Here’s a short and sweet post on how to say the English equivalent of “This wouldn’t have happened if…” in Levantine Arabic.

And what better way to do so but through sample sentences!

An audio recording of the sentences is also provided by a native Syrian speaker.

Ready to learn? Yalla!

 لو + الفعل الماضي … كان + الفعل الماضي 

If + Past tense verb …. + To be + Past tense verb

 لو دَرسَت منيح كانت نجحت

 If she had studied well, she would have succeeded

لو سمع كلام امه ما كان صار اللي صار

If he had listened to his mother’s words, this wouldn’t have happened

(لو خبرتيني كنت ساعدتِك بوقتا (بوقتها

If you(f) had told me, I would have helped you(f) at that time

لو طلعنا من البيت بكير, ما كنا علقنا بعجقة سير

If we had left the house early, we wouldn’t be stuck in traffic now

(Jordanian Arabic uses أزمة  to describe a traffic jam)

لو كان الجو حلو كنت طلعت مشوار مع رفقاتي

If the weather had been great, I would have gone out for a trip with my friends

(Lebanese Arabic also uses كزدورة to describe a trip/picnic)

~~~

That’s it, folks

Can you see the pattern? I definitely hope so!

Take care and I’ll see you around in the hosh.

Lyn

The post How To Say “This Wouldn’t Have Happened If….” In Levantine Arabic appeared first on theLevanTongue.

متل العالم  والناس

TRANSLItERATION:

mtl l 3alam w l nes

MEANING:

Literally: like the world and its people

This post by Team Maha explains the expression well. Like what Team Maha said, the literal translation of العالم as ‘world’ is misleading because the word actually refers to human beings.

But not just “human beings” per se but decent, respectable and ordinary people.

In short,  the expression refers to “everyone else” or “like the rest of the world”.

The expression is commonly used in situations where basic life necessities are being deprived, for being outside the norm or simply for not being like “everyone else”.

As such, the expression is often used in a negative or not-so-positive situation.

Here are some examples as to how you can use the expression:

لازم اتعلم انجليزي متل العالم والناس

I have to learn (to speak) English like the rest of the world

*Using this expression hints at the tone of desperation for not knowing a language that is deemed as the universal language

هون مافي كهربا ولا ميّ ولا مازوت ولا غاز متل العالم والناس

There’s no electricity, no water, no Mazut (fuel oil), no gas here unlike the rest of the world

*This is the exact sentence that my Syrian friend who’s currently in Aleppo sent me a couple of weeks ago

امتى بدك تصير تعرف تطبخ متل العالم والناس؟

When will you learn to cook like everybody else?

*Some Syrians use the word ايمت (ey-mat) instead of امتى

حاج تلتهي واقعد ادرس متل العالم والناس

Stop being distracted and sit down and study like everyone else

~~~

That’s it, folks!

I hope you find this useful. If you do, hit the share buttons and spread the knowledge!

Take care and I’ll see you around in the hosh,

Lyn

P.S Don’t forget to check out the rest of the ALEF series!

The post ALEF #06: Like the world and its people appeared first on theLevanTongue.

EXAMPLES:

لحّق حالك يا خي, ماما عملت كيكة الشوكولاتة كتير زاكية وبِتْشَهي

Brother, hurry…Mom made a very delicious and appetising chocolate cake!

الاكل بهالمطعم كتير طيب وبيشهي , رح صير اجي انا ورفقاتي لهون دايماً

The food in this restaurant is very delicious and appetising, I will definitely always come here with my friends

والله الجاتو شكلو كتير بيشهي… يسلمو ايديكِ يا مدام

The cake really looks so appetising…thank you so much Madam

*The expression يسلمو ايدك is commonly used to thank someone who had done something especially with their hands (eg: cooking, picking up something for you, etc)

Note:

• The word زاكي \ زاكية (delicious) is more commonly used in Jordan and Palestine.
• The word جاتو (cake) is more commonly used in Syria and Lebanon

BONUS:

فتح شهيتي X

فتحت شهيتي X

something “opened my appetite”

While the phrase literally means “opened my appetite”, what it actually means is that something looks appetising, irresistible or engaging enough that causes you to take an interest in it.

And this phrase is not limited to describing food.

So for example, while you can say something like…

ما كنت جوعان بس هلأ كلامك عن الاكل فتح شهيتي والله

I wasn’t hungry but all these talks [your words] about food is making me hungry

you also can say something like…

المباراة المشوقة بين نعومي وسيرينا فتحت شهيتي اتعلم لعب التنس

The exciting match between Naomi and Serena made me gain an interest in learning to play tennis

or…

الصور فتحت شهيتي عالسفر واكتساب خبرات جديدة

The pictures piqued my interest in travelling and the acquisition of new experiences

~~~

That’s it, folks!

I hope you found this post beneficial and if you like it, share it

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

Lyn

P.S Subscribe if you haven’t already and never miss a post!

The post Learn Levantine Arabic Phrases: It’s so appetising! + Bonus! appeared first on theLevanTongue.

EXAMPLES:

شو يعني ايمت الحفلة؟ الحفلة كانت اِمْبارِح يا زلمة. والله راحَت عليك

What do you mean “when’s the party”? Dude, the party was yesterday. You missed it!

ماما طبختلك اكلتك المفضلة عالعشا بس راحت عليك لانك رجعت متأخر

Mom cooked your favourite dish for dinner but since you came back late…too bad, you missed it!

انا آسفة لانو جيت متأخرة بس راحت علي نومة

I’m sorry I came late but I overslept

احمد رسب في امتحاناتو الاخيرة لانو راحت عليه نومة

Ahmad failed his final exams because he overslept

~~~

That’s it, folks!

I hope you find this post useful. I’ll be putting up the audio recording of the sentences examples by a native speaker real soon.

Take care & I’ll see you around in the hosh,

Lyn

P.S. You’ll be doing me a huge favour if you could spread the word about theLevanTongue to your friends learning Levantine Arabic

P.S.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter and never miss a post!

The post Learn Levantine Arabic Phrases: “Too late, you missed it” & “I overslept” appeared first on theLevanTongue.

Today’s Topic: Travel, Explore, Live Life

Marhaba Y’all!

Learn Levantine Arabic E&A is simply a series where I post random clips I find online and provide the Arabic transcript, English translation as well as insights into some phrases if necessary.

The idea is that one can learn the language from any type of sources, thus the phrase ‘everywhere and anywhere’. Also, it is a good opportunity to learn vocabulary from a specific topic each time.

So for the first post, I’ve chosen a short video clip from Ibn Hattuta’s FB page.

Ibn Hattuta is a Jordanian travel influencer and I found this particular clip of his somewhat inspiring. I got to know about him when my Syrian friend shared this same clip with me (so, thanks Rasheed!).

Without further ado, let’s check his video out and pick up some new words in the process.

اليوم بعد ما خلصت دراستي الجامعية

Today after I finished with university

 كان لازم آخد اصعب قرار في حياتي

I had to take the hardest decision of my life

ما بين اني أعيش حلمي وشغفي او اني اتوظف وأترك المجتمع يقررعني

Either I live my dream and passion or I get a job and let society decide for me

وادخل ماراثون التوقعات الاجتماعية

and enter the marathon of social expectations

من التخرج, للوظيفة للشقة للسيارة للزواج للأولاد ليجي يوم اكتشف اني ما عشت حياتي

from graduation to getting a job, to buying a flat and a car, to getting married and having kids until come a day when I discover that I didn’t live my life.

وإنما عبيت قالب المجتمع صنعه لإلي

rather than filling a frame that society created for me

انا قاسم. عمري هلأ تلات وعشرين سنة

I’m Kasem, I’m currently 23 years old

وما بدي استنى ليكون عمري ستين سنة عشان اعيش حياتي

and I don’t want to wait till I’m sixty to live my life

في آخر تلات سنوات كان السفر الشّي اللي غير حياتي وخلاني اكتشف حالي

In the past 3 years, travelling is the thing changed my life and allowed me to get to know myself better

سافرت لأكتر من تلاتين بلد وكله بأقل التكاليف

I travelled on a low-budget to more than 30 countries

نزلت ببيوت ناس, بغرفة مشتركة, خيمت, طبخت

People hosted me, I slept in shared rooms, I camped and I cooked

خليت ناس لا بعرفهم ولا بعرفوني يوصلوني بطريقهم

I hitchhiked with strangers (I let people, who neither do I know them nor do they know me, to drop me off )

من الهند لباريس لروما لايسلاندا

From India to Paris to Rome and to Iceland

كل بلد تعرفت فيه على ناس جداد, تحديت مخاوفي

in each country, I made new friends, challenged my fears

وطلعت من منطقة راحتي

and got out of my comfort zone

social mediaخلال هاي السنوات كنت بشارك كل شي بيصير معي على ال

During all these years, I shared all my stories on social media

عشان افرجي العرب انه السفر مش حكر للأغنياء

to show Arabs that travelling isn’t only for the rich

وانه شخص عادي, من عائلة عادية بموارد عادية

and that someone normal from a normal family and with basic resources

ممكن يلحق حلمه ويعيش تجارب كنا نفكرها بس لأغنى الناس

can still achieve his dreams and live experiences we thought are only for the richest

بعد نهاية الفصل الأخير من الجامعة, حجرت تذكرة باتجاه واحد لتركيا

After finishing the last semester of university, I booked a one way ticket to Turkey

حامل معي شنطتي والكاميرا واللاب توب وشغف كبير بإني اعيش مو اتعايش

carrying with me my backpack, my camera, my laptop and a passion to live, not just to survive

وتركت كل شي تاني وراي

and leave everything else behind me

ومن هون رح يبدأ فصل جديد في حياتي

and this will be the beginning of a new chapter in my life

وبتمنى كل شي بشاركه يلهمكم تعيشوا حياة افضل وبقربكم للشي اللي بتحبوه

I hope what I’m sharing inspires you to live a better life and brings you closer to your dreams

آسف امي, آسف ابوي اني ما بدي اعيش حياة عادية

Sorry Mom, sorry Dad for not wanting to live a normal life

ما بدي اعيش روتين عم بيعيشوه ملايين الناس و بحلموا باليوم اللي يكسروه

I don’t want to live a routine that millions of people dream to break

ما بدي أكافح طول السنة عشان اعيش بس اسبوعين ازا رضي مديري يعطيني اجازة

I don’t want to survive the whole year to live two weeks if my manager gives me time off

بدي اعيش تلات مية وخمسة وستين يوم بكل السنة

I want to live 365 days of each year

وكل يوم غير اليوم اللي قبله

with each day different from the previous

بعرف انه الطريق صعب. رح تيجي ايام بفكر اني استسلم

I know that the journey is tough. There will come a day that I’ll think of giving up

بس حلمي وشغفي وحريتي بتستاهل كل هدا التعب

but my dream, my passion and my freedom are worth all this effort

لانو في فرق بين السعادة والراحة

because there is a difference between happiness and comfort

واكيد انا ما عم بدور على الراحة

and I’m definitely not looking for comfort

مع حبي, ابن حتوتة

With love, Ibn Hattuta

~~~

That’s it, folks.

I like the video because he speaks clearly, not too fast and uses simple words.

And I hope you enjoyed the video. You can check out Ibn Hattuta’s FB page here if you want to know more about him.

Also, isn’t it cool that his name sounds similar to Ibn Battuta? Ibn Battuta is a famous Morrocan scholar and explorer from the 14th century, also considered by some the greatest explorer of all time.

If you like this post, keep your eyes peeled for the next post of Learn Levantine Arabic E&A. If you want to be notified of new posts, simply subscribe to my newsletter.

If you can share this post with people you know learning Levantine Arabic, that would be great. Also, don’t forget to let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Take care and I’ll see you around in the hosh,

Lyn

The post Learn Levantine Arabic E&A #01: Travel, Explore, Live Life appeared first on theLevanTongue.

*Note: The word “هون” literally means “here” and of course you can always replace the word “هون” with “هلأ” (now).

Here is an audio recording of the phrases and the sentences examples. (All thanks to Rasheed for this audio)

Examples:

من هون ورايح بتقدر تقدم المنحة اونلاين \ عن طريق الإنترنت

From now onwards, you can apply for the scholarship online

 من هون ورايح رح اقرأ كتاب جديد كل أسبوع

From now onwards, I will read a new book every week

من هون وطالع ما في طلعة من البيت بدون ما تاخد إذني

From now onwards, there’s no going out of the house without my permission

من هون وطالع رح كون متفائل مهما صار

From now onwards, I will be positive no matter what happens

~~~

Do you know how to use the phrase now?

Great! Now not only do you know how to say “from now onwards…”, I bet you also know how to say “from today onwards…” and “from this year onwards…”.

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

Lyn

P.S Don’t forget to like and follow my Facebook Page where I’ll share stuff related to Levantine Arabic that I find online.

P.S.S Subscribe to my newsletter and never miss a post!

The post Learn Levantine Arabic Phrases: From now onwards… appeared first on theLevanTongue.

Julia Boutros is a famous Lebanese singer and the song is one of my favourite songs by her.

So keep calm, play the song and learn a chunk (or two).

Here are the lyrics and my rough translation of the song:

بكرا شي نهار بحكيلك هالخبرية

Someday I’ll tell you the news

* بكرا  literally means ‘tomorrow’

عن يلي صار وعن هالحلم بعييني

About what happened and about the dream in my eyes

قصة مشوار و حدا بيعزا علي

A story of a trip and someone dear to me

***

قلبي واحتار ناوي يحكيلك عني

My heart is puzzled, it intends to tell you about me

شوية افكار ما بعمرن طلعوا مني

Some thoughts will never be revealed [come out of me]

وعن هالأسرار ما في داعي تسألني

And there is no need to ask me about these secrets

لحالي بقلك هنن بكرا شي نهار

I’ll tell you about them myself someday

***

وين بلاقيك بكرا بحطك بالصورة

Where can I find you, someday I’ll put you in a picture

وبلون فيك آيامي بفيّا ونورا

And colour you with the shadow and light of my days

*Okay, this is a literal translation but what she probably meant was that she wants to be with him in good and bad times

روح وخليك ضلك عيني زورا

Go and keep visiting my eyes

زورا…بس هالمرة محظورة

Visit (my eyes)…but this time around, it’s forbidden

*The word محظورة is pronounced as محضورة. In some parts of the Levant, the letter ظ is pronounced as ض

بكرا شي نهار

Someday…

Chunk ’em:

**”Chunk ’em is based on the language learning method called ‘chunking’. The point is not to be too concerned about the specific meaning of each word but instead to learn and grasp the overall meaning of the phrase in the context it was said.

So here are two chunks for ya:

#01: ما في داعي

There’s no need to…

 ما في داعي تغلّب حالك

ma fii daa2i t3haleb Hallak

There’s no need to trouble yourself

مافي داعي تعتذر انت ما عملت شي

ma fii daa2i ta3tazer, enta ma 3amalt shii

There’s no need to apologize, you didn’t do anything

#02: بس هالمرة

But this time around…

انت دايما تدفع عني بس هالمرة رح ادفع

enta dayman tedfa3 3ani bas hal mara raH adfa3

You’re always paying for me but this time around, I’ll pay

كنت دايما بمرقها (بمرقا) بس هالمرة انت زودها

kunt dayman bmare2ha/ bmare2a 3alayk bas hal mara enta zawadha

I’ve always been lenient towards you/ gone easy on you but this time around, you crossed the line

**You can also say  بمشّيا) بمشّيها) instead of  بمرقا) بمرقها)

كل مرة وقعتي في مشكلة بغطّي عليكي بس هالمرة لأ, ما رح اقدر

kol/kil mara w2a3ti fii mushkile ba3hati 3alayki bas hal mara la2, ma rah a2dr

I cover up for you every time you got into trouble but this time around, nope, I won’t be able to

~~~

Like it? Do me a huge favour and hit the share buttons!

Or let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Either way, I hope you find the post useful

Take care and I’ll see you around in the hosh,

Lyn

P.S. Have you subscribe to my newsletter yet? Simply fill up the form below and be notified of new posts.

The post Two Useful Chunks To Learn From ‘Bukra Shi Nhar’ by Julia Boutros appeared first on theLevanTongue.

اخر زمان

Transliteration:

akher zaman

Meaning:

Literal: the end of time

However, the phrase is used to express strong dissatisfaction and criticism towards a behaviour, trend or product that are not in line with traditions or societal norms.

The idea behind the expression is that the behaviour or trend in question is deemed as one of the signs of doomsday. This is an exaggeration, of course. But you get the idea.

It’s like seeing teenage kids sporting a ridiculous fashion trend and thinking to yourself, “What’s the world coming to?!”.

Do note the expression is pretty harsh and not a nice thing to say.

Examples:

شباب اخر زمان

shabab  akher zaman

شباب = young men

بنات اخر زمان

banat akher zaman

بنات = girls/daughters

These are two common phrases that have the English equivalent of “kids these days” –  y’know the phrase older people say when they disapprove of the behaviours of kids from the younger generation.

The expression is usually uttered on its own since the explanation is in the context.

To see how the phrase can work in various contexts, simply type the phrase into YouTube.

For example, if you type شباب اخر زمان into YouTube, you’ll come across videos of men dancing flamboyantly or effeminately (behaviours that are not kindly looked upon in a conservative society).

Take a look at this clip titled “بنات اخر زمان” from a famous Lebanese comedy show.

Initially, I thought that the expression, بنات اخر زمان, is referring to the fact that the woman (instead of the man) knows how to change a car’s tyre.

But I was wrong.

At the end of the clip, it became clear that the expression is referring to the fact the woman had asked for the man’s number and suggested that they could go out for drinks (just cause she helped him fix the car).

The show is obviously making fun of the fact that men can get away with asking women out after doing a favour for them, but not the other way around…

Near the end of the clip at 03:32, the conversation goes like this:

اي منروح نشرب شي كاس

Let’s go and grab some (alcoholic) drinks

تففف على بنات اخر زمان

(okay, this is untranslatable but it’s like ‘to hell with girls like you that cause the world to be in this f***ed state’)

تف is the sound made when spitting

ولو احترم حالك لو سمحت

Have some respect [respect yourself], please

روحي انتي احترمي حالك, يا عيب شوم

No, you go and respect yourself. Shame on you

I thought I recalled seeing a post somewhere in the World Wide Web about the phrase عيب شوم. It drives me crazy now that I can’t seem to find it. All I found was this which is not the one I recalled seeing. =(

Anyhoo, here are more common examples:

جيل اخر زمان

jeel akher zaman

جيل = generation

طلاب اخر زمان

tulaab akher zaman

طلاب = students

اولاد اخر زمان

uwlad akher zaman

اولاد = children

موضة اخر زمان

mawdah akher zaman

موضة = fashion

BONUS

Here’s an additional expression for you!

مكان اخر الدنيا

Transliteration:

makan akher dinya

Meaning:

an isolated/remote/secluded place, far away from everyone or everything else

Literally: “a place (at) the end of the world”

Examples:

لاقيت شغل جديد بس والله مكانو باخر الدنيا كتير بعيد علي

la2eyt shugl jdid bas wallah makano b-akher dinya, ktiir ba3eed 3alai

I found a new job but God, the place is so far away from me!

Take a look at this clip from the Jordanian show, Female, and listen from 4:52 till 5:01.

تيما, صحيح عنجد بتكون تسكن بتلاع العلي؟ ما لقيتي محل تاني؟ تلاع العلي اخر الدنيا. ما في ولا اشي حواليها

Tima, saHeh 3anjad bitkun tuskon bi Tla’ al Ali? Ma la2eyti mahal taani? Tla’ al Ali akher dinya. Ma fii wala ishii hawalayha

Tima, is it true that you are living at Tla’ al Ali? You could not find a different place? Tla’ al Ali is such an isolated place [located at the end of the world]. There is absolutely nothing around it.

Fun fact: I used to live at Tla’ al Ali at the beginning of my stay in Amman (and it’s not as bad as she made it out to be! lol).

~~~

That’s it, folks. I hope you like the post.

As usual, let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Take care and I’ll see you around in the hosh,

Lyn

P.S. Don’t forget to hit the share buttons and spread the word about theLevanTongue to others learning Levantine Arabic!

P.S.S. Never miss a post! Subscribe below and be notified of new posts.

The post ALEF #05: Akher Zaman appeared first on theLevanTongue.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

~~~

البتراء هي الوطن

هو اليوم الاول من المسيرة والشمس مشرقة. الياس قاعد تحت الفي وساند ضهره على شجرة زيتون مع العنزة المفّضلة عنده و اللي سماها وردة

قبل شوي حّضر إلياس ابريق شاي ، وهلأ عم بيشف من كاسة الشاي على مهلو , بينما عم يطلع على المنظر اللي بالرغم من إنه كتير مألوف بس بياخد العقل. بيعتبر الياس شرب الشاي مع نعنع طقس مهم من طقوسه الصباحية و نادرًا ما يبلش يومو بدونو

نسمة هوا قوية طيرتو وإلياس على طول بيزبط كوفيتو الحمرا والبيضا اللي لاففها على راسو. بيمد اجريه بمحل مريح وما عم يحسن يفتّح عيونو من الشمس لما هو بتطلع على الافق. بعد شوي وبدون مايحس بّلش يفكر بجّدو المتوفي

متل ابوه وجده والكل اللي اجا قبلهم، انولد إلياس بالبتراء ومتلهم كمان بيعرف البتراء حجر حجر

كانو إلياس وجدو بحبو يقعدو سوا بالزبط بنفس المكان اللي قاعد فيه إلياس هلأ – تحت شجرة الزيتون . كانو يقعدو ويضحكو على السياح اللي مبينين متل النمل من فوق . من لما توفى جدو قبل سنتين فقد الياس رفيقو الغالي وهلأ ما عم يشارك هالمنظر غير مع العنزة تبعو اللي واقفة جنبو

قديش إلياس مشتاق لجدو و بضل بيتذكر الجملة اللي كان بيقولها جدو دايما – ولدت بالبتراء ورح اموت فيها

البتراء هي الوطن

احيانا بتساءل إلياس اذا في شي يوم رح يزهق ويمل من مدينة الورد الاحمر. ممكن يجي يوم و ازهق من المكان اللي بعتبره وطني طول عمري؟

وفجأة انقطع حبل افكارو لما سمع ابوه عم يصفرلو. “وينك يا ولد؟ قوم وتعال لهون! السياح جايين” صرخ ابوه بصوت عالي

إالياس بيشرب الباقي من كاستو الشاي بشّفة واحدة وبيمشي بسرعة لأسفل المنحدر الصخري مع وردة اللي عم تلحقو

هو متأكد إنو اليوم رح يكون يوم معجوق متل العادة. وبطريقه لتحت بيقدر يشوف السياح عم بيمشو على مهلهم باتجاه الشارع المعمد. عنجد أشكالهم متل النمل من فوق

نهاية الجزء الاول

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Petra is home

It is the first day of March and the sun is shining brightly. Ilyas is sitting under the shade and leaning his back against the olive tree with his favourite goat that he named “Wardeh”.

A while ago, Ilyas had prepared a pot of tea and is now sipping slowly from his cup of tea, while gazing at the all too familiar yet breath-taking view. Ilyas considers drinking tea with mint an important morning routine and he rarely starts his day without it.

A strong breeze blew past his and Ilyas immediately adjusts his red and white keffiyeh that is wrapped around his head. He stretches out his legs in a comfortable position and he can barely open his eyes from the sun rays as he stares into the horizon. After a while and without realising it, he begins to think of his late grandfather.

Like his dad and grandfather and all that came before them, Ilyas was born in Petra and like them too, he knows Petra like the back of his hand.

Ilyas and his grandfather used to sit together at the exact spot that he is currently sitting at – under the olive tree. They used to sit and laugh at the tourists who appear like ants from above. Since the death of his grandfather two years ago, Ilyas lost a dear friend and now shares the view with no one else except his goat standing beside him.

Oh how Ilyas misses his grandfather so and is constantly reminded of the phrase that he always used to say: I was born in Petra and I will die in it too.

Petra is home.

Sometimes Ilyas wonders if there comes a day where he will get sick and tired of the red rose city. Perhaps there comes a day where I get bored of that place that I consider as home my entire life?

Suddenly, Ilyas’ train of thoughts was cut off when he heard his father whistling to him. “Where are you, boy? Come here. The tourists are coming!” shouted his father loudly.

Ilyas drinks the rest of his tea in one gulp and hurries quickly to the bottom of the rocky slope with Wardeh following behind him.

He is sure that today will be another busy day as usual. On his way down, he could see the tourists strolling towards the Colonnaded Street. They really do look like ants from above.

End of Part One.

PS: Like it? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below!

PSS: Now, anyone interested in drawing up some illustrations?

The Inspiration

The post Keep Running: #01 Petra is Home appeared first on theLevanTongue.

There aren’t many shows available that are suited for beginners which can be quite frustrating especially when you want to practice listening or take a break from textbooks.

But fear not! If you look around hard enough, there are videos out there suited for beginners. And what another great way is there than to start with cartoon series!?!

Hikayat Simsim is a Jordanian production and unlike most cartoons that are in Modern Standard Arabic, Hikayat Simsim is in Amiyya (spoken Arabic). There are not a lot of videos on the channel but there should be enough to get you started.

So in this post, I will provide the transcription for a video so you can learn new words and practice your listening skill. Read until the end for further explanations on certain useful phrases.

Source

It’s time to relive your childhood days watching Sesame Street, but this time in Jordanian Arabic! Ready? Yalla!

يا عينباتي ما احلاكم ما اطيبكم ما ازكاكم

Oh my grapes, how beautiful and delicious you are

طعم الحبة متل سكر

The taste of the piece of grape is like sugar

يا سلام ما ازكا طعمة العينب

Oh wow, how delicious is the taste of the grape!

فعلا يا جل جل بيشهو ما ازكاهم خصوصا لما يكونو مقطوفين من الحديقة ومغسولين منيح وناضجين

Indeed they are appetizing and delicious especially when they are picked directly from the garden, properly washed and when they are ripe

الى عينب من الفواكة مفيدة كتير لما باكله بشعر بالقوة

the grapes are one of the very healthy (lit: beneficial) fruits – when I ate it, I feel energised

فعلا معك حق يا جل جل

Indeed you’re right, Jul Jul

مرحبا عمه كامل

Hello Uncle Kamel

اهلا تن تن

Hello Tun Tun

مرحبا جل جل

Hello Jul Jul

اهلا اهلا يا تن تن

Hello Tun Tun

انت قطفت العينب من الدالية؟

You plucked the grapes from the grapevines?

 انا كمان بدي اقطف عينب

I, too, want to pluck grapes

كتير كتير كتير طيبين

They are very very very delicious!

تفضلي يا تن تن كلي عينب

Here you go, Tun Tun, eat the grapes

شكرا يا عمه كامل بس انا بدي هدا كل القطف

Thank you Uncle Kamel, but I want all of that grapes

هاد يا تن تن؟ بس هاد يا تن تن بعضه مش ناضج

This one, Tun Tun? But this one, Tun Tun…some of them are not ripe

بس انا بدي اياه

But I want them

يا تن تن بحكيلك ما رح يكون ناضج يعني رح يكون حامض

Tun Tun, I’m telling you that it will not be ripe. That means it will be sour

خليني اجربه

Let me try it

شوفي العينب كتير قاسي

Look, the grape is very hard

يا عمه كامل لو سمحت

Oh Uncle Kamel, pleaseeee

حاضر يا تن تن امري ل الله مع انو مش مستوي

Alright Tun Tun, I will do as you say, even though it’s not ripe

بس لازم اغسلك اياه بالأول

But I will have to wash it first

يا عيني على عينباتي شو انو طعمهم زي العسل متل السكر

Oh my god, the grapes – they taste like honey, like sugar

تفصلي يا تن تن

Here you go, Tun Tun

حامض حامض حامض

It’s sour, sour, sour!

بس انا شايف انو زاكي , زاكي كتيرمتل سكر

but I see that it’s delicious! Very delicious like sugar

لأ حامض حامض انا ذقته حامض

Nope, it’s sour, sour…I tasted it, it’s sour!

طبعا حامض يا تن تن بس عرفي ليش عينباتك حامضين بس عينبات جل جل حلوين وزاكيين؟

Of course it’s sour, Tun Tun. But do you know why your grapes are sour but Jul Jul’s grapes are nice and delicious?

ليش؟

Why?

لانو العينب اللي لقدام جل جل عينب ناضج يعني مستوي

Because the grapes that are in front of Jul Jul are ripe, meaning they are ready to be eaten

والعينب اللي لقدامك عينب لساته مش مستوي

and the grapes that are in front of you are still not ripe yet

طيب انا كيف رح اعرف اذا العينب مستوي؟

Okay, how will I know if the grapes are ripe?

اه هاي بسيطة يا تن تن

Ah, this is easy, Tun Tun

شوف لما بتتطلع على العينب بتلاقي انوملمسه قاسي كتير معناته مش مستوي

Look, when you look at the grapes, if you’ll find that the feel of it (texture) is hard, that means they are not ripe

اذا كان طري؟

if they are soft?

اذا كان طري بيكون مستوي

if they are soft, they are ripe

وكمان لونه لما بيكون صار على اصفر شوي يعني بيكون ناضج

and also when the colour turns slightly yellower, that means they are ripe

صحيح يا جل جل

That’s correct, Jul Jul

عشان هيك عينباتي حامضين وعينبات جل جل حلوين

that is why my grapes are sour and Jul Jul’s grapes are nice

بالضبط يا تن تن برافوعليكي

exactly Tun Tun, Bravo!

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NOTES

1. Grapes

Ok so I have spelled the word as عينب but know that the correct spelling is without the ي.

So the actual spelling of grapes is عنب but the common way to pronounce it is عينب (aynab).

In spoken Arabic, both the words ‘عينب’ and ‘عينبات’ are used to describe grape in its plural form (i.e grapes).

A piece of grape would be described as “عنباية” or less commonly as “حبة عنب”.

2. Fine, I’ll do as you say…

امري الى الله

amri ilaa Allah

So this phrase is often said as a way to give in to the other party’s request. It literally means “my affairs/things to God”.

For example,

You want to go out with friends but your mother insisted that you should stay at home. After multiple futile attempts at persuading your mother, you finally give in to her and say:

امري الى الله ماما ما رح روح معهم

amri ilaa Allah, Mama. ma raH ruH ma3hom

I will do as you say, Mama. I will not go out with them

Or

The wife has been pestering her husband to buy her a new handbag. Her husband initially refused but after much persuasion, he finally gives in and says:

امري الى الله رح اشتريلك

amri ilaa Allah, raH ashtarillek

Okay fine, I will buy for you (the handbag)

3. Oh My Eyes!

يا عيني

This is a common expression to express amazement at how beautiful or amazing something is. It’s sort of like “I can’t believe my eyes!”.

For example,

يا عيني شو حلوة هاي الشنطة

Ya 3aynee, sho helwe hai elshanTah

Oh wowww, how beautiful is this handbag!

But do note that this phrase can be said sarcastically

For example people would often say “يا عيني عليك” as a way to show that they are impressed by what you just did or said.

So depending on context, it can means “yepp, you got it!” if you finally got what the person is trying to convey or “good job!” if you (surprisingly) managed to answer a question correctly.

And by it being said sarcastically, I meant a combination of these two gifs below…

!!يا عيني عليييك

The phrases ‘يا سلام’ and ‘يا سلام عليك’ are also used in the same way.

4. zay or metl, metl or zay

زي او متل

So both words are synonyms that are used in Jordanian Arabic to mean “like” (i.e: it tastes like sugar). To my knowledge, most Syrians do not use the word زي.

5. naaDhej or mistawi, mistawi or naaDhej

ناضج او مستوي

Both words are considered synoyms in spoken arabic.

To refer to food that is ripe or ready to eat, the word “مستوي” is used more often than “ناضج”.

The word, “ناضج” can be used to describe both food and humans, while the word “مستوي” is only exclusively used to describe food.

When using “ناضج” to describe humans, it would carry the meaning of “mature”.

For example,

هو مش جاهز للزواج لانو هو مش ناضج

huwe mesh jaaHiz lal zawaj la eno huwe mesh naaDhej

He is not ready for marriage because he is not mature (in his thinking/behaviour)

6. **drools**

بيشهو

biishahu

From the word ‘appetite’ (شهية shahiiye), the verb form بيشهو is often used to describe food that is appetizing, that you drool over and crave for.

However, it is not limited to describing food but almost anything that had you longing for it.

For example,

هداك المحل بيعمل وبيبيع اكلات بيشهو

hadaak elmahal bya3mal u biibii3  aklat biishahu

That shop makes and sells delicious food that is mouth-watering

البلد ما فيها شي بيشهي الواحد انو يضل فيها

elbalad maa fiihaa shi biishahi elwaaHad eno yDhol fiiha

The country has nothing to entice a person to remain staying in it

7. Verb I – to pick/to pluck:

قطف – بيقطف

2aTaf – bii2Taf

All of the other verbs mentioned in the video are included in the book that I recommend to all serious Levantine Arabic learners.

To check out my review of the book that has helped me tremendously in my learning journey, click HERE

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Like this post? Comment below if you would like to see more posts suited for beginners! A second post on another Hikayat Simsim’s video might be coming soon

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