In this post, we’ll look at the different ways to describe ability and inability in Levantine Arabic.

I’ll also share some useful and common expressions that you can use.

So yalla, let’s begin!

**Note: Audio recordings of sample sentences are done by a native Syrian speaker. South Levantine Arabic version of words in the sentences will be placed in brackets.

 

#1) The verb – to be able to

 

قِدِر – بِقْدَر / بْيِقْدَر

*Note that the letter ق is typically pronounced as a hamzah ء or like a glottal stop.

In general, the South Levantine Arabic conjugation of the present tense is

بِقدَر

…and the North Levantine Arabic conjugation of the present tense is

بْيِقْدَر

Examples:

لما يخلص امتحانه, بيقدر(بقدر) يعمل شو ما بده

Once his exams end, he can do whatever he wants

طبعا بقدر سوق (أسوق) السيارة. عندي شهادة سواقة

Of course, I can drive a car. I have a driving license.

(MSA version –> رخصة قيادة)

اذا بدِك, بتقدري تستعملي موبايلي

If you(f) want, you can use my phone

 

To use this verb to describe the inability to do something, simply negate it by using ما

Examples:

لو سمحت, ما بتقدر تدخّن هون. التدخين ممنوع

Excuse me, you can’t smoke here. Smoking is not allowed

(بنتي ما بتقدر تشوف بدون نضارتا (نضارتها

My daughter can’t see without her glasses

Glasses/spectacles –> نضارة / نظارة or عونيات(Lebanese A.)

طلعت من المكان لانو ما قدرت اتحمل الريحة

I went out of the place because I couldn’t stand/tolerate the smell

(Instead of مكان, you can say مَطرَح)

UPDATE:

You can also add ش at the back of the verb in order to negate it.

This is generally a feature of South Levantine Arabic where it is more common to hear this type of negation in Jordan and Palestine.

So for example, if you want to say  “I could not…”, you can either say

ما قدرتش

or simply

قدرتش

 

#2) The active participle of the verb قدر 

In other words, the اسم الفاعل.

قادر – قادرة – قادرين

Examples:

إبنك قادر يغني بدون اي موسيقى لانه صوته قوي وحلو

Your son is able to sing without any music because his voice is strong and beautiful

(كل صبية قادرة تعيش لحالا (لحالها) وتعتمد ع حالا (لحالها

Every girl is able to live on her own and depend on herself

انتو قادرين تنجحوا بالمقابلة اذا وثقتوا بحالكن

You all can do well in the interview if you(pl) believe in yourself

To use this active participle to describe the inability to do something, simply negate it by using مِش / مُش / مو / ما

*مو –> Syrian Arabic

*مُش (mush)–> South Levantine Arabic

* to negate using ما is less common than the other two

Examples:

(والله نعسان بس مش قادر نام (أنام

I’m so sleepy but I can’t sleep

بعد سنين كتيرة, دانة لساتا (لساتها) مو قادرة تنسى حبيبا (حبيبها) القديم

After many years, Dana still can’t forget her ex-boyfriend/lover

*The youths nowadays will simply say اكس (ex) 

نحنا ما قادرين نطلع متل ما خططنا لانه الدنيا عم بتشتي بقوة

We can’t go out as planned because it’s raining heavily

 

#3) The Masdar (المصدر) of the verb قدر

 

When using the noun of the verb, the word is…

القُدرة

ability

Example:

القدرة على تعلُم أي شي (إشي) بيعتمد على ارادتك للتعلُم

The ability to learn anything depends on your willingness to learn

 

The opposite of the above word is

العَجْز

inability

Example:

انت انطردت من الشغل بسبب عجزك بإتباع التعليمات البسيطة

You are fired due to your inability to follow simple instructions

#4) The adjective that resembles the active participle of the verb (Syrian Arabic)

In other words, the صفة مشبهة بإسم الفاعل

Ok, forget that grammar term.

The words I’m referring to are:

قدران – قدرانة – قدرانين

*Note that this form is generally a feature of Syrian Arabic.

Examples:

هو قدران يشرب خمس فنجانين قهوة كل يوم الصبح

He can drink five cups of coffee every morning

انسى يللي كان. أنا قدرانة كون بلاك

Forget the past. I (f) can be without you

(Okay, this line is adapted from Najwa Karam’s song -بتعمل رأي)

أحمد وصْحابه قدرانين يضلو بلا اكل لتلات ايام

Ahmad and his friends are able to go on living without food for three days

To use this form to describe the inability to do something, simply negate it by using مِش /  مو / ما

Examples:

أخوي عنده موعد بكرا مع المدير ومو قدران يروح عشان مرضان

My brother has an appointment with the manager tomorrow and he can’t go because he’s sick

*The adjective مرضان (like قدران) is a feature of Syrian Arabic

صارلي تلات إيام مش قادرنة نام

It has been three days that I’m not able to sleep (well)

!عنّا امتحان بعد بكرا وما قدرانين نركّز

We have an exam the day after tomorrow and we can’t focus!

#5) في + suffix (North Levantine Arabic)

*Note that this form is more commonly used in North Levantine Arabic than South Levantine Arabic.

 

*For the conjugation of هُوّ, there are two ways to pronounce it. You can either say “fiii” or “fiiyoh”

**For the conjugation of “انا”, there are two variations. In general:

• فييّ (Fiiyii) is more commonly said by Lebanese
• فيني (Fiini) is more commonly said by Syrians.

 

Examples:

فيكن تساعدوني؟ سيارتي خربانة

Can you(pl) help me? My car broke down (ain’t working)

اي اكيد فينا نحاول نصلّح سيارتِك

Yes, of course, we can try to fix your car

To describe the inability to do something using this form, simply negate it by using ما

Examples:

ما فيك تدخّن هون

You(m) can’t smoke here.

آسف بس ما فيني ساعدك بهيدا الموضوع

Sorry but I can’t help you with this matter

 

Useful Levantine Arabic Expressions

#6) انت قَدْها وقَدُود

Or, in short:

انت قدها

Typically, the letter ق in the phrase is pronounced as a hamzah ء or a glottal stop

However, in South Levantine Arabic, you can also hear the letter ق pronounced like a “G”. –> enta gad-ha

In addition, the letter ه in the suffix ها is often not pronounced in North Levantine Arabic.

انت قدا

enta 2adda

(drop the letter ه).

 

So what does the phrase mean?

The idea behind the phrase is that you’re as big as the task or you’re the same size as the task…and therefore you can totally take on the task without any problems.

The task is within your capability, no matter how difficult or challenging it may be.

The word قدود is the plural of the word قد and it acts as a reinforcement or added emphasis that you indeed are able to take on the task.

Therefore, the phrase is often said as a word of encouragement to others.

It’s like saying:

 

Typical situations where you can use the phrase includes encouraging those sitting for examinations or going for job interviews.

 

#7) طِلِع / يطلع بإيدي

This phrase is used to describe any matter that is within your power or control.

Simply amend the possessive suffix attached to the word “hand” if you want to refer to others.

Examples:

انتي بتعرفي لو يطلع بايدي, على طول رح سافر (أسافر) لعندك

You know that if it’s within my means, I’ll immediately travel to where you are

والله يا ريت لو يطلع بايدنا كان كلنا نرجع وْلاد صغار

If only we have the power, we would all go back to being little kids

To use this phrase to describe the inability to do something, simply negate it by using ما

When you negate the phrase, you can think of it as the English equivalent of “out of my hands”, “beyond my reach” or “not within my power/control”.

Examples:

“!كلما صار شي سئء بهالبلد, دايما رح تسمع السياسيين بيقولوا “ما طلع بايدنا

When something bad happened in this country, you’ll always hear the politicians say “It wasn’t within our control”

ما عندي كتير مصاري ف ما رح يطلع بايدي أعمل شي

I don’t have much money so I will not be able to do anything (much)

#8)  بإيدي

This is just a shorter or simpler way of saying the above expression (#7).

Basically, it means “in my hand”.

For example:

لو كان بإيدي أروح لعندك, كنت جيت

If I could go to you, I would have come

To use this phrase to describe the inability to do something, simply negate it by using مِش / مُش / مو

When you negate it, then the meaning becomes “not in my hands”.

For example:

خلص. قلتلِك كم مرة انه الموضوع مش بايدي. روحي إسألي غيري

Enough. How many times have I told you (f) that the matter is not in my hands? Go and ask someone else

Similarly, don’t forget that you can amend the suffix attached to the word “hand” if you want to refer to others.

#9) على قد ما يقدر

as much/many as he can

For examples:

 رح حاول (أحاول) ساعدك على قد ما أقدر

I will try to help you as much as I can

تعال وكُول (كلُ) على قد ما بتقدر (ع) البوفيه مفتوح

Come and eat as much as you can at the open buffet

حاولي على قد ما بتقدري تخلصي واجباتِك قبل ما تروحي تنامي

Try as much as you (f) can to finish your homework before you go to sleep

#10) العين بصيرة والإيد قصيرة

This expression means “the eye sees but the hand/arm is short (can’t reach)”

So it is usually said in situations where someone wishes for something that is beyond his or her means/capability.

For example, you wish you can help a friend who needs financial help but neither are you in a good position to help. So you can say something like…

متل ما انت شايف,ما عندي شغل ووضعي تعبان ف صدقني لما قول العين بصيرة والإيد قصيرة

As you can see, I ain’t got a job and I’m in a bad state so believe me when I say “the eye sees but the arm can’t reach”

= I really want to help you but I can’t.

 

BONUS

قادرة

2adrah/2adreh

The word قادرة can be used to describe a woman who is tough and feisty, strong-headed, etc

Or perhaps a strong and independent woman who unfortunately often regarded as someone who is “difficult to handle/deal with”.

On the other hand, the word قادر is not really used to describe a man with the same characteristics.

~~~

 

Phew, what a long post but that’s it, folks!

What do you think? Are there any more words or phrases that I should add to this list? Let me know!

Till then, take care and I’ll see you around in the hosh,

Lyn

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