Usage of “Among” and “Between” in Arabic:
In English, “between” refers to two parties, while “among” refers to three or more or a whole group. In Arabic, both meanings are often expressed using the word بَيْنَ.
However, among can also be translated as ضِمْنَ (meaning “within” or “inside of”).
Examples:
1. “She was sitting between John and Mary.”
كانتْ جالِسةً بينَ جون وماري.
2. “I was walking among the crowd, trying desperately to find my daughter.”
كنتُ أمشي بينَ الحُشُود، أحاولُ جاهدًا أنْ أجدَ ابنتي.
3. “Sarah will be among the contestants in the race.”
سَتَكونُ سارةُ ضِمنَ المشارِكاتِ في السِّباق.
4. “The President was among those present at the reception held at the Royal Palace.”
كانَ الرَّئيسُ ضِمنَ الحاضرينَ في حَفْلِ الاستِقبالِ المُنعقدِ في القَصْرِ المَلَكِيّ.
5. “The team was selected from among their midst.”
تمَّ اختيارُ الفريقِ من بينِهِم.
6. “You can find it somewhere among those papers.”
يُمكِنُكَ أنْ تَجِدَهُ في مكانٍ ما ضِمنَ هذه الأوراق.
Note about Time and Numbers:
When referring to time or numbers, only “between” is used, and in Arabic, it’s translated as بينَ.
Examples:
1. “I visited him between the 10th and 15th of March last year.”
زُرتُهُ بينَ العاشرِ والخامسَ عشرَ من مارس من العام الماضي.
2. “We received between $200 and $300 for those old books.”
استلمنا بينَ مئتي دولار وثلاثمئة دولار لتلك الكتب القديمة.
3. “Direct Foreign Investment in Egypt increased by 41.4% between 1994 and 1998.”
قدْ زادتِ الاستثماراتُ الأجنبيّةُ المُباشرةُ في مِصرَ بنسبةِ ٤١.٤٪ بينَ عامي ١٩٩٤ و١٩٩٨.
4. “They sold between ten and fifteen shirts at that shop on Saturday.”
باعوا ما بينَ عشرةٍ وخمسةَ عشرَ قميصًا في ذلك المَحلّ.
Notes on “Among” and “Between” in Arabic:
Key Points:
1. “Between” (بينَ):
• Used when referring to two parties.
• Common in expressions involving time or numbers.
2. “Among” (بينَ / ضِمنَ):
• Refers to three or more people or a group.
• Can also be expressed with ضِمنَ (meaning “within” or “inside of”).
Examples for Between:
• Between two people:
• She was sitting between John and Mary.
كانتْ جالِسةً بينَ جون وماري.
• Between time periods:
• I visited him between the 10th and 15th of March.
زُرتُهُ بينَ العاشرِ والخامسَ عشرَ من مارس.
• Between numbers:
• They sold between ten and fifteen shirts.
باعوا ما بينَ عشرةٍ وخمسةَ عشرَ قميصًا.
Examples for Among:
• Among a crowd:
• I was walking among the crowd.
كنتُ أمشي بينَ الحُشُود.
• Part of a group:
• The President was among the attendees.
كانَ الرَّئيسُ ضِمنَ الحاضرين.
Additional Notes:
• When using numbers or time, only “between” is correct and is translated as بينَ.
• For abstract groups or being “within” something, ضِمنَ may be more appropriate.