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Level B2

Music & Performance

10 words · ~15 min

Grammar focus

Music terminology including the مقام system and rhythmic patterns (إيقاع)

Cultural note

The مقام system is the melodic framework of Arabic music, comparable to but distinct from Western scales.

Lesson overview

Music & Performance is a level B2 lesson of 10 words: 5 verbs, 4 nouns and 1 adjective. Its words come from 9 Arabic roots, listed below with links to each root family.

Word list

ArabicMeaningTypeRoot
إِيقَاع
īqāʿ
rhythmnounو-ق-ع
مَقَام
maqām
musical mode / maqamnounق-و-م
فُسَيْفِسَاء
fusayfisāʾ
mosaicnoun
مَنْحُوتَة
manḥūta
sculpture (artwork)nounن-ح-ت
تَجْرِيدِيّ
tajrīdiyy
abstract (art)adjectiveج-ر-د
أَلَّفَ
allafa
to compose / to authorverbأ-ل-ف
أَبْدَعَ
abdaʿa
to create / to innovate artisticallyverbب-د-ع
صَوَّرَ
ṣawwara
to depict / to portrayverbص-و-ر
اِسْتَلْهَمَ
istalhama
to draw inspiration fromverbل-ه-م
نَقَدَ
naqada
to critique / to reviewverbن-ق-د

Themes these words belong to: Literature Arts (10)

Sample word cards

إِيقَاع
īqāʿ
rhythm
مَقَام
maqām
musical mode / maqam
فُسَيْفِسَاء
fusayfisāʾ
mosaic

Exercises and spaced review for all 10 words

"Music & Performance" is one of 144 vocabulary lessons in Fahm Premium, each with guided exercises and spaced-repetition review. The first 10 lessons are free to try.

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