Meaning
To state one's personal belief or judgment.
Cultural Background
The concept of 'Shura' (consultation) makes expressing opinions a communal duty in many traditional settings. In social gatherings, people often use 'Abbara' to preface a strong or potentially offensive opinion to show they are being 'intellectual' rather than 'aggressive'. In the 'Diwaniya' or 'Majlis', expressing an opinion is an art form that requires starting with polite phrases like 'Law samahat' (If you permit). Egyptians might use 'Abbara' in media, but in the street, they prefer 'Ana ray'i kaza' (My opinion is such-and-such).
Use with Adverbs
Pair this with 'bi-wuduh' (clearly) or 'bi-saraha' (honestly) to sound like a native speaker.
The 'An' Trap
Never forget the 'an'. It is the bridge between the verb and the opinion.
Meaning
To state one's personal belief or judgment.
Use with Adverbs
Pair this with 'bi-wuduh' (clearly) or 'bi-saraha' (honestly) to sound like a native speaker.
The 'An' Trap
Never forget the 'an'. It is the bridge between the verb and the opinion.
Tact Matters
In Arab culture, 'how' you express your opinion is as important as 'what' the opinion is.
Test Yourself
Fill in the missing preposition.
يجب على كل إنسان أن يعبر ___ رأيه.
The verb 'Abbara' always takes the preposition 'an'.
Choose the most formal way to say 'He shared his opinion'.
أي جملة هي الأكثر رسمية؟
'Abbara 'an' is the standard formal collocation in Modern Standard Arabic.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the verb.
أحمد: لماذا أنت صامت؟ خالد: لأنني لا أريد أن ____ عن رأيي الآن.
The verb must be conjugated in the first person singular (I) to match 'Khalid' speaking about himself.
Match the Arabic phrase to its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are all variations of expressing an opinion with slight nuances.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesيجب على كل إنسان أن يعبر ___ رأيه.
The verb 'Abbara' always takes the preposition 'an'.
أي جملة هي الأكثر رسمية؟
'Abbara 'an' is the standard formal collocation in Modern Standard Arabic.
أحمد: لماذا أنت صامت؟ خالد: لأنني لا أريد أن ____ عن رأيي الآن.
The verb must be conjugated in the first person singular (I) to match 'Khalid' speaking about himself.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
These are all variations of expressing an opinion with slight nuances.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questionsYes! You can say 'Yu'abbir 'an masha'irihi' (He expresses his feelings). The structure is the same.
Yes, but it sounds more formal. In daily life, people use 'Al' (said) or 'Shayif' (seeing).
'Ra'y' is a judgment or belief. 'Fikra' is an idea or a thought. You express a 'Ra'y' about a topic.
You say 'Fi ra'yi' (في رأيي). You don't use 'Abbara' for that short phrase.
It is always 'Abbara 'an'. Using 'bi' is a common mistake.
Related Phrases
حرية التعبير
builds onFreedom of expression
وجهة نظر
similarPoint of view
أبدى ملاحظة
specialized formTo make a remark/observation
صمت عن الكلام
contrastTo remain silent
