Chaldean Aramaic

Imagine traveling back in time to Mesopotamia and visiting the breathtaking expanse of the Nineveh plains—the language you would most likely hear spoken there is Chaldean Aramaic. A semitic language with rich history, it has been used in religious contexts for centuries, and its alphabet has served as a basis for the Hebrew and Arabic alphabets, among other languages. Today, it is mainly spoken in areas of present day Iran and Iraq, as well as within the Chaldean diaspora. This course was created in partnership with the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce and Chaldean Community Foundation in Detroit, Michigan.

Get Started

Learn Through Conversations

Basics

Click a topic below to see the grammar goals and conversational goals for each chapter.

  • Say Hello
    close

    Basics

    Say Hello

    Conversational Goals Grammar Goals
    • Engage in Conversation
    • Express Gratitude
    • Greet People
    • Say "Goodbye"
    • Be Introduced to the Imperative Form
    • Form Possessive and Prepositional Structures
    • Learn ܗܘܵܝܵܐ (To Be) in the Present Tense
    • Understand the Use of Masculine and Feminine Adjectives
    • Use Personal Pronouns
  • Talk About Yourself
    close

    Basics

    Talk About Yourself

    Conversational Goals Grammar Goals
    • Ask and Tell Where Someone Is From
    • Ask Someone if They Speak, Read, Write a Language
    • Ask Someone What Their Name Is
    • Become Familiar with Names and Culture of Syriac
    • Introduce Yourself and Someone Else, and Respond to Introductions
    • Negate Sentences
    • Form Nationality Nouns
    • Learn Simple Present Verbs
    • Learn Singular Demonstrative Pronouns
    • Practice Possessive Suffixes
  • Directions
    close

    Basics

    Directions

    Conversational Goals Grammar Goals
    • Ask Someone to Help You with Directions
    • Describe Locations for Someone
    • Get Help Finding Places Using a Map
    • Understand How Directions Are Given to You
    • Be Introduced to Compound Words
    • Form Imperatives
    • Form Possessive Structures
    • Learn and Use Locative Prepositions
    • Learn The Verb ܐܝܼܬܼ (There Is)
  • Times and Days
    close

    Basics

    Times and Days

    Conversational Goals Grammar Goals
    • Ask and Tell Time and Date
    • Request That Someone Does Something
    • Express the Distance Using Time
    • Tell Event’s Starting and Ending Time
    • Be Introduced to Plural Nouns
    • Learn How to Use Numbers
    • Learn the Masculine & Feminine Forms of Numbers 1 - 10
    • Practice the Imperative
  • Weather and Seasons
    close

    Basics

    Weather and Seasons

    Conversational Goals Grammar Goals
    • Express Admiration
    • Express Likes, Dislikes, and Preferences
    • Talk About the Weather
    • Be Introduced to Object Suffixes
    • Form Comparative Adjectives
    • Learn Numbers 10 -100
    • Practice Present Tense Verbs
    • Use Adverbs of Frequency
  • How Do You Say This In Syriac?
    close

    Basics

    How Do You Say This In Syriac?

    Conversational Goals Grammar Goals
    • Ask/Answer What the Meaning of a Word or Phrase Is
    • Ask/Tell What a Written Word or Phrase Means
    • Ask/Tell What One Is Doing
    • Request to Repeat, Slow Down, or Speak Up
    • Be introduced to Present Progressive
    • Learn How to Form the Verb "Can"
    • Practice Object Suffixes
    • Practice the Present Tense
    • Use Demonstrative Pronouns
  • Chores And Ailments
    close

    Basics

    Chores And Ailments

    Conversational Goals Grammar Goals
    • Describe Health Situations
    • Express Obligation
    • Offer Help
    • Talk About Body Parts and Ailments
    • Talk About What One Is Doing
    • Be Introduced to Future Tense
    • Form Sentences With ܣܢܝܼܩܵܐ to Express "Have To"
    • Practice Present Progressive Tense
    • Practice the Imperative
    • Understand How to Use ܐܝܼܬܼ to Say "Have"
  • Shopping
    close

    Basics

    Shopping

    Conversational Goals Grammar Goals
    • Negotiate Basic Transactions at Stores
    • Understand How to Use Numbers
    • Understand Syriac Food Culture
    • Learn Regular and Irregular Plurals
    • Practice Numbers
    • Practice the Imperative
    • Use ܐܝܼܬܼ to Express "To Have" and Form its Negation
  • Welcome to Our House
    close

    Basics

    Welcome to Our House

    Conversational Goals Grammar Goals
    • Refer to Rooms and Locations in a House
    • Describe What Color Something Is
    • Make a Suggestion
    • Use Location and Relational Words
    • Practice the Plural Object Pronoun ܟܼܘܼܢ
    • Use ܒ or ܒܓܵܘܸܐ ܕ to Express Location
    • Practice Plural Nouns
    • Practice ܫܘܼܕ in Suggestions
    • Use Color Adjectives
  • At the Dining Table
    close

    Basics

    At the Dining Table

    Conversational Goals Grammar Goals
    • Learn About Syriac Cultural Food and Drinks
    • Offer to Help Prepare a Dish
    • Say You Like or Dislike Certain Foods
    • Tell Others How to Prepare a Dish
    • Practice Frequency Adverbs
    • Practice the Imperative Form and the Object Suffixes
    • Use ܣܢܝܼܩܵܐ to Express "Need"