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.

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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

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