{"id":3926,"date":"2025-10-20T15:17:39","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T13:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/?p=3926"},"modified":"2025-10-20T15:17:39","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T13:17:39","slug":"la-importancia-del-idioma-arabe-y-kurdo-en-la-experiencia-viajera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/en\/la-importancia-del-idioma-arabe-y-kurdo-en-la-experiencia-viajera\/","title":{"rendered":"The importance of Arabic and Kurdish language in the travel experience"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Travelling to Iraq is much more than visiting archaeological sites, mosques or breathtaking landscapes. It also means getting to know the people who live there, their customs and especially their language. Two cultural pillars coexist in this country: the <strong>Arabic language<\/strong> and <strong>Kurdish language<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In my <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/en\/\" title=\"\">travel to Iraq<\/a><\/strong> We don't just show monuments, we want the traveller to connect with the spirit of the country. One of the best ways to do this is to learn a few phrases in Arabic and Kurdish. These are details that generate closeness, provoke smiles and open the door to authentic conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A brief history of the Arabic language<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>Arabic language<\/strong> has a history that goes back more than a century. <strong>4000 years<\/strong>. Its roots are in the<a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Arabia\" title=\"\"> <strong>Arabian Peninsula<\/strong><\/a>, It is spoken especially in the area of today's Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman. It belongs to the family of languages <strong>Semitic<\/strong>, along with Hebrew and Aramaic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Originally, Arabic was a tribal and oral language, passed between clans and nomadic desert peoples. Over time, it was consolidated into a written system, first with ancient inscriptions in pre-classical Arabic, and later with the <strong>classical Arabic<\/strong>, whose most established form appears in the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cor%C3%A1n\" title=\"\">Koran<\/a><\/strong> in the 7th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From then on, the Arabic language spread rapidly thanks to the <strong>Islam<\/strong> and the great empires that drove it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>Umayyad Empire<\/strong> (661-750) made it the official language of administration and culture from Damascus.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Abbasid Empire<\/strong> (750-1258), with Baghdad as its capital, made Arabic the language of science, philosophy and literature at the height of the Islamic Golden Age.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Later, under the <strong>Ottomans<\/strong>, Although Turkish dominated the administration, Arabic remained alive and well in religion and daily life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This development explains why today there are numerous <strong>Arabic dialects<\/strong> all over the world. Each region adopted words and structures from the local languages with which it lived: Persian, Turkish, Berber, Spanish, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Classical Arabic and colloquial Iraqi Arabic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The<a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%C3%81rabe_cl%C3%A1sico\" title=\"\"> <strong>classical Arabic<\/strong><\/a>, also called <strong>educated Arab<\/strong>, is the official language of 22 countries and is spoken by more than <strong>300 million people<\/strong>. It is used in newspapers, newsreels, literature and religious contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In everyday life in Iraq, however, the language you will hear is the <strong>Iraqi colloquial Arabic<\/strong>. This dialect is rich in its own expressions and incorporates influences from Aramaic, Persian and Turkish. What is interesting is that, although it differs from classical Arabic, it has a common root, which makes it easily understood in other Arab countries, for example <strong>Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan or Syria<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That's why, during my tours, I teach so much <strong>basic expressions in classical Arabic<\/strong> (useful for reading or understanding formal messages), such as <strong>Iraqi colloquial phrases<\/strong>, These are the ones that really bring the traveller closer to everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The role of the Kurdish language in Iraq<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The<a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Idioma_kurdo\" title=\"\"> <strong>language<\/strong> <strong>kurdish<\/strong> <\/a>is the predominant language in the<a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kurdist%C3%A1n_iraqu%C3%AD\" title=\"\"> <strong>Iraqi Kurdistan<\/strong><\/a>, It is a central element of Kurdish identity and culture. It is a language <strong>Indo-European<\/strong>, different from Arabic, with several dialectal variants: Arabic <strong>kurmanji<\/strong>, most widely spoken in Iraq and Turkey, and the <strong>sorani<\/strong>, frequent in parts of Iraq and Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The history of the Kurdish language goes back centuries, being the language of the mountain peoples who inhabited Northern Mesopotamia and the surrounding regions. For a long time, Kurdish was mainly transmitted orally, and although it lacked standardisation, it served to preserve traditions, literature and poetry, which are an essential part of Kurdish culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the course of the 20th century, especially after the creation of the autonomous region of <strong>Iraqi Kurdistan<\/strong>, Kurdish gained official and educational relevance. Today it is used in schools, media and local administration, co-existing with Arabic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Knowing some basic phrases in Kurdish during a <strong>trip to Iraq<\/strong> not only facilitates communication, but also demonstrates <strong>respect and appreciation for local culture<\/strong>, opening the door to more authentic interactions with northern communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Real-life experience on my travels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In my <strong>travel to Iraq<\/strong> I have found that the first phrases people often ask travellers are always the same:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u201cWhere are you from?\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u201cAre you Real Madrid or Bar\u00e7a?\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The latter may come as a surprise, but it demonstrates something fascinating: how football unites the world. In Iraq, as in many Arab countries, the passion for these two Spanish clubs is enormous. It's a quick way to break the ice and start a conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Useful phrases in Classical Arabic and colloquial Iraqi Arabic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is a short list of phrases that I share in the itineraries, both in <strong>classical and colloquial Arabic<\/strong> as in <strong>kurdish<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In classical Arabic \/ colloquial Iraqi<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u0645\u0631\u062d\u0628\u0627 (Marhaban)<\/strong> \u2013 Hola<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u0635\u0628\u0627\u062d \u0627\u0644\u062e\u064a\u0631 (Sabah al-jair)<\/strong> - Good morning<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u0627\u0633\u0645\u064a ... (Ismi ...)<\/strong> - My name is...<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u0623\u0646\u0627 \u0645\u0646 ... (Ana min ...)<\/strong> - I am from...<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u0645\u0646 \u0648\u064a\u0646 \u0625\u0646\u062a\u061f (Min ween enta?)<\/strong> - Where are you from?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>\u0623\u0646\u062a \u0645\u062f\u0631\u064a\u062f\u064a \u0623\u0648 \u0628\u0631\u0634\u0644\u0648\u0646\u064a\u061f (Enta Madridi aw Barcelona?)<\/strong> - Are you a Real Madrid or Bar\u00e7a fan?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In Kurdish <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At <strong>Iraq<\/strong>, especially in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, the Kurdish <strong>can be written in two alphabets<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Latin alphabet<\/strong> - Mainly used in the <strong>Kurmanji<\/strong>, especially in modern publications, internet, teaching books and international media. Example: <em>Beyan\u00ee ba\u015f<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Arabic alphabet<\/strong> - Mainly used for the <strong>Sorani dialect<\/strong>, very common in cities such as <strong>Erbil, Suleimaniya or Dohuk<\/strong>, especially in official texts, newspapers and local signage. Example: <strong>\u0628\u06d5\u06cc\u0627\u0646\u06cc \u0628\u06d5\u06cc \u0628\u0627\u0634<\/strong> (<em>Beyan\u00ee ba\u015f<\/em>).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In Kurdish (Kurmanji \/ Sorani)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Kurdish (Latin)<\/th><th>Kurdish (Arabic)<\/th><th>Spanish \/ Pronunciation<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Slav<\/strong><\/td><td>\u0633\u0644\u0627\u0645<\/td><td>Hello (<em>slav<\/em>)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Beyan\u00ee ba\u015f<\/strong><\/td><td>\u0628\u06d5\u06cc\u0627\u0646\u06cc \u0628\u06d5\u06cc \u0628\u0627\u0634<\/td><td>Good morning (<em>bey-ani bash<\/em>)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Nav\u00ea min ... e<\/strong><\/td><td>\u0646\u0627\u0648\u06d5\u06cc \u0645\u0646 ... \u0626\u0647<\/td><td>My name is... (<em>nav\u00e9 min ... \u00e9<\/em>)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Ez ji ... me<\/strong><\/td><td>\u0626\u0647\u0632 \u0698\u06cc ... \u0645\u0647<\/td><td>I am from... (<em>ez yi ... me<\/em>)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Tu ji ku der\u00ea y\u00ee?<\/strong><\/td><td>\u062a\u0648 \u0698\u06cc \u0643\u0648 \u0643\u0648 \u0643\u0648 \u062f\u0647\u0631\u0647\u06cc\u061f<\/td><td>Where are you from?<em>tu yi ku der\u00e9 yi?<\/em>)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Arabic imprint in Spanish<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For Spanish-speaking travellers, approaching Arabic has a special nuance. For almost eight centuries, the Arabic presence on the Iberian Peninsula left a deep mark on the Spanish language. It is estimated that more than <strong>4,000 words in Spanish<\/strong> come from Arabic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some everyday examples are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>sugar<\/strong> (from \u201csukkar\u201d)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>olive<\/strong> (from \u201czayt\u016bna\u201d)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>hopefully<\/strong> (from \u201cin sh\u0101\u2019 All\u0101h\u201d, meaning \u201cif God wills\u201d)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>pillow<\/strong>, <strong>orange<\/strong>, <strong>Mayor<\/strong>, <strong>carpet<\/strong>, among many others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This legacy demonstrates that the <strong>Arabic language and Spanish<\/strong> are more connected than we often realise, which makes a <strong>trip to Iraq<\/strong> into an even closer and more enriching experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>By embarking on a <strong>trip to Iraq<\/strong>, It is not enough to visit archaeological or religious sites: the real value lies in <strong>connecting with people<\/strong>. Know some words in <strong>Classical Arabic, Iraqi Colloquial Arabic and Kurdish<\/strong> can make the difference between being a tourist and being a traveller who understands, connects and transforms his or her gaze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>Arabic<\/strong>, with more than 4000 years of history, reminds us of the power of languages to unite cultures, while the <strong>kurdish<\/strong> underlines the richness and diversity of Iraq. And the best thing is that, through a few simple phrases, you can discover that a passion for football or a warm greeting can break down any cultural barrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Would you like us to help you organise your trip to Iraq?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a look at our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/en\/tours-y-viajes-a-irak\/\">travel offer to Iraq<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/en\/contacto\/\">contact us<\/a>&nbsp;to start preparing your trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Viajar a Irak es mucho m\u00e1s que recorrer sitios arqueol\u00f3gicos, mezquitas o paisajes deslumbrantes. Tambi\u00e9n significa acercarse a las personas que viven all\u00ed, a sus costumbres y, muy especialmente, a su lengua. En este pa\u00eds conviven dos pilares culturales: el idioma \u00e1rabe y el idioma kurdo. En mis viajes a Irak no solo mostramos monumentos, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,6,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-consejos-de-viaje","category-cultura","category-general"],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"trp-custom-language-flag":false,"widget-thumbnail":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Mariam Khalifa Bris","author_link":"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/en\/author\/mariamkhalifa\/"},"uagb_comment_info":16,"uagb_excerpt":"Viajar a Irak es mucho m\u00e1s que recorrer sitios arqueol\u00f3gicos, mezquitas o paisajes deslumbrantes. Tambi\u00e9n significa acercarse a las personas que viven all\u00ed, a sus costumbres y, muy especialmente, a su lengua. En este pa\u00eds conviven dos pilares culturales: el idioma \u00e1rabe y el idioma kurdo. En mis viajes a Irak no solo mostramos monumentos,&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3926"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3985,"href":"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3926\/revisions\/3985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/viajesairak.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}