشىٍخ شبئىخ
Pure sky خ١عّبء صبف A complicated problem ِشىٍخ ِؼمذح
Pure water خ١بٖ ٔم١ِ
Pure weather ٛ صحٛخ System:
Pure wool ف خبٌصٛص Introduce a system َذخً ٔظب٠
Adopt a system َ ٔظبٕٝزج٠
Give: Run/operate a system َش ٔظب٠ذ٠
Give a call ًزص٠ Manipulate a system َزًلػت ثٕظب٠
Give a speech خطبةٍٝم٠ Dismantle a system َحً ٔظب٠
Give trouble ً ِشبوٝزغجت ف٠\زؼت٠
Give impression زشن أطجبع٠ Bear:
Give a party ًُ حف١م٠ Bear a burden زحًّ ػتء٠
Give a secret away اٌغشٝفش٠ Bear arms حًّ عًلذ٠
Bear responsibility خ١ٌٛزحًّ ِغئ٠
Problem: Bear resemblance to ٗشج٠
Have a problem ِٓ ِشىٍخٝٔؼب٠ Bear grudge ٕخ١حًّ ضغ٠
Face a problem اخٗ ِشىٍخٛ٠
Cause a problem ِشىٍخٝزغجت ف٠ Break:
Present a problem ّثً ِشىٍخ٠ Break a promise ٖػذٛخٍف ث٠
Fix\solve a problem حً ِشىٍخ٠ Break a contract فغخ ػمذ٠
Identify a problem ِشىٍخٍٝزؼشف ػ٠ Break a law ْٛٔخشج ػٓ اٌمب٠
Overcome a problem ِشىٍخٍٝزغٍت ػ٠ Break peace َخشق اٌغًل٠
More examples of Arabic collocations and their English equivalents
ضرب
ٌذ اٌىشحٌٛضشة ا
The boy kicked the ball
ٌذ اٌىٍتٌٛضشة ا
The boy hit the dog
ٌذ ِث اٌٛضشة ا
ًل
The boy gave an example
وجه
خٗ اٌمبئذ خطبثابٚ
The leader delivered a speech.
ب اِبٙخٗ ارٚ
He made an accusation.
ٗخٗ اًٌلػت ٌىّخ ٌّٕبفغٚ
The player gave his opponent a punch.
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رفع
خ٠سّٛٙظ اٌد١ سئٌٝش األِش إ٠صٌٛسفغ ا
The Minister referred the matter to the President.
.ٗ أثٕبئٍٝضخ ػٚد اٌّفشٛ١سفغ اٌم
He removed the restrictions imposed on his sons.
ٟعٕٚخ اٌؼٍُ اٌش١رشفغ اٌغف
The ship flies the Russian flag.
ٟٕطٌٛف إٌّزخت ا١ٕفب رص١سفغ اٌف
FIFA raised the national team’s rank.
خ١ّ سعٜٛسفغ شى
He made an official complaint.
Exercises:
[Link] the sentences into Arabic paying attention to collocations:
1. The children heard the lions roar in the zoo.
............................................................................................................................................................
2. The patient suffered a severe pain after the operation.
............................................................................................................................................................
3. The poor woman sells newspaper to earn her living.
............................................................................................................................................................
4. Romeo’s and Juliet’s love story came to a sad end which surprised the audience.
............................................................................................................................................................
5. The father completely forgot to buy his son a birthday gift.
............................................................................................................................................................
6. A true friend is the one who keeps his promises.
............................................................................................................................................................
[Link] the sentences into English paying attention to collocations:
. اٌمٍتٝذ ٌّشضٛبد اٌمٍت اٌّفز١ٍّة ػٛؼم٠ ٞ ِدذٌّٟ اٌدشاذ اٌؼبٜدش٠ .1
............................................................................................................................................................
. بسرٗ ٌّصش٠ خطجخ أثٕبء صٟى٠ظ األِش١ اٌشئٝ أٌم.2
............................................................................................................................................................
ف ِصش ثؼذ أْ حمك إٌّزخت ا١ٕشفغ رص٠ فب١ اٌف.3
.ٟع اٌّبضٛ اّب األعجِٙ صاٛف
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............................................................................................................................................................
.ٝٓ ثبٌّغزشف١ٍِ حك اٌؼبٟشح ف١بِبد خطٙب ارٙخ اِٛ ش٠صٌٛ اٌٝ إٜٛاطٓ شىِٛ سفغ.4
............................................................................................................................................................
.بٙغشلذ ثىً سوبثٚ بذ٠ٕخ ثؼذ أْ ٘جذ اٌش١ أمٍجذ اٌغف.5
............................................................................................................................................................
.ٓ١٠ْ إسشبد األخشٚمٗ د٠شك اٌّشء طش٠ ْ ِٓ اٌصؼت أ.6
............................................................................................................................................................
[Link] the following passage into Arabic:
Rikki Mbaza has a very English name but his part of central Africa is suffering from a problem that
few in England would have to put up with: a lack of rain so acute that Rikki's livelihood is literally
evaporating away. "I would love to have the English weather here in Chad. Then the lake would not
go away." Rikki Mbaza lives near the shores of Lake Chad, a lake that has shrunk by 90% in the last
40 years. A lack of rain is only one of many culprits being blamed for this emerging disaster. "I am a
fisherman. For me, it is like watching my life draining away every day. The fishing is getting worse
and worse in the lake. They are getting smaller and I think the fish breeding has been disrupted by
the reduction in area and in depth." Lake Chad is only a metre deep in most places. Rikki struggles
now to provide enough food and income for his wife Achta and their four children. Achta has had to
take up pottery in her spare time in order to try and boost the amount of money coming into the
household every month.
[Link] the following passage into English:
َ؟ٌٌٕٛىٓ ِبرا ػٓ اٚ ،بضخ٠ِّبسعخ اٌشٚ ٟ إٌظبَ اٌغزائٍٝ رجزي ِٓ أخً اٌزؼبًِ ِغ ِشىٍخ اٌجذأخ ػٟد اٌزٛٙ اٌدٟض ف١ٕصت اٌزشو٠
.ٜاًِ األخشٛخ ػٓ اٌؼ١ّ٘مً أ٠ ًل ال١ٌ ذ ِٓ اٌشاحخ١ لذس خٍٝي ػٛ إْ اٌحص،ًٍٟٔ عزب١ٔ ،ٌَٕٛ ِدبي اٟت اٌّخزص ف١ي اٌطجٛم٠
خ ٌٍخذِبد١ٕطٌٛئخ ا١ٌٙاٚ خ١ٔطب٠ِخ اٌجشٛرؼزمذ اٌحىٚ ، اٌٍّّ ىخ اٌّزحذحٟٕب ِشىٍخ ِغ اٌجذأخ ف٠ أْ ٌذٟ٘ ّىٓ إٔىبس٘ب٠ الٟمخ اٌز١اٌحم
يٚح ٌزٕب٠ٚ اٌزشٍٕٝبن حًّلد رؼزّذ ػٙ ف،ٌزٌهٚ .بد اٌجذأخ٠ٛض ِغز١ رخفٌٝ ٕ٘بن حبخخ إ،خ أٔٗ ِٓ أخً صحخ أفضً ٌٍجًلد١اٌصح
حٍّخ "ػششحٚ ،خٙاٌفبوٚ ادَٚ" ِٓ اٌخضشٛ١ٌ اٟ ِثً حٍّخ "خّظ حصص ف،بضخ٠ِّبسعخ اٌشٚ ،ٟبد ألً ِٓ اٌطؼبَ اٌصح١ّو
ٍٝش ػ١ب رأثٌٙ ظ١ٌ دٛٙ فّٓ اٌظب٘ش أْ ٘زٖ اٌد،ثخ٠ش حذ٠فمب ٌزمبسٚٚ ،ِغ رٌهٚ .ض٠ اٌزشٍٝغ ػ١َ" ٌٍزشدٛ١ٌ اٟح فٛآالف خط
.بضخ٠بدح ِؼذالد ِّبسعخ اٌش٠ صٚبد اٌجذأخ أ٠ًٛ ِغز١ٍ رمٍٝاإلطًلق ػ
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