Key phrases, common mistakes, false friends, sentence builders, and register awareness — all in one place.
Key phrases by domain
Judicial
The court hereby orders the defendant to pay the plaintiff the sum of...
تأمر المحكمة بموجب هذا المدعى عليه بأن يدفع للمدعي مبلغ...
⚓ بموجب هذا = "by force of this [document]" — not just "hereby". The phrase signals an enforceable judicial command, not a request.
Judicial
...as compensation for the psychological harm caused to the plaintiff
...كتعويض عن الضرر النفسي الذي لحق بالمدعي
⚓ الذي لحق بـ = "which befell / was caused to" — a fixed legal Arabic collocation. Don't say أصاب here; لحق sounds more formal.
Contract
The Seller hereby sells, assigns, and transfers to the Buyer...
يبيع البائع بموجب هذا ويسقط ويتنازل للمشتري عن...
⚠️ Three verbs are legally required — باع + أسقط + تنازل. Dropping any one of them can void the transfer. Think of them as a locked three-word chain.
Contract
...together with all appurtenances and fixtures described in the preamble
...مع كافة ملحقات العقار والتجهيزات المبيّنة في الديباجة
⚓ الديباجة = preamble (the opening section of a contract listing parties and property). ملحقات = appurtenances, i.e., things that "go along with" the property.
Employment
The employee's service shall be terminated effective immediately upon finding of gross misconduct.
يُنهى عقد خدمة الموظف بأثر فوري عند ثبوت سوء السلوك الجسيم.
⚓ بأثر فوري is equivalent to "effective immediately" in employment Arabic. ثبوت = upon proof/finding of — crucial: it implies due process.
Employment
Any breach of confidentiality obligations shall result in immediate termination without notice.
يترتب على أي إفشاء لالتزامات السرية إنهاء فوري للخدمة دون إشعار مسبق.
⚓ إفشاء = disclosure/breach of secrecy. Root: فشا = to spread/leak out. The noun from the same root: فاشٍ = something that has leaked out.
Personal Status
The wife shall be entitled to maintenance including food, clothing, housing, and medical care.
تستحق الزوجة النفقة وتشمل الغذاء والكسوة والمسكن والتطبيب.
⚓ The 4 components of النفقة are fixed: الغذاء، الكسوة، المسكن، التطبيب. Learn them as a group — they come as a package in court documents.
Register radar — formal vs everyday Arabic
🏛️ Legal / Formal
يُقرّر المحكمة
the court rules
بموجب هذا
hereby / by virtue of this
وفقاً لأحكام
pursuant to the provisions of
يترتب على ذلك
it follows therefrom
إنهاء الخدمة
termination of employment
الطرف الأول / الثاني
First Party / Second Party
💬 Everyday Arabic
القاضي قرر
the judge decided
بهذا / بناءً على هذا
based on this
حسب قواعد
according to the rules of
طرده من الشغل
fired from work
الشخص الأول / الثاني
the first / second person
💡 In your exam: always choose the formal register. When unsure between two Arabic options, pick the one that sounds more like a royal decree.
Key collocations — words that live together
file a lawsuitرفع دعوى قضائية
render a judgmentإصدار حكم قضائي
award compensationالحكم بالتعويض
breach of contractإخلال / خرق بنود العقد
enter into a contractإبرام عقد
terminate an agreementإنهاء الاتفاقية
settle a disputeالفصل في نزاع / تسوية خلاف
exercise jurisdictionمباشرة الولاية القضائية
invoke arbitrationاللجوء إلى التحكيم
bear legal responsibilityتحمّل المسؤولية القانونية
Word families — one root, many forms
الجذر: ح-ك-م
حَكَمَto judge / rule
حُكْمjudgment / ruling
حَكَّامrulers / governors
مَحكمةcourt (place of judging)
تَحكيمarbitration (making someone judge)
إحكامprecision / tightness (firm ruling)
الجذر: ع-و-ض
عَوَّضَto compensate
تَعويضcompensation
عِوَضin place of / instead of
مُعوِّضcompensator (legal party paying)
الجذر: ن-ف-ق
نَفَقَto spend / to pass through
نَفَقةmaintenance / alimony
نَفَقاتexpenses / expenditures
إنفاقspending / disbursement
نافِذenforceable / effective (passes through)
الجذر: و-ل-ي
وَلِيَto take charge of
وِلايةjurisdiction / guardianship / authority
وَلِيّguardian
تَوَلّىto assume responsibility