Marhaba and welcome to my blog!
My name is Max Maddocks and I’m an enthusiast for all things Arabic. That includes language, culture and politics. My goal is to make learning Arabic easier for everyone and I am currently developing a number of innovative techniques that are based on mnemonics (memory aids).
I am the author of The Magic Key To The Arabic Alphabet, a course that makes learning the Arabic script extremely easy.
You can download my second book on the Arabic language – 200 Arabic Words You Already ‘Know’ – for free directly from my webpage. The book includes words that are in common beween English and Arabic and that can be readily integrated into your Arabic vocabulary, regardless of your level.
Lately, I have translated a large number of Arabic tattoo designs and have published a huge collection in my digital book Arabic Tattoos.
Apart from Arabic, I enjoy learning languages such as Persian and Chinese. I also speak Spanish and German, as well as some French. I’ve got an MA degree in Near And Middle Eastern Studies from SOAS, London, and an MPhil in Philosophy from the University of Cambridge.
Hi Max,
I have been reading your blog from australia and its fantastic, i really enjoy it. I noticed that you did a translation for one of your readers. I was wondering whether you could do the same for me. I would really love to learn Arabic but am a bit flat out right now, but its something i would love to learn one day. I have been through a rough time lately and i want to get a tattoo (in my favourite language Arabic) to symbolise this.
The words i would love you to translate are;
From strength comes courage
Never give up
Unbreakable
My family, my heart
whom I love and cherish, I will protect forever
I hope thats not too much to ask
Dear Millie,
I’ve published a blog post in which I translate some of the phrases. Hope this helps.
Max
Salam…
this the first time i see your blog
great idea!!
سعدت جداً بالفكرة و المدونة.. رائع
غادة – مــصر
Thanks for stopping by Ghada! Please take a look around and let me know if you have any ideas for new content.
بيتي بيتك
السلام عليكم ..
من فضلك أود أن أعرف طرق لتعلم اللغة الفارسية؟؟
شكراً جزيلاً
Assalam-O-Alaikum. Thanks for remember that lesson of Arabic language which Muslims are forgetting as time passed and run away to English language which is non Muslim language, but all English seepking persons are not non Muslim. I hereby present congratulation to you on your this offer.
Beste Max,
Ik zou graag een tattoo laten zetten op mijn rechter arm op de zij kant van arm van mijn muis van mijn hand naar beneden naar mijn elleboog.
Zou jij kunnen vertalen kracht moet en wijsheid
en ook geloof hoop en liefde.
Met vriendelijke groet Saskis Hoogveld
Ghada,
أعرف أن الجواب متأخر لاكني كتبت مقالا عن موضوع تعلم الفارسي من خلال اللغة العربية
kifek Max,
I reside in australia as a full time student. i am very passionate about my lebanese heritage although unfortunately i was never taught to speak or to write arabic and i am seeking the translation of these two phrases as you have already translated the phrase “nothing is true everything is permitted”. the two phrases i was hoping you would be able to translate for me are “blood is thicker than water” and also if possible “the house of my family” as i have not mentioned yet i am quite a bit of a tattoo indulgent and have not yet had any arabic written on my body and in a way i feel i owe it to my grandparents… shukaran.
much thanks joshua…
p.s. forgive my few poor attempts at arabic.
Hi Joshua! Thank you for your comment. Please refer to my custom Arabic Tattoo Design. Thanks, Max.
hi i would like to ask if you would be able to show me how الأسرة إلى الأبد ” family, forever” would look when designed as a tatto? maybe with a few decorative elements and letters writen as aesthetic features..
thanks
hi this is syed mohd burhan uddin from andhra pradesh . i wanna ask some questions about arabic magic. that has to remove the devils from the human beings. so what the way to do it. .as the patient is in madina.
Sorry, my expertise is in Arabic language learning methods and not in exorcism (which I don’t believe in)…
?? what about me
Layal, please see my custom tattoo design service.
Hello Sir translate this ?: Yordan and Rozalina forever together
Hello Mr. Maddocks;
السلام عليكم
My name is Mahmoud Darwesh, and I am a translator. I was surfing the internet when I came across this site, and I love it. I would be more than happy to help in anything you or any of your visitors may require.
As-salaama Aleikum. Thank you for your website. I am at the beginners’ Arabic stage and I have a question. Why is Arabic script so small? If I zoom in to try to make it easier to read the characters get jumbled up. This applies to all the Arabic script I have seen, not just your website. The only exception is in some children’s books. I should be very pleased if someone could explain this to me. Do Arabs have better eyesight?
Wa alaikum as-salam! This is something I notice frequently too. In fact, I edited the code on my website to display the Arabic sript in a larger size already and I think it’s much easier to read than on other sites. However, most websites use a tiny font-size and I usually just zoom in to read the text. If anyone knows the answer as to why everyone uses such a small font, I’d be very interested to find out too.
hi arabic genie,
Can you please translate, ” Forever, for always and no matter what”.
I would really appreciate it.
Thank you!
Evelyn
Hey Max!
Wonderful website, so helpful. I just purchased your arbic tattoo collection and I’m really pleased with it. I was hoping however to find some styles for the word ‘understanding’, could you please translate that one for me and provide in the four fonts? Thank you so much for your time
Best Wishes
Suzi
Hi there (:
i really loved your blog and was amazed by the many languages you can speak ما شاء الله
As i am learning English i noticed that there are many words in common between English and Arabic so i was very blessed to see them in one book.
thanks a lot.
i love my native language .. it really is beautiful, but the truth is even we (and by we i mean Arabs) Did not do our language justice
and we are also learning how to speak the The original Arabic.
it’s enchanting, and it takes a long term of learning for non-arabs to sense that
i’m really proud of it (:
Hi Manary! Thank you for your kind words. It’s great that you found the 200 Arabic Words You Already ‘Know’ useful as an Arabic speaker learning English. Arabic is a beatufiul language indeed and with so much depth and breadth that it takes a lifetime to explore it.
Hi,
this is a really great blog! Fantastic work! I was looking for some words and quotes and I found most of them and I want to thank you. I will really appreaciate if you could tell me how to write on arabic this 2 phrases, without any explainations, just the phrases:
1. “You only live once” or “You live only once”
2. “I am relentless” or “I am unbreakable”
Thank you in advance.
Hi ArabicGenie ,
Nice site you have , and good efforet , I am an Arabic Calligrapher and designer from Egypt , I hope to see my site :
http://www.freewebs.com/ahmed-kandil
and I’d like to be a way from introducing Arabic Tattoos please .