Ready? Let’s go!

يا سلام انا بحب اقرا واستمتع يوم العطلة

I like to read and enjoy the weekend

خصوصا انو الجو مش بارد اليوم

especially when the weather today is not cold

معك حق يا جل جل شوف ما احلى جو والعصافير اللي حوالينا

you’re right Jul Jul. Look, how beautiful is the weather and the birds that are around us

جل جل؟

Jul Jul?

نعم

Yes

مش عارفة اقعد هون. بيصير منغير اماكنا؟

I can’t sit here, can we change our places?

طبعا يا تن تن, انا بيهمني انك تكوني مرتاحة

Of course Tun Tun, it matters to me that you’re comfortable

شكرا كلك زوق

Thanks a lot!

شو هاد؟ ما لقي العصفور يخرج فضلاته إلا على كتابي؟

what’s this?! A bird just shat on my book?!

*العصفور يخرج فضلاته = the bird excretes its droppings

شو هالحظ السيء هاد

What bad luck is this..

بالعكس يا جل جل انت محظوظ

On the contrary, Jul Jul, you’re lucky!

لاني انا سمعت لما وقعت على راس واحد فضلات عصفور بيكون محظوظ

because I heard that when a bird’s dropping fell on one’s head, he or she is lucky

معقول يا طن طن؟

Really, Jul Jul?!

المهم بتكون ايجابي ومتفائل

What’s important is that you be positive and optimistic

صح انا لازم اكون ايجابي ومتفائل, مزبوط كلامك يا تن تن

True, I have to be positive and optimistic. Your words are right, Tun Tun.

اذا بدك ,نرجع نغير اماكنا

If you want, we can return and change our places

شكرا يا تن تن بلكي هيك بتحسن نهاري

thank you Tun Tun, perhaps now my day will be better

ايش هدا…صوت نحلة

what’s this..the sound of a bee

كشي يا نحلة

go away bee!

روح يا نحلة

go away bee!

!شو حظ اليوم؟

What kind of luck am I having today?!

معليش معليش يا جل جل خلص خليك متفائل

never mind, don’t’ worry Jul Jul, that’s okay, remain optimistic

هلأ الأمور اكيد رح تتحسن

now things will surely improve

الواحد لازم بيكون ايجابي ومتفائل حتى لو الأمور ما زبطت

one has to be positive and optimistic even though things didn’t work out

جل جل؟

Jul Jul?

نعم

Yes.

شو رايك منغير اماكنا؟ بلكي حظك بتغير

What do you think about changing our places? Perhaps your luck will change

طيب يا تن تن يالله منغير اماكنا

Ok Tun Tun, yallah, let’s change our places

…شو هاد

what’s this..

تن تن مش معقول هدا اليوم

Tun Tun, today is unbelievable!

!هادا اللي ما توقعته…عاصفة؟ هادا اللي كان ناقص

I did not expect this…a storm? This is what’s missing!

*هادا اللي كان ناقص is said sarcastically

ما تقلق يا جل جل

Don’t worry Jul Jul

خليك دايما ايجابي ومتفائل

always remain positive and optimistic

ايجابي…حاضر يا تن تن, رح اكون ايجابي, ما انا ايجابي

positive…alright Tun Tun. I will be positive…Am I not positive?

جل جل؟

Jul Jul?

نعم

Yes

انا عندي فكرة, رح تعدل مزاجك وتصلح نهارك

I got an idea…it will adjust your mood and fix your day

هاي جبتلك مظلة جل جل…هيك بتتحسن نهارك

Here I brought you an umbrella..this way, your day will be better

انا حظي سعيدة…تعرفي ليش؟ لانك صديقتي

My luck is great (lit: happy)…do you know why? Because you’re my friend

ومش بس هيك…صديقتي مفضلة

and not just a friend…but my favourite friend

تعرفي اشي كمان يا تن تن؟

do you know what else, Tun Tun?

شو؟

What?

اني شفتك قديش مهتمة تساعديني عشان اكون مبسوط

I’ve seen how keen (lit: interested) you are in helping me so that I will be happy

طبعا انا بحب اساعدك يا جل جل واساعد كل اصحابي

Of course, I like to help you and help all of my friends

~~~

NOTES

1. To Enjoy -Verb no. 10

استمتع – بستمتع + ب

For example,

زمان وانا صغيرة كنت بستمتع بالمسلسلات التركية

zaman uu ana zghireh kunt bastamta3 bi musalsalat elturkiya

I used to enjoy (watching) Turkish series when I was small

2. The sound when swatting away insects

Let’s start with the verb for “to swat away” the fly, bee, cat, etc.

Verb I: كش – بكش

According to the awesome book that I have for Levantine verbs (check it out HERE!), the inflection for the present tense may differ. Jordanians will often pronounce the present tense بكش as بكُش (with a dammah-bikush) while other Levantine speakers will pronounce it as بكِش (with a kasrah-bikesh). Similarly, the command will be kush for Jordanians and kesh for the rest.

كش من هون

kush/kesh men hon

Get away from here

(while swatting away a fly)

3. Weather جو ولا طقس؟

The word جو (jaow) is a common word that refers to “weather” in Jordan and Palestine. Meanwhile, I observe that most Syrians refer to the weather as طقس (thoqs) in everyday conversation. طقس is also the word for weather in Modern Standard Arabic. But I guess both are used interchangeably.

4. It matters to me…(I care)

بيهمني

bihemni

طمني عنك, بيهمني انك تكون بخير

Tamany 3anak, bihemni enak tkuuni bkhair

Update (reassure) me about you, it matters to me that you’re fine

Similarly, the opposite is..

ما بيهمني

ma bihemni

It don’t matter to me

ما بيهمني مين يحكي ورا ضهري

ma bihemni miin yeHki wara Dhahree

I don’t care (it doesn’t matter) who talks behind my back

ما بيهمني الحق على مين

ma bihimni elHaq 3ala meen

I don’t care who’s at fault

Do note that depending on contexts, the phrase may express an ambivalent attitude when said.

5. Thanks! That’s nice of you 

كلك ذوق

In spoken arabic, the second word is pronounced as زوق (like joke with a ‘z’). And it’s usually said to thank someone for a service or as a reply to a compliment. Think of it as the English equivalent of  “thanks, that’s nice of you” or “that’s kind of you”.

6. On the contrary

بالعكس

Bel aks = on the contrary, nope it’s the opposite…

Simply said, it is said to negate something that was said earlier.

This also reminds me of another phrase:

انا عكسك

ana 3ksak

I’m the opposite of you

(For example when your friend eats vegetables and you don’t)

7. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…

بلكي

I have written about the usage of this word before. Check it out here.

8. That’s okay, no worries

 معليش

ma3lish

For example, you accidentally spilled water in your friend’s car and you felt bad about it. Your friend, knowing that it was just an accident, reassured you that it’s not a problem and said معليش

Never mind, don’t worry, that’s okay, no worries…..ma3lish habibi, ma3lish

9. Really?! No way, that’s unbelievable!

معقول

ma32ul

مش معقول / مو معقول

mesh/muu ma32ul

Fed-up with the poor customer service? Shake head and say ma32uuul?!?!!

Disgusted at the ridiculously high prices of items sold at the store? Stomp off and say mesh ma32uul!!

The phrase can also be said in a positive way. For example when you are amazed or impressed at someone’s capabilities. And of course, it can be said sarcastically.

When your classmate got first in class and you’re low key surprised,

معقول شو شاطرة انتي

ma32ul shu shaTrah enti

that’s unbelievable, you’re so smart

3an jad muu ma32uuul!!

There are so many contexts where the phrase can be said. One way to grasp the usage in various contexts is by watching drama series

10. Umbrella

Both the words شمسية (shamsiiya) and مظلة (mazhalah) are used in Spoken Arabic.

~~~

That’s it, folks! Hope this post has been useful for you. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below – I would love to read them.

PS. If you like this post, feel free to check out my other post on another Hikayat Simsim’s video HERE

Take care and I’ll see ya in the hosh,

Lyn

The post Beginners: Learn Jordanian Arabic through Sesame Street 2 appeared first on theLevanTongue.

The topic may be controversial for some but my intention is to learn spoken Arabic. So reserve your judgements and let’s learn Levantine Arabic!

Ready? Yalla!

Elie from Lebanon:

وصار عمري تمنتعش سنة في حدا بالمجتمع بتعرف فيه عارف عني

When I turned 18, someone from my community found out about me

وخبر كل المحيط تبعي

and inform everyone in my circle about it

أصدقائي شغلي جامعة اهلي العايلة

my friends, work, university, parents, the family

وحتى الكنيسة اللي انا كنت عم بتردد اللا

and even the church that I used to frequent

وهيدا كان اصعب اسبوع في حياتي لانو

and this was the hardest week of my life because

لوقت كتير طويل كنت بعدني بقتنع انو هيدا الموضوع في الو غلط معين

for a long time, I was still convinced that this matter [being gay] was wrong

وصرت اقرا كتب عن النفس وكتب بيولوجيا

I started reading books about psychology and biology

لوصل النتيجة انو ما في خلل

till I reached the conclusion that there is no disorder/defect

ولكان لما قريت هول ابحاث العالمية

but when I read these international research

صرت متأكد اكتر انو لأ انا ما في اشي غلط

I became even more sure that no, there is nothing wrong

ما في اشي مش مزبوط او خلل

There is nothing that is not right or defective

لا نفسي ولا عقلي ولا جسدي ولا اي شي

not psychologically, mentally, physically or anything

انا انسان طبيعي

I am a normal human being

ولكن الميول والاحاسيس لعندي والانجذاب الى الأشخاص من نفس الجنس

but my inclination and feelings and attraction are towards people of the same sex

Khaled from Jordan:

كنت احس حالي وحيد

I used to feel alone

انو انا كتير وحيد في كل العالم

that I was the only one (gay person) in the world

 reference ما كان في مراجع ما كان في

there weren’t any references

حتى المسلسلات كل شي محظور

even the TV shows were censored

الاشي وحيد كنت نسمع عنه بهاي الفترة انو متلا

the only thing we used to hear about at the time was that…for example,

بمصر كان في اعتقالات

there were arrests in Egypt

او الناس اللي كانو ينقتلوا بالعراق

or people were killed in Iraq

واللي بسجن في سوريا  ويشنقوا علنا بايران

and people imprisoned in Syria and publicly hang in Iran

ف على طول كنت اربط انو حرام غلط ما مش لازم حدا يعرف عيب

so immediately I get the impression that [being gay] was forbidden, wrong, nobody should know, it was shameful

طريقة التفكيرتبعتي تغيرت مع السنين

my way of thinking changed with time

يعني رفضت انو انا استحي

I refused to be ashamed

بعد فترة حكيت لواحد من اعز اصدقائي

after a while, I told one of my closest friends

كان قلتلو انو انا مثلي

I told him that I am gay

“مستحيل ما بصدق”

“impossible, I don’t believe you”.

“بعدين بعد فترة قولي “صح انا بحبك زي ما انت ما بيهمني ايش انت

then after a while, he told me “I love you the way you are, I don’t care what you are”.

“قلتلو “اوكي تمام

I said “okay, good”.

Hamed from Lebanon:

اسمي حامد سينو بعمل موسيقى بغني بفرقة اسما مشروع ليلة بلبنان

My name is Hamed Sinno, I’m a musician, I sing in a band called Mashrou Leila from Lebanon

queer وانا

and I’m queer

بطبيعة الحال لما كنت بالمدرسة

Naturally, when I was in school

كان فيه كتير تنمر وتمسخر

there were bullying and mockery

 على الاشياء يلي كنت مهتم فيه

over the things that I was interested in

متل موسيقى متل الغنا

like music and singing

كإنو مسخ

As if I was a freak

ما كنت افهم بوقتا انو هيدا شي مش غلط فيي

I didn’t understand at that time that there was nothing wrong with me

هيدا شي غلط بناس يلي حوالي

that instead what was wrong was the people around me

لمجرد مع اني صرت اتعرف عن حالي

till the point that I started introducing myself

كشخص ثائبت انو رجل بيحب رجال

as a person who just happens to love men

وحسيت كأنو هيدا شال عبئ هائل عني

I felt as if a huge burden was lifted off me

لحتى بس بيني وبين نفسي منقدر نتقبل هيدا شي

just by being able to accept the matter between me and myself

صعب هيدا شي خاصة لما بعدنا صغار بالعمر

It’s hard especially when we are still young

وبيضلو صعب بس بيصير اسهل

and it stays hard, but it gets easier

Norma from Lebanon:

انا ما حسيت حالي بنتمي للمجتمع يلي كنت خلقانة فيه

I never felt that I belong in a society that I was born in

انا دايما كان يحطو علي قيود وشروط معينة

They were restrictions and conditions placed on me

يعني من انا وصغيرة

since I was small

ليش هلضحكة بصوت عالي هيك ؟ ,feminine ليش هلقد

Why are you so feminine, why do you laugh so loud?

barbieليش ما تلعب إلا مع بنات ليش تلعب بال

Why do you play with girls? Why do you play with barbie?

وبس اكتشفت كمان وبس عبّرت

When I discovered and expressed

وبس اعلنت عن هويتي الجندرية

and announced my gender identity

كمان ما كان في كتير تقبل ,كان في شوي رفض

 there was not much acceptance, there was some rejection.

“?trans انو “انت بدك تكوني

“you want to be trans?”

دقنك شو رح تعملي فيها

What will you do with your beard?

كتافك العراض شو رح تعملي فين

What will you do with your broad shoulders?

اصابيعك التخان شو رح تعملي فين

What will you do with your thick fingers?

بعتقد من لما صارو يقولو صار جلدي تخين

Since they started talking, I developed a thick skin

من كترما سمعت اشيا وقطع علي اشيا بحياتي

from a lot of things I heard and went through in life

يعني خلص صار متل نقطة المي بتيجي علي وبتنزل

I mean that’s it, it became like water, it come and fall [off my skin]

حقوقك هي حقوقي وواجباتك هي واجباتنا

We all have rights, we all have responsibilities

تنيناتنا مناكل تنيناتنا منشرب تنيناتنا منّام تنيناتنا منشتغل

Both of us eat, drink, sleep and work

الاشي ممكن يختلف عني وعنك هو ممكن الميول الجنسية

What may be different between you and me is perhaps our gender orientation

ممكن مع مين بفضل نام او شو بفضل البس

maybe with who I prefer to sleep with or what I prefer to wear

~~~

To hear more of such voices, check them out here

Sooo what do you think about this post? Do you have any questions about the usage of specific words? Let me know in the comment section below

P.S Don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t & spread the word about theLevanTongue!

P.S.S Want to get real serious at learning Levantine Arabic and in need of a darn good book? Check out my review of a book that has helped me tremendously in my learning journey here

The post Learning Spoken Arabic from the LGBT voices of the Levant. appeared first on theLevanTongue.

Mike Massy is one of my favourite Lebanese artists – so presenting to you a catchy and upbeat song of his for this post!

KhalaSna ba2a خلصنا بقا

This is a very useful phrase to say when someone is constantly pestering or nagging at you, and you want them to stop talking. You can say it when the person brought up a matter that annoys you or simply has been repeating the same thing over and over again.

For example,

مو قلتلك ما بدي احكي عن هلموضوع شي خلصنا بقا حلي عني

muu 2utillek ma bedi aHki 3an halmawduoq shii khalasna ba2aa heyli 3ani

Didn’t I told you that I don’t want to talk about this matter? Stop it, that’s enough. Get away from me.

عم ضلي تعيدي نفس الحكي خلصنا بقا

3am dholi t3iidi nafsel Hakii khalasna ba2aa

You have been repeating the same things over and over again. That’s enough, stop it

khalasnaaa ba2a. khalasnaa ba2a.khalasnaa ba2aa!!

Ok, you get my point.

Love الهوى

This word is not to be confused with the word الهوا which means “air”

*Note: In spoken arabic, the hamzah (ء) at the end of a word is usually not pronounced.

So for example, the word “air” هواء (hawa2) is pronounced as هوا (hawa).

Similarly, the word “sky” سماء (sama2) is pronounced as سما (samaa)

Ok back to the word الهوى

In the Arabic language, there are many words to describe “love” and there is a sort of hierarchy to those words. الهوى is one of those words. As you can see in the picture below, there’s a graffiti on the wall that says “راجعين يا هوا” which means “we’ll return, oh love”. Thus in the picture, الهوى  is used to describe love for a place or a nation. Note that the word was spelled differently, showing the flexibility of spelling in colloquial usage. Just know that it refers to “love” and not “air”.

Source

Another common word for love in Spoken Arabic is 3ashq (العشق). The word العشق refers to (probably) the highest degree of love – the love reserved for children, partners, parents etc. So for example, “انا بعشقك” connotes a greater degree of love than simply “انا بحبك”.

الكلام الفاضي

This phrase literally means “empty talk” and it refers to senseless talk. Talks that are meaningless and are often seen as a waste of time.

To tell someone not to say nonsensical stuff:

لا تحكي كلام فاضي

la teHki kalam faDhii

A synonym of “كلام فاضي” is “حكي فاضي”.

You can even say “بلا كلام فاضي” (bala kalam faDhii) or “بلا حكي فاضي” (bala Hakii faDhii) to tell someone not to spout nonsense.

For example:

A: اخي بكرة ما رح اجي عالعزيمة

akhi, bukra ma raH ajii 3al 3aziimeh

Brother, I won’t be going to the gathering (lit: invitation) tomorrow

B: بلا كلام فاضي بدك تجي غصبا عنك, عزمت الكل والكل وافق

balaa kalam faDhii, bidak tijee ghaSban 3ank, 3azamet elkol u elkol waafeq

don’t spout nonsense, i want you to come whether you like it or not. I’ve invited everyone and everyone agreed to come.

**Bonus word: عالفاضي**

On a side note, I was reminded of the phrase “3al faadhii” (عالفاضي) 

It’s a useful phrase that I often heard during my stay in Jordan. It’s often said to denote a waste of time or effort.

So for example,

-spent money on a product that doesn’t work? – >  عالفاضي

-woke up early to go to uni but found out that lectures got cancelled? – >  عالفاضي

Here an anecdote for y’all:

So I was returning back to Amman from Petra and had just gotten off the bus at the terminal. And as usual, there were many taxi drivers that surrounded the bus who were trying to persuade the alighting passengers to get a ride from them. On normal occasions, I would squirm my way out of the crowd and hail a taxi from outside of the terminal – just cause it’s cheaper that way.

But it was late that night and I was feeling tired. So I decided to ask one of the taxi drivers for the cost of the ride back to my apartment. Unsurprisingly enough, he quoted a ridiculously high price so I was nahhh, no thanks, I’m going to hail a taxi from outside. And then, that was when I heard it.

 “عالفاضي”, he said, muttering the phrase under his breath

Rudeeee. lol whateva *flips hair*

Anyhoo, I hope you know how to use the word now!

على مهلك

So the word 3ala mahlak connotes different meaning based on the context and situation. But generally, it’s said to tell someone to take his/her time, to not rush, and to do things at his/her own pace.

For example,

 على مهلك شوي شوي

3ala mahlak, swhay swhay

Often said to taxi drivers (looking at you Jordanians taxi drivers, lol I kid) who speed and weave through traffic. You can say ” على مهلك شوي شوي” to tell the driver to SLOW DOWN -just cause your heart is racing at 100km/hour as you hold on tight to the handle above the window.

Another example: a mother advising her son not to rush into marriage

شوي شوي عل مهلك لا تستعجل على زواجك كل شي بوقته حلو

shway shway 3ala mahlak, la testa3jel 3ala zawaajak, kol shii bwaqto helu

slowly, take your time. don’t rush into marriage. everything has its own time

شو ذنبي أنا ؟!؟

A common expression that literally means “what’s my fault” or “what’s my sin”. However, it is more accurately said to mean “what did I do to deserve this?!”.

You know those days when you feel that things aren’t going your way or you feel like the world is crashing down? Yep, sho zanbi ana yaaa Rab!! shooo?! (what.did.I.do.to.deserve.this?! No like seriously, what did I do?!?!)

Got your heart broken? Failed the test that you studied so hard for? Turned 30? Yep, I can hear that inner voice screaming “sho zanbi ana”.

بلكي

The word is used in the same manner as “might” or “perhaps”

There are some who say بركي (berki) instead of بلكي (balki) but they have the same meaning.

احكي معها بلكي تغير رئيها وتروح معنا عالمول

eHki ma3ha balki t3hayir ra2iiha u truuH ma3naa 3al mall

talk to her, she might change her mind and go to the mall with us

دقي لرفيقتك قبل ماتروحي لعندها بلكي ما كانت بالبيت

da2ii la rafiiqtek 2abel ma truuHi la 3ind ha balki ma kaanat bel bayt

call your friend before you go to her place, she might not be home

~~~

That’s it guys!

If you like this song, do check out the rest of his videos on his YouTube channel. He has lyrics videos that are in both English and Arabic -which make it great to learn a new word or two. My favourites are  كرمالي & بدي ضيع.

Take care and I’ll see ya in the hosh,

Lyn

The post Mike Massy – Khalasna Ba2a [Lebanese] appeared first on theLevanTongue.

Read on to find out the 6 phrases to tell someone to get lost!

I’ve personally never said any of them although I’m probably guilty of muttering some under my breath

1. Hail 3ani

 (to a male) حيل عني

 (to a female) حيلي عني

 (to more than one person) حيلو عني

This phrase means “get away from me” or simply “get lost”

2. eTlaq men raasi

(to a male) اطلع من راسي

(to a female) اطلعي من راسي

(to more than one person) اطلعوا من راسي

The phrase literally means “get out of my head!”

Y’know what they say: out of sight, out of mind…

3. farjeenii 3arD ktaafak

(to a male) فرجيني عرض كتافَك

(to a female- ktaafek) فرجيني عرض كتافِك

(to more than one person) فرجيني عرض كتافكم \ كتافكن

OR

ورجيني عرض كتافَك

There are two variations for the verb “to show” – you can say فرجيني (farjeeni) or ورجيني (warjeeni).

The phrase literally means “show me your shoulders” –so turn around and leave…

4. igleb wejHak/ igleb wiishak

اقلب وجهك

OR

اقلب وشك

The phrase means “turn your face around” – so get out and leave!

Source

However the verb “اقلب” can also mean “to turn something upside down” – thus the meme below..

Source

5. elbab bifuut jamal

الباب بيفوت جمل

The idiom is said to mean  “If you don’t like it, you can leave”

Its literal meaning, though, is that “the door is wide enough for the camel and lets the camel in”.

So for example,

 عجبك عجبك ما عجبك الباب بيفوت جمل

3ajabak 3ajabak, maa 3ajabak elbab bifuut jamal

If you like, you like it (i.e good for you), if you don’t like, elbab bifuut jamal (i.e you can leave)

6. ingalak men hon

انقلع من هون

This phrase is probably the rudest one of them all…thus, highly offensive.

It means to “get the hell outta here” and it’s definitely best not to use it at all.

*I have written the ق as a “G” since I’m used to the Jordanian/Palestinian accent. However, I believe that most Syrians would pronounce the  ق like the ء (hamzah).

~~~

I’m not to blame if you get into trouble for saying these!! Still, I hope you like this post.

Know of other such phrases?? Share them with me in the comment section below

P.S Don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t & spread the word about theLevanTongue!

Take care and I’ll see ya in the hosh,

Lyn

The post 6 phrases to tell someone to get get get out of here appeared first on theLevanTongue.

And I decided to choose this song called “Wahde Bteshbahek” because of the simplicity of the lyrics. In this post, you can learn 13 simple verbs and an expression.

So..ch ch ch check it out!

13 VERBS

1. To make or to let something/someone be… (Verb Form II)

خلى – بيخلي

Eg:

ما تخليني ازعل منك

ma tkhaliinii az3al menak

Don’t make me upset with you

2. To look like/ to look similar to.. (Verb Form I)

شبه – بيشبه

Eg:

شكله يشبه واحد من رفقاتي

sheklo yeshbah waaHad men ref3aatii

He looks like one of my friends

3. To forget (Verb Form I)

نسي – بنسى

Eg:

نسيت اقولك انو في مشكلة مع بطارية اللابتوب

inseet a2ulak eno fii mushkila ma3 baTaariya el laptop

I forgot to tell you that there is a problem with the laptop’s battery

4. To stop/quit (Verb Form II)

بطّل – ببطّل

Eg:

كبرنا وبطلنا نصدق كلام الناس

kberna uu baTalna nSadeq kalaam elnass

We grew up and stopped believing others’ words

(I have written a post about the use of this verb. Check it out here)

5. To miss something/someone (Verb Form 8)

اشتاق – بشتاق

Eg:

عندما بشوف هالمسلسل بشتاق لأيام زمان

3indama bashuf hal musalsal bashtaq la eyam zamaan

When I watch this drama series, I (start to) miss the good old days

6. To return (Verb Form I)

رجِع – برجع

Eg:

رجعت من الدوام ولقيت باب البيت مفتوح

rje3et men el dawaam uu la2et bab el bayt maftuuH

I returned from work and found that the door of the house was opened

7. To see (Verb Form I)

شاف – بيشوف

Eg:

بكرا رح سافر ف رح بشوفكم بعد اسبوع

bukra raH saafer fa raH bashufkum ba3ad usbuu3

Tomorrow I will be travelling so I shall see you all after a week

*Syrians would say بشوفكن instead of بشوفكم

8. To kiss (Verb Form I)

باس – بيبوس

Eg:

هداك الصبح باستني امي ع راسي وقالت انها بتحبني

hadaak elsbuH baasatnii emmi 3a raasi uu 2allat enha betHebni

That morning my mom kissed me on the head and told me that she loves me

9. To smell (Verb Form I)

شم – بيشم

Eg:

لما طلعت من المستشفى شميت الهوا الطبيعي وانبسطت

lama Tle3et men elmushtasfaa shameit el hawa elThabee3i uu inbastet

When I got out of the hospital, I was happy to smell the fresh air

10. To return home (Verb Form II)

روّح – بيروّح

Eg:

اكلت بهدلة من امي لاني روحت عالبيت مبارح متأخر بالليل

akalit bahdale men ummi li anni rawaHet 3al bayt mbaareH metakhir bel layl

I got nagged at by my mom because I came back home late at night yesterday

11. To believe (Verb Form II)

صدّق – بيصدّق

Eg:

المشكلة انك بتصدق كل اللي بيقولولك ياه

elmushkileh enak betSadeq kul elli bii2ululak yah

The problem is that you believe everything that they say

12. To play an instrument (Verb Form I)

عزف – بيعزِف

Eg:

كان يعزِف الكمان وهو صغير

kan ye3zef el kamaan uu huwe zghiir

He used to play the violin when he was small

13. To sing (Verb Form II)

غنى – بيغني

Eg:

بكرة رح اغني هاي الأغنية بالمدرسة

bukra raH aghani hai elughniyeh bel madraseh

Tomorrow I will be singing this song in school

EXPRESSION

بالمرة

bel mara

It’s a phrase to show emphasis and be used in the same way as “completely, “totally”or “at all”.

Eg:

هي غير مسؤولة بالمرَّة

heyye ghair mas-uu-leh bel marra

She is completely irresponsible

Eg:

انا ما اشتقتلك بالمرة

ana ma ashtaqtillak bel marra

I don’t miss you at all

Eg:

ما في فرق بالمرة

maa fii fareq bel marra

There’s no difference at all

BONUS –   فيش/ فش

The word فيش acts as negation and is commonly used in Jordanian/Palestinian Arabic.

Let me give you an example.

To say “I don’t know”, you can always say “ما بعرف” (ma ba3ref/ba3raf)

But that won’t be the only way that you’ll hear people say “I don’t know”. You will typically hear two other variations.

The first one is:

ما بعرفش

ma ba3rafiish

( add فيش at the end of the verb)

The second one is:

بعرفش

ba3rafiish

(add فيش at the end of the verb and remove the ما)

Similarly, this trick works for the phrase “..ما في ” (There’s no…)

Eg:

ما في مصاري

maa fii maSaarii

There’s no money/ I don’t have money

It is possible to say these as well:

ما فش/فيش مصاري

maa fiish maSaarii

OR

فيش/فش مصاري

fiish maSaarii

~~~

That’s it! Take care and I’ll see ya in the hosh,

Lyn

The post Wahde Bteshbahek – Jadal | 13 verbs and an expression appeared first on theLevanTongue.

Or are you already aware that practically nobody speaks MSA in their daily lives and desperately hope to avoid being caught in the above-mentioned situation?

Ever wish for a book that you can invest in and refer to it constantly as a guide?

But have yet to find a suitable book?

Luckily for all of us Levantine Arabic learners, that book does exist!

And that book is…..

The 101 Most Used Verbs In Spoken Arabic: Jordan & Palestine (Third Edition)

by Fridrik E.Tiedemann Jr.

My battered and well-used book

I’ve purchased it at the University Bookshop in Amman back in 2015 for 25JD. I have used it for both self-study and classroom-study.

If you’re learning the Spoken Levantine Arabic (amiyya), then I would highly recommend this book. It has truly been a great investment for me. Even after having studied all of the given verbs, I still found myself referring to it from time to time because of all the other bonuses in it.

Is the book suitable for you?

I would say that the book suits best for intermediate learners or those who can afford a teacher (or a dedicated Arab friend) to sit with you and study the book together. That being said, I would still recommend beginners to get it. And I’ll tell you why.

• The Verb Inflection Chart

The book provides pages and pages of the verb inflection chart for all 10 verb forms. And this is already a huge advantage for beginners as the chart helps you to get the pronunciation right from Day 1. The chart guides you on the inflection according to the verb forms.

In this way, each time you learn a new verb (and if you’re able to recognise its verb form) you would also know it’s inflection.  For a beginner, this chart is extremely useful.

The conjugation table for the verb to lift/raise something (Verb Form I)

As you can see, the chart lists out all the inflection of the verb for all pronouns in both the present and past tense. In the last row, the changes in inflection are also provided when a pronoun is attached to the verb.

This means you’re pretty much covered when it comes to verbs. Learning the verbs, their inflections and conjugation all come in one package. You can’t do one without the other two.

And that’s why the chart comes in handy especially when you’re at the beginning of your Arabic learning journey.

• 101 Most Used Verbs in Spoken Arabic

Ok, this is pretty obvious.

This book helps you to focus on only THE MOST USED verbs. In that sense, it’s actually making life easy for you.

The given verbs are constantly used in typical daily conversations. Forget all the other verbs in the meantime (those are for when you have gotten a good grasp of the basics)

And what’s even better is that the book teaches you how to re-use one verb to come up with many different meanings!

As you can see from the picture, you can easily use the verb سكّر alone to express yourself in a multitude of ways – from hanging up the phone to slamming the door in someone’s face.

See what I mean? Imagine learning all of the 101 verbs!

**Although the book focuses on Spoken Arabic in Jordan and Palestine, that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to speak to Lebanese or Syrians. All of the given verbs can also be found in both Syrian and Lebanese Arabic. I would say that the main difference between the countries’ spoken Arabic lies in the inflection of the verbs.

More Reasons As To Why The Book Is Top Notch

• Chunking method

Language experts have often quoted the chunking method when it comes to remembering foreign vocabulary and speeding up the language learning process. And this book allows you to learn Levantine Arabic via the chunking method by showing you how each verb is used in short phrases to carry a different meaning.

In short, the chunking method refers to the technique of learning a language in chunks (i.e phrases or short sentences.) If you learn in this manner, you can easily express yourself in more ways simply by replacing words from phrases you’ve learned.

You can read an article by Mezzoguild here to see how the writer utilises the chunking method with Egyptian Arabic. If you’re interested in knowing more about the method, check out this article by FluentU here

• Sentence examples

The various sentence examples provided for all 101 verbs do help me in gaining a greater understanding on how to correctly use those verbs. I’m also able to expand my vocabulary from the sentence examples. When I learn in this manner, I found that I’m able to retain the new vocabulary in my memory for a much longer period. Learning a word on its own without any sentence to provide contexts is always a big no-no in language learning!

• More than just 101 verbs

There’s a list of additional verbs of the same verb form below every conjugation table.

This means that you’re actually getting much more than what the book promises! Once you have gotten a good grasp of the 101 verbs, it is definitely useful to look through the additional verbs because they are also used in everyday conversations.

Additional verbs of the same form listed below the table

How To Use It

Without a doubt, the best way to tackle this book is by going through it with a teacher. I did exactly this for some of the verbs when I was studying Arabic in Amman.

However, with a teacher or not, the book already serves as a great tool to form sentences and questions in everyday Arabic style.

The author also posted a YouTube video on how to use the book (see below). Also do check out the other videos posted on the same channel- I found them to be very informative.

Conclusion

Simply put, the book is off the charts. Did I mention that it also comes with a CD to aid in the pronunciation? The only section of the book which I didn’t really utilise is the vocabulary list at the end – simply because words rarely last long in my head if I learn them from a list.

It’s a really comprehensive book and I’m glad that I own one! I’m also appreciative of the fact that the book is written in Arabic letters instead of being in a transliterated format.

***

So that’s MY review on The 101 Most Used Verbs In Spoken Arabic: Jordan & Palestine (Third Edition) 

Have you used the book before? Are you planning to get one? I would love to know your thoughts in the comments below.

The book should be available either via Amazon or Jamalon.

P.S.S I have also heard great reviews of other resources for Levantine Arabic such as the ones listed below. Feel free to check them out too!

• Shou Fi Ma Fi by Rajaa Chouairi
• Colloquial Palestinian Arabic: An Introduction To The Spoken Dialect by Nasser M Isleem
• Pimsleur Eastern Arabic (audio-based)

Take care and I’ll see ya in the hosh,

Lyn

The post The One Book That You Must Have If You’re Learning Levantine Arabic appeared first on theLevanTongue.

This post is especially interesting since I have taken a clip from a Syrian mini-drama series that is unlike any others. The series is an interactive drama series where you can choose which character to follow in the beginning.

I came across the series via an article published by the Middle East Eye. The whole series contains short clips under 5 minutes -which is great cause they are not that long. You can check out the article here 

Now, let’s get back to the clip…

!خلدون

Khaldoun!

!شو في شو في؟

What’s up?! What happened?

ما في شي كالعادة

Nothing, as usual

حدا شافك وانت جاي لهون؟

Did anybody saw you make your way here?

لأ اتطمن ضيعنا

No, relax (rest assured), they lost me

طيب…معك شي؟

Ok…do you have anything on you?

فتح تحقيق يا زلمة؟

You’re interrogating me?

• تحقيق means “investigation”; فتح تحقيق = open an investigation

آسف…غريندايزر تماما

Sorry, you’re a complete Grendizer (i.e a hero)

• The Grendizer is the main character of a Japanese anime television series and manga called the “UFO Robot Grendizer” which was popular amongst kids growing up in the Middle East. If someone calls you a Grendizer, that means you’re a hero/champion.

The Grendizer

Source

الشاي على النارعلى حظك لح صبلك شاي

The tea is boiling, lucky you, I will pour you a cup

• Some people in Syria use “لح” while others use “رح”. Both have the same meaning of “will” (future tense)

عظيم

Great

شوفلك شغلة تانية

Go find yourself a different job

خيرج صحافة شو بدك اشتغل؟

I’m a graduate of journalism. What do you want me to work as?

اشتغل جريدة ولا اشتغل شي تلفزيون؟

Shall I work at newspapers (companies) or at a TV channel?

• Adding شي to something is an easy way to express yourself when you don’t know the exact terms. Eg: “شي تلفزيون” can easily mean “things relating to television”

خلص تطلع ع برا

Fine, get outside

برا وين؟

Outside where?

؟ cool انزل ع بيروت؟ كتير واوو؟ و

Go to Beirut? Be someone “wow” and “cool” ?

مسيح جوخ

be a bootlicker

• the phrase is often used to describe that one employee in the office who always do things to get in the good books of his/her boss -which behaviour annoys the rest of the staff

برا قصدي شي قناة برا محترمة او هيك مراسل

Outside – I mean some sort of channel, something respectful…or be a reporter

خلدون منصورمن قناة”…شو بعرفني؟”

“Khaldoun Mansour, reporting from…”…what do I know?!

• People often say “شو بعرفني” to mean “what do I know?” or “how am I supposed to know?!”

قناة رياضية

A sports channel

بس بس بس

That’s enough

بفضل ابقى هون احسن وقتا

I prefer to stay here, it’s better

اشتقتلك يا عرص

I missed you, buddy

• WARNING: عرص does not mean “buddy” so please don’t go calling your friends عرص
• In fact, it’s a vulgur word that probably best translates to “bastard” or “pimp” in English
• Here, in this context, since Khaldoun and Karim are good friends, the word was said in a light-hearted manner and was not intended to cause offense (just like how we can get away with swearing at our best friends..simply cause they are our best friends)

صارلي زمان مو شايفك

It has been so long since I last seen you

والله يا استاذ بدك تشوف صاحبك قريبا غريندايزرعن حق وحقيق ؟

I swear, you will see your friend become a true Grendizer

• عن حق وحقيق= truly

شو قصدك؟

What do you mean?

قررت انضام الاسعاف الشعبي

I’ve decided to join the civilian ambulance unit

شو؟ شو بدك تموت؟ انت تعرف هدول شو؟

What? Do you want to die? Do you know what they are like?

انت تعرف..؟

Do you know…

!ما بدي اعرف

I don’t want to know!

لأ بدك تعرف!

No, you got to know!

حبيبي بيشتغلوا ليل مع نهار

These guys work day and night

ما بيعرفوا خوف ما بيعرفوا موت

without any fear of death

طلعوا ناس من تحت الانقاض من تحت القصف

evacuating people from under the rubbles and the shellings

لك احسن هدول قاعدين قدام الكاميرات قدام التلفزيونات

they are much better than the people that appear on TV

عم تنظرواعلينا

   preaching to us (but never practicing what they preach)

لابسين غرافيتات متل حضرتك

wearing neck ties like you

• حضرتك is the formal version of “you”; of course in this scene, the formal version is intentionally used to make Khaldoun seems like one of those important men in politics/media etc

شو..شو بك؟

What’s wrong (with my tie)?

انا عندي درس

I got class

تروح ع درس؟

You’re going to class (dressed like that?!)

ولك بدي ابقى عندك شغلة يومين اه

Hey, I will stay at your place for two days or so

• شغلة is added to create the uncertainness – “شغلة يومين” = two days or so

ايه ايه اكيد ولو

Sure, of course

• ولو is a common word said to mean “of course” but has the connotation of “come on, there’s no need to ask, of course you can stay”
• often said to good friends/relatives/family members who ask you for a small favour

بس لتروق الأوضاع وبروح

Once things calm down, I’ll leave

طبعا طبعا

Sure

دير بالك ع حلك سلام

Take care of yourself, bye

يعطيك العافية

Hello (May God give you health)

اهلا استاذ كريم

Hello Mr Karim

تفضل

Come in

 استاذ كريم بدك لأ تواخذني انا لازم امشي هلأ

Mr Karim, I hope you don’t mind, I have to go now

• لأ تواخذني = don’t take offense/ don’t be offended

اي ولا يهمك خد راحتك

Don’t worry, take your time

هدا حسابك

Here’s your pay

كتر خيرك

Thank you so much (May God increase your good fortune)

تفضل

Please

شكرا

Thanks

كنا سبعة بالشلة

There were seven of us in our clique

• شلة refers to “clique” – the group of friends you always hang out after school etc

نص مع ونص ضد

Some are pro, some are against

اجى الحرب وتركوا واحد ورا تاني

The war came and one by one, they started to leave

حمادة صار موظف في جماعية تركية

Hamada is now employed in an association in Turkey

ويوسف عم يعمل مطرب بلبنان

and Yousef is becoming a singer in Lebanon

سامي اختفئ

Sami disappeared

عمرعم بأرجل بالمانيا

Omar is smoking sheesha in Germany

زينون عم يتعاطى مخدرات باليونان

Zeynoun is doing drugs in Greece

• Verb VI تعاطى – بتعاطى is always used to describe “doing drugs” or “abusing drugs”

خلدون كن اكتر واحد متهور

Khaldoun was the most reckless among us

وانا كريم – استاذ خصوص

And I’m Karim, a private tutor

امشي حد الحيط وقول يا رب الستر

I live my life minding my own business

(Lit: I walk close to the wall)

• يا رب الستر is a prayer to ask God to cover up wrongdoings/sins but in this context it was said to ask God for protection from troubles – to stay out of troubles and not to cause troubles to anyone (i.e. live a simple life, keep one’s affairs to oneself and keep out of others’ affairs)
• “بمشي من الحيط للحيط وبقول يا رب الستر” and “بمشي جنب الحيط وبقول يا رب الستر” are similar phrases with the same meaning

!شو في؟ لحظة لحظة

What’s happening? Wait, hold on!

• لحظة = ” a moment”

 حياتي ما عملت شي

I never did anything in my entire life

والله ما عملت شي

I swear I never did anything

ولا حتى بحياتي واقف مع هاد او هاد ولا حكيت او كتبت ع الفيس متل ما بتوصيني امي

Not a moment in my life did I side with somebody, said anything or posted anything on Facebook like how my mother instructed me

وليكي تحت العرض بين أربعة حيطان

But look, here I am – underground surrounded by four walls

• The Form II Verb “to stand” (وقف – بوقف + مع) can be used to mean “to side with someone or to stand by someone
• Eg: مو انت رفيقي؟ ليش ما وقفّت معي بأوقاتي الصعبة؟ -Aren’t you my friend? Why didn’t you stand by me during my difficult times
• The Form II Verb (وصى – بوصي) can have different nuances in meanings depending on contexts. The most common meaning is “to instruct” (but not in a strict manner.) For example…

نسيت شو وصيتني مبارح, شو كان بدك؟

I forgot what you ask of me (“instruct”) yesterday. What was that you wanted?

وصيتك تجيبلي علبة حليب

I asked (“instructed”) you to get me a carton of milk

• Another common phrase that makes use of the verb is بتوصيني بشي؟(betwasinee bi shii). It  is often said to family members and close relatives as a form of courtesy before leaving a place or even a country. For example…

يلا انا رايح ,بتوصيني بشي؟

I’m going off now, do you want/need anything?

لا سلامتك

No, it’s okay, thanks

***

If you’re interested in watching the rest of the series, do watch the first video – the beginning here before choosing the character you want to follow.

Take care and I’ll see  ya in the hosh,

Lyn

The post Undocumented بدون قيد [Syrian] appeared first on theLevanTongue.

According to their Facebook page, they describe themselves as “a Palestinian Band which combines beautifully Arabic music with Gypsy music.”

From that description itself, you could probably tell that they create awesome music. And they do

So I will be using their song, Batalte Elli بطلّتي إلي

There is so much to learn from the lyrics of this song alone. But for now, just sit back and enjoy the song.

Great song, don’t you think so?

This song is useful for learning a few things about Levantine Arabic.

1. The verb بطّل – ببطّل
2. The use of the word  “إلي” and its counterparts
3. The use of the phrase “ما عاد”
4.  The Arabic equivalent of “Less is more”

The Verb بطّل – ببطّل

The meaning of this form II verb is “to quit” or “to stop”.

So like the title of this song, بطلتي الي, it means you (female) stopped being mine, which in other words “you’re no longer mine”

Let me give you more examples

ايمتى بطلت تدخين؟

emta baTalt tadkhin

When did you quit smoking?

بطلت اروح معكم على الرحلة

baTalt aruH ma3kom 3ala elriHleh

I no longer want to go to the trip with you guys (i.e. I changed my mind)

الشتا بطل ينزل

elshitta baTal yinzal

It has stopped raining

[Lit: The rain stopped falling]

*In some parts of the Levant like Jordan, they refer to the rain as الشتا (winter)

!انتوا بطلتوا تاخدوا الأمور مزح

entu baTaltu taKhoduu elumor mazeH

You guys better stop taking the matter as a joke!

بطل في حليب بالبيت

baTal fee Haleeb bel bayt

There’s no more milk left at home

Got it yet? This verb is one of the most common verbs used in daily conversations – so it’s important that you know how to use it in the right contexts.

The use of the word  “إلي”

Basically, these words help to describe ownership.

So for example…

هالسيارة إلك او إله؟

hal sayaarah ellak aw elo?

Is this car yours or his?

هالكتاب إلي

hal ktaab elli

This book is mine

هالكتاب إلنور

hal ktaab el noor

This book belongs to Noor

ما النا غيرك يا الله

ma elnaa ghairak ya Allah

We don’t have anyone except you, O God

The use of the phrase  “ما عاد”

The phrase can be translated as “no longer” or “anymore”

Take a look at the examples below,

ما عاد بدي اياك

ma 3aad beddi iyak

I no longer want you

ليش ما عاد حكيتو مع بعض؟

leish ma 3aad Hakeytuu ma3 ba3ad

Why are both of you not talking o each other anymore?

ما عاد في عندي امل

ma 3aad 3andi amal

I no longer have hope

ما عاد تـفرق مـعـي

ma 3aad tifreq ma3ii

It no longer makes a difference to me

The Arabic equivalent of “Less is more”

There is a line in the song that goes  “والشي زاد نقص” .

And I have translated it to “more isn’t necessarily better”

However, the literal meaning is “The thing that increases, decreases”

Okay, so what does that mean??

Well, I was not too sure myself so I have asked for clarification on HiNative.

And an awesome someone explained that the phrase is something like the English saying “less is more” (in certain situations, doing less is beneficial and doing more can instead brings more harm than good)

There are two similar Arabic expressions that carry the same meaning as “less is more.” And they are…

ما زاد عن حده انقلب الى ضده

Lit: What goes beyond its limit would overturn till it goes against it.

الزايد أخو الناقص

Lit: The excess is the brother of the insufficient

In other words, sometimes, the attempt to do more can backfire on us. Doing more of something can instead bring you more harm than good.

An example given by the same user from HiNative:

Sometimes people increase their reps and sets when lifting weights in the attempt to gain more muscles quickly.

However, merely increasing the number of sets may not be the best method because if you don’t do it right, you may end up injuring your muscles.  In fact, doing a small number of sets consistently over a period of time is more beneficial.

In this case, your coach and friends would advice you “الزايد أخو الناقص”

So it can be said that the Arabic equivalent to “less is more” is “الزايد أخو الناقص”. The expression carries the idea that doing more of something will negate the value that you seek to increase.

***

That’s all for today, folks. Don’t forget to subscribe!

Take care and I’ll see ya in the hosh,

Lyn

The post Batalte Elli by ZAMAN Band | بطلتي الي You’re no longer mine… appeared first on theLevanTongue.

What are they?

They are the Dogs, the Cats, the Birds and the Roosters.

So..let’s get started!

DOGS

Dogs bark and there are two verbs that you can use.

The first is…

عوَى – بعوَي

Verb II

3awa – bi3awi

The second is…

نبح – بنبح

Verb I

nabaH –  binbaH

Example:

The boy was afraid to walk ahead because the dog was barking

الولد كان خايف يمشي لقدام لانو الكلب كان عم يعوَي \ ينبح

elwalad kan khayif yimshee la 2odam la inu elkalb kan 3am y3awi/ yinbaH

CATS

Cats purr or meow and you can use this verb to describe them:

نوَى – بنوَي

Verb II

nawa – binawi

Example:

The cat is meowing because it is hungry

القطة \ البسة عم تنوَي لانها جوعانة

el2iTah/ elbisseh 3am tnawi la enha ju3aneh

*Jordanians/Palestinians use بسة to refer to cat more often than قطة

BIRDS

Birds chirp and the verb is…

زقزق – بزقزق

Verb II

za2-za2 – bi-za2-ze2

The chirping sound is called

زقزقة

za2-za-2ah

Examples:

-I can hear the birds chirping every morning

بقدر اسمع العصافير عم تزقزق كل يوم الصبح

ba2der asma3 el3aSaafeer 3am tza2ze2 kol yom el Sbuh

-I can hear the sound of the birds chirping every morning

بقدر اسمع زقزقة العصافير كل يوم الصبح

ba2der asma3 za2za2ah el3aSaafeer kol yom el Sbuh

ROOSTERS

Roosters crow and the verb is..

صاح – بيصيح

Verb I

Sah – beSeeH

* This verb means to holler/shout but can be used to describe the sound of a rooster crowing.

Examples:

-When I was living in the countryside, I always wake up to the sound of the rooster crowing

لما كنت عايشة بالريف كنت دايما فيق لما بيصيح الديك

lama kunt 3aishe bel reef kunt daiman feeq lama beSeeH el deek

-When I was living in the countryside, I always wake up to the sound of the rooster

لما كنت عايشة بالريف كنت دايما فيق ع صوت الديك

lama kunt 3aishe bel reef kunt daiman feeq 3a sowt el deek

***

That’s it folks! Don’t forget to subscribe!

Take care and I’ll see ya in the hosh,

Lyn

The post Verbs to describe the sound animals make appeared first on theLevanTongue.

الحب الحب is a recent Jordanian series featuring Rajae Qawas which got aired last year. Roya Comedy has uploaded snippets of each episode in its YouTube channel where you can check them out.

Short clips are sure a great way of squeezing in some listening practice into a busy schedule without being overwhelmed. The only annoying thing in the video is the background music…

Yallah, ready? Let’s go!

تيتة morning,ياسمينا

Yasmina, Morning teita

• It’s pretty common for elders to call their children/grandchildren the same term – eg: mama/baba/teita  (although I find it pretty weird lol)
• Teita can either be spelled as تيتا or تيتة

ياللة حبيبتي قومي قومي ع الدوام

Yallah darling, get up for work

• Depending on the context, دوام can refer to both work and school

لأ لأ ما بدي ما بدي

No, I don’t want to

عندك دوام يالله حبيبتي قومي

You have work, yallah darling, get up

ما في دوام اليوم

No work today

ما في دوام ؟ كيف هادا؟ على اي اساس؟ يالله قومي قومي

No work? How is that so? On what basis? Yallah, get up, get up

على الأساس انا هيك قررت خلص تيتة

On the basis that I just decided not to (go to work). Enough, teita

هيك قررتي؟

Is this what you decided?

اه

Yeah

طيب

Fine

يا الله  تيتة مشان الله سكريه

Oh God! Grandma, for God’s sake, close it

انتي قومي سكريه انا ما دخلني

You get up and close it, it’s none of my business

ياسمينا لأمتى بدنا نضل هيك تيتة

Yasmina, till when do we have to remain like this, teita?

هايني منيحة

Here I am – feeling great

صباح الخير

Good morning

صباح النور

Good morning

ياسمينا انتي هيك مقتنعة بشعرك؟

Yasmina, you’re satisfied with your hair?

• مقتنع/مقتنعة  literally means “convinced”

هيك احسن؟

Is this better?

ياسمينا البابا اتصل ياسمينا, بسألني ليش ما تردي عليه

Yasmina, your father called. He asked me why didn’t you pick up his call

• Verb VIII to call/contact someone اتصل- بتصل
• Verb I to answer/respond رد – برد

لأني لو بدي ارد عليه كنت رديت عليه, مش طايقة احكي معو هاليومين

If I wanted to reply him, I would have done so.

I can’t stand to talk to him these days

وانتي متى كنتي طايقة تحكي معو؟

Since when were you able to tolerate talking to him?

• مش طايق \ مش طايقة –  can’t stand/bear/tolerate something/someone
• Eg: I (male) can’t stand him –  مش طايقو; I (female) can’t stand him – مش طايقتو

مشان الله تيتة هلأ مش وقته

For God’s sake, teita, now is not the time

حبيبتي هادا بابا وبضل بابا ما بيصيربتضلك تتجانبيه ما بيصير

My dear, your father remains your father. You can’t continue to avoid him, you simply can’t!

• ما بيصير = you can’t do that; it’s a no-no
• Verb VI to avoid تجانب – بتجانب

هدا بابا لما جاي ع باله, لما ما جاي ع باله انا مو موجدة بحياته

Father is only like this when he felt like so. If he do not feel like it, it is as if I do not exist in his life

 بعرف بعرف حبيبتي معك حق بس قالي انو مشتاقلك, لازم تعطيه فرصة

I know darling, I know. You’re right. But he told me that he misses you. You have to give him an opportunity/chance

ان شاء الله لازم اطلع ع الشغل تأخرت

InshAllah (God willing). I have to go to work now, I’m already late

• Verb VI to be late تأخَر- بتأخر

لأ, تاكلي ساندويتشك بالأول

No, eat your sandwich first

تيتة والله مو جاء ع بالي

Teita, wallah, I don’t feel like it

ياسمينا انتي تعرفي شوبالنسبة الي الفطور خط احمر

Yasmina, you know how I feel with regards to breakfast – it’s a no- no

• خط احمر literally means “a red line” – thus a no-no/off limit/off topic etc

مشان الله مش وقته تكوني غريبة هلأ

For God’s sake, now is not the time for you to be weird

لأ وقتا وقتا وقتا تاكلي ساندويتش وتشربي شاي وبعدين بتروحي يالله يالله

No, it’s the time. Eat your sandwich and drink your tea. Only then you can go. Yallah

• Some Arabs (especially Syrians) would say وقتا instead of وقتها

Phrase of the day

• جاي على بالي – to feel like doing something

جاي على بالي اكل بيتزا

I feel like eating pizza

جاي على بالنا نروح على السينما

We feel like going to the cinema

**Add the negation (ما/مو/مش) and you’ll get the opposite**

• مو جاي على بالي – to not feel like doing something

مش جاي على بالي اروح على أي محل

I don’t feel like going anywhere

***

I hope you’ve learned a thing or two! As usual, let me know your thoughts in the comment section

Take care and I’ll see ya in the hosh,

Lyn

The post Learn Jordanian Arabic through the Alhob Alhob show appeared first on theLevanTongue.