أجرى مقابلة

You use this phrase when you want to sound competent and professional. The verb أجرى is quite flexible. You can use it in the past tense (أجرى), present tense (يجري), or even as a command if you're a boss telling someone to get to work! Just remember that the person doing the 'conducting' is the subject. If you are the one being interviewed, you would usually say كان عندي مقابلة (I had an interview) instead.

This is your go-to phrase for the workplace. Use it when writing a report about hiring new staff. Use it if you are a journalist describing your meeting with a celebrity. It’s also perfect for academic contexts, like if you are a student interviewing people for a thesis. If you're texting a friend about your busy day at the office, saying أجريت خمس مقابلات اليوم (I conducted five interviews today) makes you sound like a total boss.

Don't use this for casual hangouts! If you're meeting a friend for coffee to catch up, using أجرى مقابلة will make you sound like you're interrogating them. Your friend might ask if they're being fired from the friendship! Also, avoid it for very informal job chats. In a casual startup environment, people might just say قعدت مع (I sat with) or تكلمت مع (I spoke with) to keep things low-key.

In Arab professional culture, formal language is highly respected. Using precise collocations like أجرى مقابلة shows that you understand the etiquette of the business world. Historically, Arabic media has used this phrase for decades. It carries a weight of authority. When you hear it on news channels like Al Jazeera or Al Arabiya, it signals that a serious, structured conversation is about to happen. It’s a bridge between the classical language and modern professional life.

While أجرى مقابلة is the gold standard, you'll hear variations across the map. In Egypt, you might hear عمل مقابلة (made an interview), which is much more common in daily speech. In the Gulf, someone might say سوى مقابلة. However, if you stick with أجرى, you will be understood everywhere from Morocco to Iraq, and you'll sound incredibly polished. It’s like wearing a well-tailored suit in linguistic form.