Arabic has definitely been an interesting and challenging language to learn. It has a completely different script and sentence structure than Western languages. When I first got here I was teaching myself to write, and I was slowly starting to read signs and menus. You write and read from right to left, except for number they are written/read left to write. Really, I’ve become quite dexterous. Also, they only use the vowels e, u (pronounced eeeeeew), and i. So I’m not Mrs. tObie, I’m Mrs. tUbie (teeeeeeeewbie). Also they don’t have P in their alphabet, so anything with P is replaced with a B. Would you like a Bebsi to drink? Where is your Baba (dad)? I think the native speakers have an extra voice instrument in their throats, because there are such harsh pronunciations on some letters, which is nearly impossible for me to say without looking like I’m dry heaving. Also there are hundreds of different dialects in Arabic, but the Egyptian dialect is the most widely spoken because of the cinema (Cairo is the Hollywood of the Middle East). There are even smaller dialect differences between towns in Egypt, even differences between the West Bank and East Bank. So I learn a new word, and then five minutes later being corrected.
I’m writing these words the way they sound to an English speaker, NOT THE WAY THE ARE CORRECTLY SPELLED. So any Egyptian friends who are reading this, I’m so sorry for butchering your language.
Salaam Hello
Salaam Alaykuhm Hello, peace be with you
Ma’Salaama Goodbye
Ahlwa yes (also naa’m, but not in the same context)
La’a No
Shukran Thank you
Afwan You’re welcome
Lo Simaht/lo simahti Excuse me (m/f)
Min Fadlak/ min fadlik please (m/f)
Saba al Khayr Good morning (literal translation
the morning is good)
„ „ ful (the response)-flower
Asal honey
Noor new
Helwa sweet/nicel about
Lebon milk
Dispa al Khayr goodnight
So in the morning when I pass people on the streets they will say Saba al Khayr, and my response is Saba al ful. I don’t believe there is a word for good afternoon, so you say saba al khayr until about 5 in the evening, till you switch over to Mesa al khayr.
Kay Falhad how was your day?
Kulu tamom everything fine?
Kulu kwais Are you good?
Humdulila Fine (response)
Mia mia perfect
Nos nos 50 50. or ok ok
Tabana tired
This is generally how people greet each other informally. I say this to the kids a lot. “Enti kwais habibi” translates to “Are you doing O.K my darling”
Ana I
Enti you
Fi Here
This is how you ask for something. When I’m looking for one of my students I say “fi Mohamed” “Is Mohamed here?”or if I walk into a restaurant and I want a soda I say “Fi Bebsi” “Do you have Pepsi?”
Fin Where?
Bekam How much?
Malish Sorry
Mafish Unfortunately
Mafish mashkila unfortunately not here
Faka Change (as in money)
You say “fi faka” When you buy something and the person doesn’t give you your change. “Where’s my change”
Hisap Check in a restaurant
Halas Stop! Finish! Quit! Enough!
Again, another word I use almost everyday with the kids
Vas enough (used in terms if someone is pouring a drink)
Yalla Start! Lets go! Hurry up!
Imshi Get away
Ya zefta You piece of shit
These are very disrespectful words, so I only use then when necessary. It’s usually followed by some big verbal altercation, or total shock that a foreigner knows this lingo. Thanks Roujy.
Mumkin If Possible
Mish munkin Not posible
Isma Listen
Busi look
Habibi/habibti (term of endearment) My darling, my sweet, my love
I love this word. It was one of the first words I learned in Arabic, because I spent a lot of time with a German couple who had been living here for about 6 months, and she called her husband Habibi. I say this to my students a lot and the animals. We finally named our cat Habibi Zefta (my darling piece of shit) you can imagine the reaction from neighbors when we call her in at night.
Helwa good or nice
Magnun crazy
Another term I use with the kids. “Enti magnum” “you’re crazy!”
Owi a lot
Hena here (When looking for little Mohamed, I usually get an answer
from the kids “Mohamed hena” Mohamed’s here
Ana ishi hena I live here
Ami Uncle
Khti (sounds like Hoti) Sister
Ahuya brother
Culture point : In the Quran everyone is considered your brother or sister and should be treated as so. So these are also terms of respect. If I really like someone, say a man that runs the fruit shop, I would call him “ya ami”. If someone on the street was very kind, then I would say “Shokran ya ami” “Thank you my Uncle”
Also this is interesting because in Tagalog sister is atti and brother is kuyo, I read somewhere that there are a lot of Arabic influences in many other languages.
Shwia Slow down
Tini more! or again!
Chamel turn left
Yamen turn right
A la tool keep going strait
Mudarisa Teacher
Madessa areman German school
Amrika American
“Ana Englizi mudarisa medessa Areman” “Im an English teacher in the German School” (not grammatically perfect, but they get the point)
Wahashtini I miss you!
I loooooove this Arabic lesson!
ReplyDeleteI want a pronunciation key.
Aren't the stresses usually on the last/second syllable in Arabic? Like halas would be halAs and yalla would be said yallA? Instead of the American way of stressing the first syllable?
So, as an American I would say your statement thus: Ana EnglIzi mUdarisa medEssa Areman. But the closer Arabic pronunciation should be: anA EnglizI mudarIsa medEssa AremAn.
Heeelp me Tobie!! This is so interesting to me. Love it!
So as far as I know there isnt really a rule for stresses. Some words have stresses and some dont. Native speakers learn the words, as anyone would learn a language. When I say these words, I have to wind my mouth up like a pitcher does in baseball, and really go for it.
ReplyDeleteSo you're saying I need to teach my mouth baseball? Okay.
ReplyDeleteThanks girl!