‫ا‬

‫‪1‬‬
Table of Contents

Notes.......................................................................................................................... 3
Abbreviations............................................................................................................. 4
The Levant.................................................................................................................. 4
What is “ash-Sham”?.................................................................................................. 6
What to Expect in the Levantine Countries................................................................6
Lebanon.................................................................................................................. 6
Jordan...................................................................................................................... 6
Palestine.................................................................................................................. 7
Syria........................................................................................................................ 7
Levantine Cultural Notes............................................................................................ 7
The Levantine Dialect............................................................................................... 10
Spelling Conventions................................................................................................ 11
How Arabic Diglossia Works..................................................................................... 12
Levantine Alphabet Pronunciation............................................................................ 14
The Basics: Pronunciation & Possession...................................................................16
The LA ‫( ة‬taa-marbooTa) (lit. “the tied taa”)........................................................16
The LA ‫( ق‬qof)....................................................................................................... 17
LA Pronouns.......................................................................................................... 17
Possession: Differences from MSA........................................................................19
‫ تبع‬Possession........................................................................................................ 20
“Question Words”.................................................................................................. 21
“To have”............................................................................................................... 23
To Be Able To / “Can”................................................................................................ 25
An Alternative Method........................................................................................... 27
Negation................................................................................................................... 28
Demonstrative Pronouns.......................................................................................... 31
There is / There are.................................................................................................. 33
How much vs. How many?........................................................................................ 34
“To Go”..................................................................................................................... 35
Not at All! (And “never”).......................................................................................... 37

2
What happened?!..................................................................................................... 38
The Present Tense..................................................................................................... 39
The Future Tense...................................................................................................... 42
The Past Tense.......................................................................................................... 44
Expressing Desire, “to want to...”............................................................................. 48
“Which/That/Who”... The Relative Pronoun...............................................................49
Usage of “ghayr”...................................................................................................... 50
Imperatives.............................................................................................................. 51
Negative Imperatives............................................................................................... 52
Comparatives........................................................................................................... 52
Superlatives.............................................................................................................. 54
Practice Passages..................................................................................................... 55
Passage One.......................................................................................................... 56
Passage Two.......................................................................................................... 58
Passage Three....................................................................................................... 60
Passage Four......................................................................................................... 61
Passage Five.......................................................................................................... 63
Passage Six........................................................................................................... 64
Passage Seven...................................................................................................... 65
Extended Dictionary................................................................................................. 67

Notes
3
This book is intended to be a dialect-acquisition manual. This course
assumes prior, modest knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) or
another dialect, to the extent that you are familiar with the Arabic alphabet,
simple grammar, and basic conversational vocabulary. Some of the basics
will be reviewed, but only peripherally.

Abbreviations

 adj – Adjective

 MSA – Modern Standard Arabic

 LA – Levantine Arabic

 f. - feminine

 m. - masculine

 lit. – literal meaning

 prep. - preposition

 pl. - plural

4
The Levant

Levantine Arabic (LA) is the dialect of Arabic spoken in the Levant,

historically referred to as “The Holy Land” in the West. The word “Levant”
comes from the French word of the same spelling, meaning “rising”, a
metaphor alluding to the rise of the Sun in the east. We will see later that
this term is roughly equivalent to the Arabic term al-mashraq ‫المشرق‬
.
Historically, the Levant was the name for the entire Eastern Mediterranean
region, to include modern-day Turkey, Egypt, parts of Libya, Cyprus, Greece,
Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine, among others.

By its modern definition, the Levant generally comprises Syria,

Lebanon, Jordan, and the Palestinian territories (also Israel, depending on
whom you ask). As the site of Roman occupation and the Crusades, the
Levant has a rich history that has seen the rise and fall of civilizations,
extensive trade networks, and incredible artistic achievements.

The area which composes the modern definition of The Levant

5
Sunni Islam is by far the preeminent religion of the Levant, but other
religious groups exist in the region as well. It is home to Shi'a Muslims, the
Druze, Roman Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Yazidis, Alawites, and many
others. Anyone that keeps up with international news is well aware that this
melding of religious groups can often lead to political strife and bloody
conflicts, as showcased in the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), and the
ongoing (at the time of writing) Syrian Civil War.

The Levant, however, offers stunning examples of natural beauty and human
ingenuity. From the Roman temple of Baalbek and Lebanon’s liberal capital of
Beirut, to Jordan's Petra (which attracts 600,000 visitors per year) the Levant
is truly the cultural hub of the Middle East and arguably the entire Arab
world.

What is “ash-Sham”?

The term ‫الشام‬ (ash-sham ) was originally a historical term for greater Syria.
Greater Syria can kind of be interpreted as the Levant, but not quite.
Basically, no one can say for sure where Greater Syria begins and ends. In
fact, it doesn't really matter anymore, because this usage is now nearly
obsolete.

The modern definition “ash-sham” is twofold: Syria and Damascus. You'll

really just have to determine which one is implied by examining the context.
If you're in Aleppo and a local tells you that he's about to head to ash-Sham,
you can assume he means Damascus. But if you're explaining to him that
you went to Damascus yesterday, and he suggests that you see the rest of
ash-Sham, it's obvious that he means Syria. Confused yet?

6
What to Expect in the Levantine
Countries

Lebanon

Along with Jordan, as a westerner on a typical vacation or business trip,

you’re most likely to travel to Lebanon. Formerly referred to as the
“Switzerland of the Middle East,” Lebanon’s tourist industry suffered greatly
during its bloody sectarian civil war (1975-1990), but has rebounded a great
deal since. In Lebanon, you can travel from the beach for sunbathing to the
mountains to ski in a matter of hours. Nightclubs, bars, and shopping options
fill the streets of Beirut and other major cities. The Lebanese people are
famously welcoming, warm, and liberal, and it is possibly the most liberal of
any Arab nation.

Jordan

Teeming with history, Jordan attracts millions of tourists annually to its sites
and cities. The Jordanian people are incredibly hospitable, and while more
conservative than the Lebanese, are still among the most liberal of the Arab
nations. Jordanians enjoy relative peace and security within their borders, in
a region known for strife and violence. A trip around Jordan could involve
encounters with Bedouins, a camel ride across Wadi Rum (the Rum Valley), or
marveling in the ancient site of Petra, a Nabataean settlement dating to
before Christ.

7
Palestine

Considered part of the Holy Land, Palestine is a hub for Christian, Muslim,
and Jewish religious pilgrims. Because it is made up of two major regions, the
Gaza Strip and the West Bank, your experiences can vary. Although it has
been under Israeli occupation for decades, the West Bank is a relatively
“prosperous” and safe place to visit. The Gaza Strip, however, is generally
considered quite dangerous and is facing serious problems resulting from an
Israeli blockade enacted years ago, as well as internal political strife.

Syria

Engulfed in a civil war at the time of writing, Syria is not exactly a hot-spot
destination for most westerners today. During peacetime, it was known to be
a secure country with a secular government. In recent history the Syrians
have been relatively liberal, but since the Civil War began, the government
has really begun to push secularism and liberality even further in an effort to
distance themselves from religious extremists to whom they are opposed.
Hopefully in the near future, Syria will once again be a great place to explore
the past and present.

Levantine Cultural Notes

If you're learning Levantine Arabic (LA) in preparation for travels to the

Levant, you will of course want to see some of its world-famous historical,
archaeological, or cultural sites. Remember that the sites listed here are only
a small fraction of what you'll find on a journey to Syria, Jordan, Lebanon
and/or Palestine.

8
Damascus' Ummayyad Mosque

9
The Al-Aqsa Mosque (Masjid al-Aqsa), located in Jerusalem

10
 The dramatic Mediterranean coastline of Lebanon

The ancient Roman ruins of Palmyra (Tadmur), in Syria

11
The Levantine Dialect

The Levant has a long history of colonial rule by European nations. The
British maintained control over Palestine and modern-day Jordan, while the
French claimed Syria and Lebanon. These deep-rooted ties have significantly
affected today's LA dialect. While Syrians have mostly distanced themselves
from their French past, much of the Lebanese population embraces it. While
strolling the streets of Beirut, you'll hear many locals speaking bits of French.
If you speak French, you will have an automatic vocabulary of hundreds of
loan words, such as ‫( مايو‬mayoo) for “bathing suit” from the French
“maillot (de bain)”.

The people of the Levant tend to be significantly more liberal and

Westernized than many other Arab nations, which is often a driving factor for
Westerners to learn the Levantine dialect, rather than the Gulf dialect, for
example. You'll find Levantine Arabs to be extremely welcoming and
hospitable (actually, this is a good rule of thumb for any Arab). Arabs will
also be very surprised to find that you speak Arabic, and are almost always
enthusiastic about speaking with you (especially in their dialect!)

A solid command of LA will enable you to communicate with just about

any Arab of the nearly 450 million worldwide, not just the 21 million speakers
of LA. This is primarily due to LA's prevalence in the media and culture of the
entire Arab world (perhaps just behind the Egyptian dialect). For example,
although you won't be able to understand a Moroccan speaking his/her own
dialect, he/she will understand you perfectly and will often even make an
attempt to speak in LA so that you can understand him/her.

Along with the dialect, the cuisine of the Levant is relatively

homogeneous, i.e. you'll be able to find similar food and drink just about
anywhere you go within the Levant.

With the mass influx of refugees into the West as a result of the Syrian
Civil War, speaking and understanding Levantine Arabic dialect will become
increasingly crucial for Westerners, especially in the public sector or service
industry. Knowledge of LA can really help you take your career or personal
life to the next level.

12
Spelling Conventions

LA is not always as it seems! Because LA is a primarily spoken language, it is

absolutely crucial that when reading it (online, in text messages, etc.) you
pay more attention to the sounds which would be produced by the writing,
rather than trying to make it fit into a strict grammatical and orthographic
framework.

LA speakers will often write words exactly as they sound to them, rather than
as they should be written according to conventional rules of Arabic. Basically,
written LA has only one rule: there are no rules.

Examples:

 While the word for “now” should probably be written ‫ هلق‬you will often
see it written ‫هل‬. That doesn't mean it's incorrect, it just means that
it's dialect.

 ‫( مكتبه‬maktabo ) “his office” could easily be written ‫ مكتبو‬, which may

almost look like a verb to beginners

13
How Arabic Diglossia Works

If you've only ever studied Modern Standard Arabic, you might be confused
about the dynamic between MSA and Arabic dialects. This is understandable,
because no such “diglossia” exists in English, or even most languages.

MSA is the official language of all Arab nations. It's the language of law,
government, formal education, the news, and just about any kind of
publication. It is understood universally by all Arabs who are at least decently
educated, although some may have a bit of trouble speaking/writing it.
PLEASE note that no Arabs actually speak MSA amongst themselves in
everyday life. They will, however, not find it strange if a Westerner speaks
MSA, as it's much more commonly taught in Western schools than any
dialect. However, for an Arab, speaking MSA to another Arab in an informal
situation would be the rough equivalent of an Englishman speaking like
Shakespeare to his friends with a straight face.

This is where the dialects come into play. To an Arab, his dialect is his main
method of daily, spoken communication. You will only see dialects written in
very informal settings like on social media or in text messages with your
friends. Therefore, speaking a dialect is a great way to communicate with
Arabs at home or in the Arab world on a more personal level.

14
Levantine Alphabet Pronunciation

Arabic Letter Anglicized MSA Levantine Transliteration

name Pronunciation Pronunciation in this book

‫ا‬ alef a a a

‫ب‬ baa b b b

‫ج‬ jeem zh zh j

‫د‬ dal d d d

‫ه‬ ha h h h

‫و‬ waw (wow) w, oo w, oo w, oo

‫ز‬ zayn z z z

‫ح‬ haa (hard h h h H

sound, as if
exhaling)

‫ط‬ Taaw (hard t taa taa T

sound)

‫ي‬ ya y, ee y, ee y, ee

15
‫ك‬ kaf k k k

‫ل‬ laam l l l

‫م‬ meem m m m

‫ن‬ nuun n n n

‫س‬ seen s s s

‫ع‬ 'ayn (the 'a 'a '

sound comes
from the
throat)

‫ف‬ faa f f f

‫ص‬ sod (hard s s s S

sound, made
with lips in a
circular
shape)

‫ق‬ qoff (gutteral q q q, or sound is

k sound) often
dropped

‫ر‬ raa r r r

‫ش‬ sheen sh sh sh

‫ت‬ taa t t t

‫ث‬ thaa th th / s th / s

‫خ‬ khaa (throat kh kh kh

16
 sound that
everyone
associates
with Arabic
and German)

‫ذ‬ thal th / dh th / dh / z z, dh, th (in

that order of
frequency)

‫ض‬ dodd (hard d dh dh D

sound)

‫ظ‬ zaa za, dha z, zah, th z, th

‫غ‬ ghyan (similar gh gh gh

to the French
r)

The Basics: Pronunciation & Possession

The LA ‫ة‬ (taa-marbooTa)

(lit. “the tied taa”)

In MSA, the ‫ ة‬generally makes the same sound as the ‫( ا‬alef), but in LA you
will often hear the ‫ ة‬sound more like an “e”. For example:

17
MSA Pronunciation of ‫( شهادة‬certificate) – shahada

LA Pronunciation of ‫ – شهادة‬shahade

The LA ‫( ق‬qof)

One of the most confusing features of LA for prior students of MSA is the LA

rendering of the ‫ق‬, or qof. Most of the time, the Levantine ‫ ق‬is pronounced
as a glottal stop, or a ‫( ء‬hamza). This simple difference can prove very
challenging, but with practice can be mastered. For example:

MSA pronounciation of ‫( قلقان‬worried) – qalqan

LA pronouncation of ‫' – قلقان‬al'an

Note that the decision whether to pronounce the ‫ق‬ or not is determined by
the speaker's region of origin. While some words almost never have the hard
“q” sound, others sometimes do.

18
LA Pronouns

LA Pronoun LA transliteration English meaning

Ana
‫انا‬ I
Inta
‫ت‬
‫ان ت‬ You (m.)
Intee
‫ت‬
‫ان ت‬ You (f.)
huwa
‫هو‬ He / it (m.)
hiyya
‫هي‬ She / it (f.)
Intoo
‫انتوا‬ You (pl.)
Nihna /
(‫نحنا )احنا‬ (sometimes Ihna) We

hinneh
‫هني‬ They

Possession: Differences from MSA

To form possession in LA (as well as MSA), the speaker adds a letter or series
of letters to the end of the noun which is possessed. LA and MSA possession
is similar, but LA is generally more simple.

Pronoun Possessive Example Transliterati Translation

Pronoun on

19
 Kitabee
‫انا‬ ‫ي‬ ‫كتابي‬ My book
Kitabak
‫انت‬ (m.) ‫ك‬ (-ak) ‫كتابك‬ Your (m.)
book
Kitabek
‫انت‬ (f.) ‫ك‬ (-ek) ‫كتابك‬ Your (f.) book
Kitabo
‫هو‬ ‫ه‬ ‫كتابه‬ His book
Kitabha
‫هي‬ ‫ها‬ ‫كتابها‬ / Kitaba Her book

Kitabko
‫انتو‬ ‫كن‬ ‫كتابكن‬ n Your (pl.)
book
Kitabna
‫نحنا‬ ‫نا‬ ‫كتابنا‬ Our book
Kitabho
‫هني‬ ‫هن‬ ‫كتابهن‬ n Their book

Note: LA does not have a dual possession or a plural-feminine possession

form. Speakers would simply use the forms for “they” or “it”.

‫ تبع‬Possession

20
LA uniquely features a word that indicates possession – ‫تبع‬
. Inserting a
definite noun and attaching the standard LA possessive pronouns to the end
of‫تبع‬ will create a structure that can be informally translated as “the … of
…”. For Example

‫تبعي السيارة‬ – the car of mine

‫تبعنا الكمبيوتر‬ – the computer of ours

‫ – تبعك الشباك‬the window of yours

‫تبعكن البيت‬ - the house of yours (pl.)

…and so on. This is a very common construction and familiarity with it is

essential to mastering LA.

Question Words

21
LA has significantly different interrogative (“question”) words than MSA, and
all of them (even the regional ones) are important to learn. Here are the
most commonly used ones:

English Arabic Transliterati Alternatives Notes

on
meen
Who ‫مين‬
shu
What ‫شو‬
‫( ايش‬aysh)
wayn
Where ‫وين‬
imta When not
When ‫امتى‬
‫( متى‬mita) asking a
question, use

‫( لما‬lemma ),
i.e. “I saw you
when you
left”

laysh
Why ‫ليش‬
‫( ليه‬ley )
keef
How ‫كيف‬ ‫شلون‬
(shlawn)
ay (said
Which ‫اي‬ like the
English
letter I)

22
‫مين هداك الرجل؟‬
meen hadak alrajal?

Who is that man?

‫شو اسمك؟‬
shu ismak?

What is your name?

‫وين تقع مدينة صيدا؟‬

wayn te'3 madinat Sayda?

Where is the city of Sidon located?

‫امتى بدك تنزل ع الحفلة؟‬

imta bidak tinzal 3 alhafl e?

When do you want to go (down) to the party?

‫ليش مش جاهزة لسا؟‬

laysh mish jahaze lissa?

Why are you (f) still not ready?

‫كيف بدنا نوصل لهناك؟‬

keef bidna noosal li honak

How are we going to arrive there? (Lit. “How do we want to arrive to

there?”)

‫اي سيارة شفتوها مبارح؟‬

23
 ay seeara shuftoo-a mbareH?

Which car did you (pl.) see yesterday?

“To have”

The most common method to express “to have” in LA is by using the word
‫ عند‬with an attached possessive-pronoun. It's quite simple really and has
an almost identical counterpart in MSA.

Pronoun Conjugated Transliteration

‫انا‬ ‫عندي‬ 3ndee

‫عندك‬ 3ndak

‫( انت‬m.)
‫عندك‬ 3ndek

‫( انت‬f.)
‫هو‬ ‫عنده‬ 3ndo

‫هي‬ ‫عندها‬ 3nda

‫انتو‬ ‫عندكن‬ 3ndkon

‫نحنا‬ ‫عندنا \ عنا‬ 3ndna / (3nna –

this is more

24
 common)

3ndon
‫هني‬ ‫عندهن‬
‫ايش عندك في جيبتك؟‬
aysh 3ndak fi jaybtak?

What do you have in your pocket?

‫ مش ضروري تشتري‬,‫عندي اكل كتير في بيتي هلق‬

‫اكتر‬.
3ndee 'akl kteer fi baytee hala', mish Darooree tishtaree aktar

I have a lot of food in my house now; you don't have to buy more.
(lit. “it's not necessary to buy more”)

‫الحل عنا‬
al-Hal 3nna (Note: this is the name of a Lebanese TV program)

We have the solution.

Another noteworthy feature of both MSA and Arabic dialects is the more
general usage of the word ‫عند‬ . It is also used as a preposition that can
express that you are with someone or something, or even at someone's
house. It doesn't have an exact, direct translation into English, so you'll just
have to get used to its usages. If you are familiar with French, it’s roughly
equivalent to the word ”chez”.

25
 ‫انا هلق عند رفيقي طارق بس رح ارجع بعد كم‬
‫دقيقة‬.
ana hala' 3nd rafee'ee Tare', bas rah arj3 b3d kem da'ee'a

I'm at my friend Tareq's house right now, but I'll return in a few
minutes.

‫عندك حاليا؟ ابوك‬

abook 3ndak Haleeyan?

Is your father with you currently?

‫بالعطلة انا ومرتي رحنا عند امي‬

bil3Tlay ana wa martee ruhna 3nd emee

Over the break, my wife and I went to my mother's (house).

To Be Able To / “Can”

LA has two main ways to express ability, or that one “can” do something.
These two words are ‫ قدر‬or ('adar ) and ‫ عرف‬or (3raf )

First, the most straightforward one, ‫قدر‬

Pronoun Conjugated Transliterated Translated

b'idr
‫انا‬ ‫بقدر‬ I can

26
 bt'idr
‫انت‬ (m.) ‫بتقدر‬ You (m) can
bt'dree
‫انت‬ (f.) ‫بتقدري‬ You (f) can
by'idr
‫هو‬ ‫بيقدر‬ He can
bt'idr
‫هي‬ ‫بتقدر‬ She can
bt'idroo
‫انتو‬ ‫بتقدروا‬ You (pl) can
min'idr
‫نحنا‬ ‫منقدر‬ We can
by'idroo
‫هني‬ ‫بيقدروا‬ They can

‫ عرف‬actually simply means “to know”, just like in MSA. But saying
‫بعرف احكي العربي اللبناني‬
while literally meaning “I know to speak Lebanese Arabic”, essentially means
“I can speak Lebanese Arabic”.

‫بتعرفي تكتبي بالخط العربي؟‬

bat3rafee tiktabee bilkhaT al3rabi?

Can you write in Arabic script?

‫بتقدروا تجوا معي ع المكتبة الليلة؟‬

bt'idroo tijoo m3ee 3 almaktabe al-layla?

27
 Can you all come with me to the library tonight?

An Alternative Method

Another, more regional option to express ability is ‫في‬, but not in the sense
that you're used to from MSA (“in/at”). It is extremely common in Lebanon,
and using it will really make you appear more proficient in Levantine Arabic.

Pronoun Conjugated Transliterated Translated

feenee
‫انا‬ ‫فيني‬ I can
feek
‫فيك‬ You (m) can
‫( انت‬m.)
feekee
‫فيكي‬ You (f) can
‫( انت‬f.)
‫هو‬ ‫فيه‬ He can
fee (like ‫)في‬
feea
‫هي‬ ‫فيها‬ She can
feekon
‫انتو‬ ‫فيكن‬ You (pl) can
feena
‫نحنا‬ ‫فينا‬ We can

28
 feeon
‫هني‬ ‫فيهن‬ They can

‫كمان فيك تحكي بالفصحى؟‬

kaman feek taHkee bil-fus-Ha?

Can you also speak in MSA? ( ‫فصحى‬ is the word used to express the
Classical Arabic language, or MSA today).

‫اي فيني بس بفضل احكي باللهجة هيك‬

ey, feenee bas bafadhal ahkee bil lahje hayk

Yes, I can, but I prefer to speak in dialect like this.

29
Negation

The process of negating verbs and adjectives/adverbs in LA differs greatly

from its MSA counterpart. The following words are the most common and
universal ways to negate in LA:

LA Negator Transliterati English Generally Notes

on Equivalent used in
ma
‫ما‬ not Entire Levant Negates
verbs. Can be
used for
negating
commands.
mish
‫مش‬ not Palestine / Negates
Lebanon adjectives
and adverbs
moo
‫مو‬ not Syria / Jordan Negates
adjectives
and adverbs

30
 la
‫ل‬ (do) not Entire Levant Generally
used for
negating
commands,
along with ‫ما‬

Note that all of these words will be understood by all speakers of LA,
regardless of their nationality.

Examples:

‫ما رحنا ع السوق اليوم‬

ma ruhna 3alsoo' al-youm

We didn't go to the market today.

‫يا استاذ انت مش فلسطيني؟‬

ya ustaz, inta mish falasTeenee?

(Hey) sir (or professor), are you not Palestinian?

‫النسوان البريطانية مو مسلمة‬

alniswan albritaniyya moo mslime

The British woman is not Muslim.

31
‫ل تعمل هيك من فضلك‬
la t3ml hayk, min fadhlak

Don't do that, please.

‫ما‬
Another option for negation in LA is the ... construction. It's very common
and used as a way to express “I am not”, “we are not”, “they are not”, etc.
quickly and simply.

‫ماني صغير بالسن‬

manee sagheer bilsin
I am not young. (lit. “Small in age”)

‫مانك كتير بعيد عني‬

manak kteer b3eed 3nee
You are not very far (away) from me.

‫ماكن طوال‬
makon tawwal
You (pl) are not tall.

‫مانا سوريين‬
mana sooreyeen
We are not Syrians.

32
We will see more usage of this construction later on.

Demonstrative Pronouns

LA has masculine and feminine equivalents of the English demonstrative

pronouns (this, that, these, those) – eight in total (not including alternates).

Dem. (masculine) Transliterati (feminine) Transliterati

Pronoun on on
hada hadee /
This ‫هدا‬ \ ‫هدي‬ hai

‫هاي‬
hadak hadeek
That ‫هداك‬ ‫هديك‬

Dem. (masculine) Transliterati (feminine) Transliterati

Pronoun on on
hadol hadol
These ‫هدول‬ ‫هدول‬

33
 hadolak haidole
Those ‫هدولك‬ ‫هيدوليك‬ ek

Alternatively, (and much more simply) you can just use the letter ‫ ه‬followed
by the definite pronoun ‫ ال‬to express “this / these” regardless of gender!

‫هيدوليك السيارات كتير فخمة‬

haidoleek assayarat kteer fakhme

Those cars are very luxurious.

‫مين هدا الرجل؟ بتعرفه؟‬

meen hada arrajal? bt3rafo?

Who is this man? Do you know him?

‫هداك البنت كتير جميلة‬

hadak albint kteer jamile

That girl is very pretty

‫ولله هالفندق بياخد العقل‬

wallah halfundu' beeyakhad al3'al

I swear, this hotel is amazing! (Lit. “this hotel takes the mind”)

34
There is / There are

“There is” and “there are” are both very simply expressed as ‫“ في‬fee” in
LA. To say “there is/are not”, simply say ‫“ ما في‬ma fee ”, or in some
‫فش‬
localities, ‫فش ما‬
(fi sh ) or (ma fi sh ). You'll be universally
understood regardless of which option you choose.

‫في لغات متكلمة كتيرة في بابوا غينيا الجديدة‬

fee lughat matakalame kteere fi babwa gheeniya aljadeede

There are many spoken languages in Papua New Guinea.

‫بهالبلد ما في سلم‬
ma fee salam bihalbalad

There is no peace in this land.

35
‫فش ناس بالحديقة هلق‬
fi sh nas bilhadi'a hala

There are no people in the park right now.

How much vs. How many?

Much like English, LA makes a clear distinction between nouns that can be
counted individually and “mass”, generally more abstract, nouns which can't
easily be counted.

How much 'adaysh \ 'aday

‫قديش \ قديه‬
How many kem
‫كم‬

‫قديش الساعة؟‬
'adaysh as-saa3a?

What time is it? (lit. “how much is the hour?”)

36
‫كم دولر عندك في محفظتك؟‬
kem dolar 3ndak fi mahfathtak?

How many dollars do you have in your wallet?

‫قديش عمرك؟‬
'adaysh 3mrak

How old are you? (lit. “how much is your age?”)

‫كم بندورة اشتريت بالسوق؟‬

kem benadoora ishtarayt bilsoo'?

How many tomatoes did you buy at the market?

37
‫”‪“To Go‬‬

‫‪LA uses a unique, hollow verb to express “to go”,‬‬ ‫‪ (raH ).‬راح‬

‫‪Pronoun‬‬ ‫‪Past‬‬ ‫‪Present‬‬

‫انا‬ ‫رحت‬ ‫بروح‬

‫رحت‬ ‫بتروح‬
‫)‪ (m.‬انت‬
‫رحتي‬ ‫بتروحي‬
‫)‪ (f.‬انت‬
‫هو‬ ‫راح‬ ‫بيروح‬
‫هي‬ ‫راحت‬ ‫بتروح‬
‫انتو‬ ‫رحتوا‬ ‫بتروحوا‬

‫‪38‬‬
‫نحنا‬ ‫رحنا‬ ‫منروح‬
‫هني‬ ‫راحوا‬ ‫بيروحوا‬

‫رحتوا انت وحبيب ع الدكان اليوم ول ل؟‬

ruHtoo inta wa Habib 3 aldakan alyom wala la?

Did you and Habib go to the shop today or not?

‫انت رحت مع رفيقك ع بيته‬

inta ruHt m3 rafee'ak 3 bayto

You went with your friend to his house.

‫رح نروح سوا اذا ما عندك مانع‬

raH nrooH sawa iza ma 3ndak man3

We'll go together if you don't have an objection.

‫ع المدرسة كل يوم عمر بيروح‬

3mar beerooH 3 almadrase kul yom

Amer goes to school every day.

39
Not at All! (And “never”)

To express that something is “not at all” the case, or you don’t like
something “at all”, you can generally use two different words.

In Lebanon, you’re most likely to hear ‫ابدا‬ (“abadan ”). Literally it means
“ever”, but is often translated into Arabic as “never”. Consider this
sentence:

‫ما بحب احكي مع هالشب ابدا‬

ma baHib aHkee m3 hash-shab abadan
I don’t like talking with this guy at all

To express that something never happens, you’ll need to move the ‫ ابدا‬to
the beginning of the thought:

‫ابدا ما بحب احكي مع هالشب‬ – “ I never like to talk to this

guy”.

A good rule of thumb is if you place the ‫ابدا‬

on the end of the thought, it
means “at all”. Otherwise, it will usually be understood as “never.”
40
----

In Syria or Lebanon, to express “at all”, you can simply replace ‫ابدا‬ with

‫“( بنوب‬bnoub ”).

Remember not to use ‫بنوب‬ to mean “never”. Always use ‫ ابدا‬to say
“never”

What happened?!

The LA word for “to happen”, ‫صار‬ is extremely versatile, and can also be
used for “to become”, “to begin/start” or to express lengths of time. See the
present conjugation table and examples below. Remember that to conjugate
for the future tense, simply add the word ‫ رح‬before the present-tense
version and drop the first letter on the verb (‫ ب‬or ‫) م‬

Pronoun Past Present

‫انا‬ ‫صرت‬ ‫بصير‬

‫صرت‬ ‫بتصير‬
‫( انت‬m.)
‫صرتي‬ ‫بتصيري‬
‫( انت‬f.)
41
‫هو‬ ‫صار‬ ‫بيصير‬
‫هي‬ ‫صارت‬ ‫بتصير‬
‫انتو‬ ‫صرتوا‬ ‫بتصيروا‬
‫نحنا‬ ‫صرنا‬ ‫منصير‬
‫هني‬ ‫صاروا‬ ‫بيصيروا‬

‫شو صار بالحفلة مبارح بالليل؟‬

shu Sar bilHafl e mbaraH billayl?

What happened at the party last night?

‫انا صرت محامي بعد تدريب صعب كتير‬

ana Surt muhamee b3d tadreeb S3b kteer

I became a lawyer after very diffi cult training.

‫لما شفنا الولد صرنا نبكي انا ومرتي‬

lamma shufna alawlad, Surna nabkee ana wa martee

When we saw the children, my wife and I started crying.

!‫يالله! صارلهن خمس ساعات عم ينطروك‬

yellah! Sar lon khams sa3at 3m yenTarook

42
 Come on! They've been waiting for you for fi ve hours (lit. “It
became for them fi ve hours they are awaiting you”)

The Present Tense

The Present Tense is formed in LA by appending and/or prepending letters to

the root verb. For example, given the word ‫كتب‬ “to write” (also “he
wrote”), we can form the present tense by using the following formulas:

Pronoun Formula Example Transliteratio Translation

n
ana I write
‫انا‬ …‫ب‬ ‫انا كتب‬ biktab

inta You (m) write

‫انت‬ …‫بت‬ ‫انت‬ btiktab

‫بتكتب‬
inti You (f) write
‫انت‬ ‫ ي‬...‫انت بت‬ btiktabee

‫بتكتبي‬

43
 huwa He writes
‫هو‬ …‫بي‬ ‫هو بيكتب‬ biyktab

hiyya She writes

‫هي‬ ‫بت‬... ‫هي‬ btaktab

‫بتكتب‬
intoo You (pl) write
‫انتو‬ ‫ وا‬...‫انتو بت‬ btiktaboo

‫بتكتبوا‬
niHna We write
‫نحنا‬ …‫نحنا من‬ minktab

‫منكتب‬
hinna They write
‫هني‬ ‫وا‬...‫هني بي‬ beeyikta
boo
‫بيكتبوا‬

You can generally leave out the pronoun when speaking Arabic; it's really
only necessary for the purposes of clarification or emphasis.

Examples of present tense sentences:

‫هو بيركض من بيتي ع بيت اخي‬

huwwa beeyerkaD min baytee 3 bayt akhee

He runs from my house to my brother's house

‫!ماشالله! هني بيقروا كتاب جديد كل يوم‬

Mashallah! Hinna beeye'raoo kitab jdeed kul yom

How great! They read a new book every day.

44
‫انت بتاخد سيارتي ع شغلك بعد الظهر‬
Inta btakhad seeartee 3 shaghalak b3d althuhur

You take my car to your work in the afternoon.

The Future Tense

The future tense is very simple, in that it is exactly like the present tense,
just with the easy addition of the future particle ‫رح‬(raH) before the
conjugated verb. Below is the future conjugation table for the very common
LA word for “to see” - ‫شوف‬

Pronoun Formula Example Transliterati Translation

on
raH I will see
‫انا‬ ‫رح ا‬... ‫رح‬ ashoof

45
 ‫اشوف‬
raH You (m) will
‫انت‬ ‫رح ت‬... ‫رح‬ tshoof see
‫تشوف‬
raH You (f) will
‫انت‬ ‫رح‬ ‫رح‬ tshoofe see
e
‫ي‬...‫ت‬ ‫تشوفي‬
raH He will see
‫هو‬ ‫رح ي‬... ‫رح‬ yeshoof

‫يشوف‬
raH She will see
‫هي‬ ‫رح ت‬... ‫رح‬ tashoof

‫تشوف‬
raH You (pl) will
‫انتو‬ ‫رح‬ ‫رح‬ tshoofo see
o
‫وا‬...‫ت‬ ‫تشوفوا‬
raH We will see
‫نحنا‬ ‫رح ن‬.... ‫رح‬ nshoof

‫نشوف‬
raH They will see
‫هني‬ ‫رح‬ ‫رح‬ yeshoof
oo
‫وا‬....‫ي‬ ‫يشوفوا‬

Exercises:

Translate the following sentences into English:

46
‫رح نروح ع مكتب المحامي بكرا‬
raH nrooH 3 maktab almuHamee bukra

‫شو رح تعملوا يوم التنين؟‬

shu raH t3maloo yom letnayn? (NOTE: the alef is “absorbed” into
the word, thus not pronounced. This happens occasionally in
dialects)

‫رح يكون عندك الفرصة تجي معنا ع الشاط؟‬

raH yekoon 3ndek alforSa tijee m3na 3alshaT?

‫ رح اروح معكن بس اول لزم اشتري كم شي‬,‫اي‬

ay, raH rooH m3kon, bes awalan lazem ashtaree kam shee.

Translations:

1. We will go to the lawyer's office tomorrow.

2. What will you (pl) do on Monday?

47
 3. Will you have the chance to come with us to the beach?

4. Yes, I will go with you (pl), but first I need to buy some things.

The Past Tense

48
The past tense is pretty logical to form if you are familiar with the other
tenses. Rather than prefixing letters to the root verb, you should suffix them
to create the past tense. Below is the past tense conjugation for ‫كتب‬, “to
write”* .

* Note that in Arabic, the most simplified form of the verb (like the
infinitive in many Western languages) is the past-tense, masculine,
third-person conjugation. So while I (and others) will often say that
‫ كتب‬means “to write”, in reality it means “he wrote”. Arabic does not
have an infinitive as we speakers of Germanic languages would think of
it.

Pronoun Formula Example Transliterati Translation

on
katbit I wrote
‫انا‬ ‫ت‬... ‫كتبت‬
katbait You (m) wrote
‫انت‬ ‫ت‬... ‫كتبت‬
katbtee You (f) wrote
‫انت‬ ‫تي‬... ‫كتبتي‬
(change katab He wrote
‫هو‬ nothing)
‫كتب‬
katabt She wrote
‫هي‬ ‫ت‬... ‫كتبت‬
katabto You (pl) wrote
‫انتوا‬ ‫توا‬... ‫كتبتوا‬ o

katabn We wrote
‫نحنا‬ ‫ نا‬... ‫كتبنا‬ a

katabo They wrote

‫هني‬ ‫ وا‬... ‫كتبوا‬ o

49
Also note that just like in MSA, in LA, hollow verbs will drop letters in some
conjugations in the past tense. For example, “I went” ‫ رحت‬and “we said”
‫ قلنا‬for ‫ راح‬and ‫قال‬, respectively.

Exercises:

Translate the following sentences into English:

‫ ما في عنا وظايف‬.‫الظاهر ما فهمت‬.

alzahar ma fahamt. ma fi 3nna wazayaf

‫الرجل صرخ في بيتنا فطردنا اياه‬

arrajal Sarakh fee baytna, faTaradna ya

‫مبارح بالمهرجان؟ شو صار معكن‬

shu Sar m3kon imbaraH bilmahrajan?

‫سقنا من بيروت ع دمسق‬

si'na min bayroot 3 damashq

‫عطيتوني كم دولر بس ما بيكفي‬

3Taytoonee kam dolar bas ma beekefee

50
Translations:

1. It seems that you didn't understand, we don't have (any) jobs.

2. The man yelled in our house, so we kicked him out.

3. What happened with you all yesterday at the festival?

4. We drove from Beirut to Damascus.

5. They gave me a few dollars, but it's not enough.

51
Expressing Desire, “to want to...”

Explaining that one wants to do something in LA is slightly counterintuitive,

but not difficult. LA does not have its own verb for “to want/desire” (although
you can always use MSA's ‫راد‬ ). In LA, simply take the word ‫بد‬
(bid) and
attach an appropriate suffixed-pronoun as in the examples below.

Pronoun Structure Transliteration

bidee
‫انا‬ ‫بدي‬
bidak
‫انت‬ ‫بدك‬
bidek
‫انت‬ ‫بدك‬
bido
‫هو‬ ‫بده‬
bida
‫هي‬ ‫بدها‬
bidkon
‫انتو‬ ‫بدكن‬
bidna
‫نحنا‬ ‫بدنا‬
bidon
‫هني‬ ‫بدهن‬

‫بدي اشوف هداك الفلم قبلما برجع ع لبنان‬

bidee ashoof hadak alfi lm 'abalma barja3 3 lubnan

52
 I want to see that fi lm before I return to Lebanon.

‫بدنا شوية مصاري اضافي‬

bidna shwayet maSaree aDafee

We want a little bit of additional money.

‫شو بدك يا زلمة؟ كلنا عم ننطرك‬

shu bidak ya zalame?! kulna 3m nanTarak
What do you want, man?! We're all waiting for you

53
“Which/That/Who”... The Relative
Pronoun

While you may know how complicated it is in MSA, the relative pronoun is
just about the easiest part of LA. We simply use ‫يللي اللي‬
or (illee /
yellee ), which are both interchangeable in any situation, and are used for
any gender or number. Easy, right?

However, remember that just like in MSA, you need to refer back to the noun
that you're talking about when you form your verb. Here's an example:

‫هي المراة اللي قلتلك عنها‬

She's the woman that I told you about [her]

 Notice that while in English, we would end the sentence with “about”,
in Arabic you must clarify that you're talking “about her”

More examples:

‫هو الرجل يللي شفته قبل يومين‬

He's the man who I saw [him] two days ago

‫هاي هي السيارة اللي سافرت فيها ع بيروت‬

This is the car which I traveled in [it] to Beirut.

54
So, the lesson here is to always refer back to your subject when using
‫ يللي‬or ‫ اللي‬, otherwise your sentence will sound awkward and
incomplete.
Usage of “ghayr”

While its usage is pretty straightforward in MSA, learners of LA may find

the word ‫ غير‬to be more flexible. Here are some ways that LA speakers
use ‫غير‬

1. Saying something is “un ...” like Un-islamic, unnatural, etc

2. Expressing another of something “another time/place/person/etc.” or

something else

3. Simply the verb for “to change” (ghayyar )

1 ‫هالكتاب غير اسلمي‬

2 ‫هيك غير طبيعية الحياة‬
3 ‫نحكي غير مرة فينا‬
4 ‫اشوف حدا غيره بدي‬

1. This book is un-Islamic

2. Life like that is unnatural

3. We can talk another time

4. I want to see someone other than him. [besides him]

55
Imperatives

The process of forming an imperative verb should be familiar to MSA

speakers. First, take your present-tense conjugated verb for third person
singular, such as ‫بيكتب‬ . Next, remove the ‫بي‬ prefix (“byuktub ” will now
be “uktub ”; “byirja3 ” will now be “irja3 ”). Stop there if your imperative is
directed at a male.

For females, add ‫“ ي‬ee ” to the end of the masculine form, such as ‫اكتبي‬
“uktubee ”.

For plural, add ‫“ وا‬oo ” to the end of the masculine form. ‫“ اكتبوا‬uktuboo ”

Negative Imperatives
Then add ‫ ل‬or ‫ ما‬before the verb in its present, 2 nd
Person conjugation

‫ تعمل هيك ل‬- Don't do (it like) that.

‫ – ل تكتبيلي اياها‬Don't write (f.) it to me .
‫ – ل تروحوا لبيت رفيقي‬Don't go to my friend's house.

56
Comparatives

1. To form the comparative in LA, first take a look at your standard adjective.

‫ كبير‬- “kabeer ” - big

2. Remove the final vowel from the adjective. If the adjective ends with a
vowel, remove the penultimate vowel. When there is no vowel in the
adjective, skip this step.

‫ كبر‬- “kabar ” - This doesn't really mean anything (except in

certain measures), it's just an intermediate step.

3. Add an ‫( ا‬alef ) before your result from step 2.

‫ – اكبر‬akbar - bigger

You may notice slight changes to this process when you're “comparative-
izing” adjectives that end in vowels.

57
Other examples:

Original Translitera English Comparat Transliter English

tion ive ation
Saghe aSgh
‫صغير‬ er small ‫اصغر‬ ar smaller

ghale aghla
‫*غالي‬ e expensive ‫* اغلى‬ more
expensive
Heloo aHla
‫*حلو‬ nice/sweet ‫* احلى‬ nicer/sweet
/ er/
beautiful more
beautiful
zakee azka
‫* ذكي‬ smart ‫* اذكى‬ smarter
kteer aktar
‫كتير‬ a lot / ‫اكتر‬ more
much
ghare aghra
‫غريب‬ eb strange ‫اغرب‬ b more
stranger
Tawee aTwal
‫طويل‬ l tall ‫اطول‬ taller

muhi aham
‫*مهم‬ m important ‫* اهم‬ more
important

* irregular form

58
In a sentence, a comparative adjective should always be followed by ‫ من‬,
which in this case, translates to “than”.

‫ – اطول من محمد هو‬He is taller than Muhammad

‫ – اذكى من ابوي انا‬I'm smarter than my father

‫اصغر من سوريا الردن‬ – Jordan is smaller than Syria

Superlatives

In this distressing period of grammar-cramming, you may find solace in the

fact that the Arabic superlative uses the same form as the comparative, you
can just add ‫ ال‬beforehand.

For example, ‫ احسن‬means "better", but ‫ الحسن‬means "the best"

You can also form the superlative contextually, by following the comparative
adjective with a noun.

‫عماد اطول طالب بالصف‬

'Emad is the tallest student in the class

‫اهم شي برائيي هو الصحة‬

The most important thing, in my opinion, is health.

59
Practice Passages

Passage One

1 – ‫مرحبا جون كيفك؟‬

marHhaba john. Keefak?

2 – ‫ وانت؟‬.‫انا منيح يا محمد‬

ana mneeH ya muHammad. wa inta?

1 – ‫ كيف الصحة؟ شو اخبارك؟‬.‫كتير منيح شكرا‬

kteer mneeH, shukran. keef alSaHa? shu akhbarak?

2 – ‫ امتى وصلت ع‬.‫ ما في شي جديد‬,‫كل شي تمام‬

‫المطار؟‬
kul shee tamam, ma fi shee jdeed. Imta waSalt 3 almaTar?

60
1 – ‫ الطقس كتير شوب‬.‫وصلت قبل شي ساعتين‬
‫هون ببيروت! اشوب بكتير من نويورك‬
waSalt ‘abal shee sa3tayn. Al-ta’s kteer shawb hawn bi-bayroot!
ashawb bi-kteer mn noo-york

2 – ‫ لزم‬.‫ايه معك حق! ازن اهلن بيك في لبنان‬

‫تعمل شي قبلما منطلع من المطار؟‬
eh, m3k ha’! izan, ahlan bik fee lubnan. Lazam t3ml shee ‘abal ma
miniTl3 min almaTar?

1. ‫ بعد هيك فينا‬.‫شكرا! بس لزم اجيب شناطي‬

‫نروح‬.
shukran! Bas lazam ajeeb shanaTee. B3d hayk, feena nrooH.

2. ‫طيب يالله‬
tayeb, yellah

1 – Hello John, how are you?

2- I’m well Muhammad, and you?

1- Very well thank you. How’s your health? What’s new with you?

61
2 – Everything’s perfect, there’s nothing new. When did you arrive to the
airport?

1- I arrived about two hours ago. It’s very warm here in Beirut! Much warmer
than in New York.

2 – Yeah, you’re right! Well, welcome to Lebanon. Do you need to do

anything before we leave the airport?

1 – Thanks! I just need to get my bags, then we can go.

2- Alright, come on.

Passage Two

1. ‫صباح الخير يا سمير شو عم بتعمل؟‬

SabaH alkahyr ya sameer, shu 3m bt3ml?

2. ‫ بس عم بعمل شوية بحث‬... ‫انا‬

Ana... bas 3m b3ml shwayet baHhas

1. ‫ع شو عم بتبحث؟‬
3 shu 3m bitbaHas

2. ‫بدي احجز كم تذكرة لرحلة طيران من دمشق‬

‫الى باريس‬
bidee aHjaz kam tazkara li raHala Tayran min damashq ila barees

62
1. ‫امتى بتخطط تمشي؟‬
imta bitakhaTaT timshee?

2. ‫ اذا بلقي سعر مناسب‬.‫الشهر الجاي انشالله‬

alshahar aljaee inshallah. Iza bala’ee s3r munasib

1. ‫بتوفيق انشالله يالله‬

yellah, bi tawfi ’ inshallah

1. Good morning, Samir. What are you doing now?

2. I’m... I’m just doing some research.

1. What are you researching?

2. I want to reserve some tickets for a flight from Damascus to Paris

1. When do you plan on going?

2. Next month, hopefully. If I find a suitable price.

1. Alright, well good luck!

63
Passage Three

1. ‫شاخبارك يا حبيب؟ شو عملت بالعطلة؟‬

shakhbarak ya Habib? shu 3malt bil 3tle?

2. ‫ بالعطلة انا وعايلتي رحنا ع‬,‫فش اخبار يا سامر‬

‫منتزه يوسيميتي الوطني‬
fi sh akhbar ya samir, bil 3tle ana wa 3ayeltee ruHna 3 mantaza
yooseemeetee alwaTanee

1. ‫ هو كتير‬.‫ولله؟ سمعت اشياء كتير ممتازة عنه‬

‫جميل صحيح؟‬
Wallah? Sm3at asheeya’ kteer mumtaze 3no. huwa kteer jameel,
SaHiH?

2. ‫ امبسطنا كتير كتير‬.‫اي! بياخد العقل‬

Ey! Beyakhad ala’al. imbasaTna kteer kteer

64
1. ‫عندكن خطط ترجعوا؟‬
3ndkon khuTuT terj3oo?

2. ‫ل لسا بس انشالله ما رح نطول‬

la lissa bas inshallah ma rah intawwal

1. What’s new with you, Habib? What did you over the weekend? (lit. “in the
break”)

2. There’s nothing new, Samir. During the weekend, my family and I went to
Yosemite National Park.

1. Really? I heard excellent things about it. It’s very beautiful, right?

2. Yes, it blows your mind! We really really enjoyed ourselves.

1. Do you all have plans to return?

2. No, not yet, but hopefully we won’t be too long

65
Passage Four
1. ‫سميرة شو هي خططك بالجامعة؟ يا‬
ya sameera, shu hiya khaTaTek bil-jam3a?

2. ‫يعني شو بدي ادرس؟ هيك تقصد؟‬

y3ni shu bidee adras? hayk ta’Sad?

1. ‫ايوا يعني ادب او شي من العلوم؟‬

eywa, y3ni adab aw shee min al-3loom?

2. ‫بالحقيقة الوالدين اقتنعوني ادرس علم الحياء‬

‫السنة الجاية‬
bilha’ee’a alwalidayn iqtn3oonee idras 3lm alaHiya’ alsine aljaya

1. ‫عن جاد؟ انا كمان رح ادرس علم الحياء! ممكن‬

‫رح يكون عنا صف سوا‬
3n jad? Ana GideG rah idras 3lm alaHiya’! mumkin raH yekoon 3nna
SuF sawa

2. ‫انشالله! رح نشوف قريبا‬

inshallah! raH nshoof ‘areeban

66
1. Hey Samira, what are your plans for university?

2. Like, what do I want to study? Is that what you mean?

1. Yeah, I mean like literature or something from the sciences?

2. Actually, (my) parents convinced me to study Biology next year.

1. Really? I’m also going to study Biology! Maybe we’ll have a class together.

2. Hopefully! We’ll see soon

Passage Five

1. ‫ليه عم بتضحك؟ في شي بيضحك؟‬

leyh 3m btDaHak? Fee shee beeDaHHak?

2. ‫ل ابدا‬
la’, abadan

1. ‫ شو بيضحك؟‬...‫شو؟! حكيلي‬
shoo?! Hakeelee … shoo beeDaHHak?

2. ‫طيب انا سمعت نكتة من اخي قبل كم يوم وهسة‬

‫انا فاكر فيها‬
Tayyeb, ana sm3t nikte min akhee ‘abal kam yom wa hasa ana fakir feea

1. ‫ من فضلك احترم‬.‫اوكي بس انت في مكتبة هلق‬

‫الشخاص الخرين‬
Okay bas inta fi maktaba hala’. Min faDlak aHtarm alashkhaS
alakhreen

67
2. ‫ سامحني‬,‫نعم يا استاذ‬
n3m ya ustaz, samaHni

1. Why are you laughing? Is there something that’s making (you) laugh?

2. No, not at all.

1. What?! Tell me... what’s making (you) laugh?2.

2. Okay... I heard a joke a few days ago and I’m just thinking about it now.

1. Okay, but you’re in a library now. Please respect the other people.

2. Yes sir, forgive me.

68
Passage Six

1. ‫ شو هي الحلم يللي عندك؟‬,‫يا كارولين‬

Ya karooleen, shu hiyya alaHlam yelli 3ndek?

2. ‫ اول واخرا بدي عائلة‬.‫ممم هاد سؤال كتير كويس‬

‫كبيرة مع جوزي‬
mmm… had su’al kteer kwayes. Awalan wa akharan bide 3a’ile
kbeere m3 jawzee

1‫ وبعدين؟‬...‫ماشالله‬
Mashallah…. Wa b3dayn?

2 ‫بعدين بدي اشتريلنا بيت‬

b3dayn Gide ashtareelna bayt

1 ‫بيت كبير كتير؟‬

Bayt kbeer kteer?

2 ‫ شي معقول لنا وبس‬...‫ل‬

La… shee m3’ool lina wa bas

1!‫ حظ سعيد‬...‫حلو‬
69
 Heloo.. haz sa3eed!

1. Hey Caroline, what dreams do you have?

2. Hmm, that’s a very good question. First and foremost, I want a big family
with my husband

1. Wow! And then?

2. Then, I want to buy a house for us.

1. A very big house?

2. No… something reasonable for us, and that’s it.

1. Nice… good luck!

Passage Seven

1 !‫الحمدلله عالسلمة ! صارلك شهرين مسافر‬

!Hamdallah 3salama! Sarlak shahrayn msaafr

2 ‫ شو في ما في اليوم ؟‬.‫شكرا ياغالي‬

Shukran ya ghalee… shu fee ma fee alyom?

‫ ارخي ومد اجريك‬,‫ قعد‬...‫عم افكر انه منضل بالبيت‬

1 ‫ تفضل‬...
3m fakar inno minDal bilbayt… ‘aad, irkhee wa med ijrayk…
tafaDal

‫ رح اموت من الجوع‬...‫اه شكرا حبيبي بس لزم اكل‬

2 ‫يا عمي‬
Ah shukran Habibi bas lazam akal… rah mawt min aljoua3 ya
3mee

1 !‫عن جاد؟ خلينا نروح نتغدا لكان‬

3n jad? Khaleena nrooH ntaghada lakaan*.

70
 ‫فيك تحمللي هالشنطة قبلما منروح؟ كتير تقيلة‬
2 ‫بصراحة‬
Feek tHmllee halshanTa abalma mnrooH? Kteer ta’eele biSaraHa.

1 .‫طيب اعطيني ياها ومنروح‬

Tayyeb, a3Teenee yaha wa minrooH.

1. Praise God for (your) safety! You’ve been traveling for two months!

2. Thank you, dear. What’s up today?

1. I’m thinking that we’ll stay home, sit… relax, and stretch (lit. extend) your
legs, here you go.

2. Oh thank you my love but I have to eat, I’m going to die of hunger, man
(lit. my uncle)

1. Oh really? Let’s go get lunch then! (Note: the strictly dialect ‫لكان‬
should not be confused with the very MSA ‫ لكن‬, meaning “but/however”)
2. Can you carry this bag for me before we go? It’s really heavy

1. Okay, give it to me and we’ll go.

71
Extended Dictionary

Below are a few hundred of the most common words in most western
languages, translated to LA for your convenience.

English Levantine Arabic Transliteration Notes

the Al
‫ال‬
be kan / yekoon
‫كان \ يكون‬
of min
‫من‬

72
and wa
‫و‬
a --- A translation
--- does not exist in
Arabic, except for
sometimes
substituting the
word for “one”,
listed below.

to 3 / le / ila
‫ع \ ل \ الى‬
in fee / bi
‫في \ ب‬
he huwa
‫هو‬
have 3nd__
‫_عند‬
it huwa/hiyya
‫هو \ هي‬
that hadak / hadeek
‫هداك \ هديك‬
for li
‫ل‬
they hinee
‫هني‬
I ana
‫انا‬
with m3
‫مع‬
as k… Prefix for a noun
‫ك‬...
‫كالمدير‬...
“as the
manager…”

not mish / moo

‫مش \ مو‬

73
on 3 also “to”
‫ع‬
she hiyya
‫هي‬
at bi
‫ب‬
by min ‘abal As in an action
‫من قبل‬ done “by”
someone

this ha
‫ه‬ ‫هالكتيب‬
this book

we niHna ‫احنا‬
‫نحنا‬ Alternatively

you inta/inti/intoo
‫انت \ انتوا‬
do 3ml
‫عمل‬
but bas
‫بس‬
from min
‫من‬
or aow
‫او‬
which ay / yellee
‫اي \ يللي‬
one waHid
‫واحد‬
would raH The conditional
‫رح‬ mood does not
exist as such in
Arabic. Must be
expressed with
future tense and
often context
words.

74
all kul Also
‫كل‬ “each/every”

will raH
‫رح‬
there hinak / hawneek
‫هناك \ هونيك‬
say ‘aal / ye’ool
‫قال \ يقول‬
who meen
‫مين‬
make 3ml
‫عمل‬
when lemma / imta
‫لما \ امتى‬
can ‘adar / by’idr
‫قدر \ بيقدر‬
more aktar
‫اكتر‬
if iza / loh ‫ اذا‬for realistic
‫اذا \ لو‬
hypotheticals
‫لو‬for more
impossible things

‫اذا رحت عالسوق‬

“If I went to the
market”

‫لو تولدت في‬

‫البحرين‬
“If I had been
born in Bahrain”

no ‫ل‬ la’

man ‫رجل‬ rajal Also “foot”

75
out khaarij Also “abroad”
‫خارج‬ when definite
‫الخارج‬
other ‫تاني‬ tanee Lit. “second”

so ‫اذن‬ izan as a filler word:

“so, what’s up?”

what ‫شو‬ shoo

time ‫وقت‬ wa’at Can also be used

as “when”
‫وقت منروح‬...
“When we go”

up ‫اعلى‬ a3ala Lit. “higher”

go ‫راح \ يروح‬ raaH / yerooH

about ‫عن‬ 3an

than ‫من‬ min

into ‫الى‬ ila

state ‫ولية‬ wilaya as in a country /

political area

only ‫بس‬ bas

new ‫جديد‬ jadeed

year ‫سنة‬ sina

some ‫كم‬ kam

76
take akhad / yakhad
‫اخد \ ياخد‬
come aja / yejee
‫اجا \ يجي‬
these h
‫ه‬
know 3raf / ye3raf
‫عرف \ يعرف‬
see shaf / yeshoof
‫شاف \ يشوف‬
use istakhdam /
‫استخدم \ استعمل‬ ast3mal

get yeHSal 3la

‫يحصل على‬
like mitl (ma)
(‫متل )ما‬
then b3dayn
‫بعدين‬
first awl
‫اول‬
any ay
‫اي‬
work shaghal
‫شغل‬
now hala’ / hasa ‫هسة‬
‫هلق \ هسة‬ is a regional
contraction of
‫هالساعة‬, “this
hour”

may ‫ممكن‬ mumkin

such ‫متل‬ mitl

give ‫عطى \ يعطي‬ 3ata / ye3atee

77
over faw’
‫فوق‬
think fakar / yefkar/
\ ‫فكر \ يفكر‬ yezun
‫يظن‬
most m3zem
‫معظم‬
even Hata
‫حتى‬
find la’a / beela’ee
‫لقى \ بييلقي‬
day yawm
‫يوم‬
also kaman
‫كمان‬
after b3d Also “still”
‫بعد‬
‫بعدك طالبة؟‬
“Are you still a
student?”

way ‫طريقة‬ Taree’a

many ‫كتير‬ kteer

must ‫لمزم‬ lazam

look ‫شوف‬ shoof

before ‫قبل‬ ‘abal

great ‫كبير \ عظيم‬ kabeer / 3zeem

back ‫الى حلف‬ ila Halaf

through ‫عبر‬ 3bar “to cross” when

used as a verb

78
long Taweel
‫طويل‬
where wayn
‫وين‬
much kteer
‫كتير‬
should lazam
‫لمزم‬
well mneeH also “good”
‫منيح‬
people nas / ashkhaS
‫ناس \ اشخاص‬
down taHat
‫تحت‬
own malak / yemlek
‫ملك \ يملك‬
just bas
‫بس‬
because li’anoh
‫لنه‬
good mneeH
‫منيح‬
each kul
‫كل‬
those hadol
‫هدول‬
feel yeHas / yesh3r
‫يحس \ يشعر‬
seem yebayen
‫يبين‬
how keef
‫كيف‬
high 3alee
‫عالي‬
too aktar mn allazm
‫اكتر من اللمزم‬

79
place makaan
‫مكان‬
little Sgheer
‫صغير‬
world 3alam
‫عالم‬
very kteer
‫كتير‬
still lissa
‫لسا‬
nation waTan
‫وطن‬
hand yed
‫يد‬
old kabeer
‫كبير‬
life hayat
‫حياة‬
tell Haka / byeHkee
‫حكى \ بيحكي‬
write katab / yektab
‫كتب \ يكتب‬
become Sar / beeSeer
‫صار \ بيصير‬
here hawn
‫هون‬
show faraj / waraj
‫فرج \ ورج‬
house bayt
‫بيت‬
both altneen Lit. “the two”
‫التنين‬
between bayn
‫بين‬
need lazm__ ‫لمزمني مياه‬
‫__لمزم‬

80
 “I need water”

mean 3na / y3nee ‫يعني‬

‫عنى \ يعني‬ “it means”,
is an extremely
common filler
word

Call (me) nadee(nee)

(‫ندي)ني‬
develop Tawwar /
‫طور \ بيطور‬ beeTawwar

under taHat
‫تحت‬
last akhar
‫اخر‬
right SaH / yemeen
‫صح \ يمين‬
move na’al
‫نقل‬
thing shee
‫شي‬
general 3aam
‫عام‬
school madrasa
‫مدرسة‬
never abadan
‫ابدا‬
same nafs ‫نفس الشي‬
‫نفس‬
“the same thing”

another tanee
‫تاني‬
begin balash
‫بلش‬
while baynama
‫بينما‬

81
number ra’am
‫رقم‬
part jaza’
‫جزء‬
turn dour
‫دور‬
real ha’ee’a
‫حقيقي‬
leave Tala3
‫طلع‬
might mumkin
‫ممكن‬
want bid__ ‫بدكن اكل؟‬
‫_بد‬
“Do you (pl.)
want food?”

point na’Ta
‫نقطة‬
form shakal also
‫شكل‬ “appearance”
‫شكله غريب‬
“he looks weird”/
“his appearance
is weird”

also used to
create adverbs
‫بشكل عام‬
Lit. “in a general
way”, “generally”

child walad
‫ولد‬
few kam
‫كم‬
small Sagheer
‫صغير‬

82
since min
‫من‬
against Dud
‫ضد‬
ask sa’al / yes’al
‫سئل \ يسئل‬
late mitakhar
‫متاخر‬
home bayt
‫بيت‬
interest ihtimam
‫اهتمام‬
large kabeer
‫كبير‬
person shakhS
‫شخص‬
end nihaya
‫نهاية‬
open fataH / maftooH
‫فتح \ مفتوح‬
public 3am
‫عام‬
follow atab3
‫اتبع‬
during khilal
‫خلل‬
present mawjood ‫سامر موجود؟‬
‫موجود‬
“Is Samir there?”

without bidoon
‫بدون‬
again mara taniya also ‫كمان مرة‬
‫مرة تانية‬
Lit. “also a time”

hold amsak
‫امسك‬

83
govern Hakam /
‫حكم \ بيحكم‬ byeHkam

around hawal
‫حول‬
possible mumkin
‫ممكن‬
head ra’as
‫رأس‬
consider a3tibar /
‫اعتبر \ بيعتبر‬ ye3atabir

word kilma
‫كلمة‬
program barnamaj
‫برنامح‬
problem meshkle
‫مشكلة‬
however bas
‫بس‬
lead ‘ad / by’eed
‫قاد \ بيقيد‬
system nizam
‫نظام‬
set majmoo3a
‫مجموعة‬
order ‘amar As a noun and
‫أمر‬ verb

eye 3yn
‫عين‬
plan khut
‫خط‬
run rakaD
‫ركض‬
keep Hafaz ‫حافظ‬
‫حفظ‬

84
 “keeper/guardian
”
One who has
memorized the
Quran

face wajah Sometimes seen

‫وجه‬ as ‫وش‬

fact Ha’ee’a
‫حقيقة‬
group majmoo3a
‫مجموعة‬
play la3ab
‫لعب‬
stand waa’af
‫واقف‬
increase zad / yezeed
‫مزاد \ يزيد‬
early baker
‫بكير‬
course misaar
‫مسار‬
change ghayr
‫غير‬
help musaa3da
‫مساعدة‬
line khuT
‫خط‬
city medina
‫مدينة‬
put HuT
‫حط‬
close ‘areeb / sakar
‫قريب \ سكر‬
case Hale
‫حالة‬

85
force ‘awa
‫قوة‬
meet tala’a
‫تلقى‬
once mara waHida
‫مرة وحدة‬
water my / meeah
‫مي \ مياه‬
upon 3la
‫على‬
war Harb This noun is,
‫حرب‬ strangely,
feminine.

‫حرب اهلية‬
Lit. “familial war”
Civil war

build ‫بنى \ يبني‬ bina / yebnee

hear ‫سمع‬ sam3

light ‫نور \ ضو‬ noor / Doh ‫ نور‬light emitted

from a source

‫ ضو‬like a
lightbulb, fixture,
etc.

unite ‫اتحد‬ ataHad

live ‫عيش‬ 3ayesh

every ‫كل‬ kul

country ‫دولة‬ dawla

86
bring jeeb / yejeeb
‫جيب \ بيجيب‬
center markaz
‫مركز‬
let khala / beekhlee
‫خلى \ بيخلي‬
side janab
‫جانب‬
try hawwal
‫حاول‬
provide tawwafar
‫توفر‬
continue istamar
‫استمر \ خلى‬ khala

name ism
‫اسم‬
certain mu3ayen
‫معين‬
power ‘awa
‫قوة‬
pay daf3
‫دفع‬
result natije
‫نتيجة‬
question su’al
‫سؤال‬
study daras
‫درس‬
woman niswan
‫نسوان‬
member farad
‫فرد‬
until Hata
‫حتى‬

87
far b3eed
‫بعيد‬
night layla
‫ليلة‬
always dayman
‫دايما‬
service khadma
‫خدمة‬
away 3la b3eed
‫على بعيد‬...
report ta’reer
‫تقرير‬
something shee
‫شي‬
company sharake
‫شركة‬
week isboo3 The root comes
‫اسبوع‬ from the word for
“seven”, referring
to the days in the
week

mosque masjid
‫مسجد‬
toward bitijah
‫باتجاه‬
start balash
‫بلش‬
social ajtimaa3ee
‫اجتمعي‬
room gharfa
‫غرفة‬
figure alshakal
‫الشكل‬
nature Tabee3a
‫طبيعة‬

88
though m3 ino
‫مع انه‬
young Sagheer
‫صغير‬
less a’al
‫اقل‬
enough kafee
‫كافي‬
almost ta’reeban
‫تقريبا‬
read ‘ara
‫قرا‬
include shamal
‫شمل‬
president ra’ees Root comes from
‫رئيس‬ word for “head”

nothing wala shee

‫ول شي‬
yet lHad hala’ “up to now”
‫لحد هلق‬
better aHsan
‫احسن‬
big kabeer
‫كبير‬
boy walad
‫ولد‬
cost kilfe
‫كلفة‬
business sharake
‫شركة‬
value ‘eeme
‫قيمة‬
second tanee ‫ ثانية‬for
‫تاني‬
measurement of
time

89
why laysh
‫ليش‬
clear waDaH
‫واضح‬
expect taw’ee3
‫توقع‬
family 3ayle ‫اهل‬
‫عايلة‬ for just
parents

complete kamel
‫كامل‬
act yemethal
‫بيمثل‬
sense aHsas
‫احساس‬
mind 3’al
‫عقل‬
experience khubra
‫خبرة‬
art fen
‫فن‬
next ilee b3do Lit. “which is
‫اللي بعده‬ after it”

near ‘areeb
‫قريب‬
direct mabashar
‫مباشر‬
car sayara
‫سيارة‬
law ‘anoon
‫قانون‬
industry sina3a
‫صناعة‬
important muhim
‫مهم‬

90
girl bint
‫بنت‬
god ilah / allah Depends on if
‫ال \ اله‬ you’re talking
about the specific
Abrahamic deity
or a generic
“god,” like Thor

several 3dad
‫عدد‬
matter mawDoo3
‫موضوع‬
usual 3aadee
‫عادي‬
rather badalan
‫بدل‬
per lakul
‫لكل‬...
often aw’at kteer
‫اوقات كتير‬
kind laTeef You may see this
‫لطيف‬ used as another
name for Allah

among bayn
‫بين‬
white abyaD ‫ بيضا‬for
‫ابيض‬
feminine

reason sabab
‫سبب‬
action ijra’
‫اجراء‬
return raja3
‫رجع‬
foot ‘adam
‫قدم‬

91
care yehtim
‫يهتم‬
simple baseeT
‫بسيط‬
within min bayn
‫من بين‬
love Hub
‫حب‬
human insaan
‫انسان‬
along 3la Tool Can also mean
‫على طول‬ “right away”

appear Zahar ‫الظاهر انه‬...

‫ظهر‬
“It seems/appears
that…”

doctor Tabeeb / doktoor

‫طبيب \ دكتور‬
believe a3ta’ad
‫اعتقد‬
speak Haka
‫حكى‬
active nashaT
‫نشط‬
student Talab
‫طالب‬
month shahar
‫شهر‬
drive soo’ verb, for vehicles
‫سوق‬
concern ihtimam
‫اهتمام‬
the best alaHsan
‫الحسن‬
door baab
‫باب‬

92
hope ‘amal
‫أمل‬
example mithal
‫مثال‬
inform balagh
‫بلغ‬
body jisim
‫جسم‬
ever abadan
‫ابدا‬
least a’al
‫اقل‬
probable mumkin
‫ممكن‬
understand faham
‫فهم‬
reach mida
‫مدى‬
effect bee’athar
‫بيأثر‬
different mukhtalaf
‫مختلف‬
idea fikra
‫فكرة‬
whole kaamel
‫كامل‬
control Hukme
‫حكمة‬
condition Haal
‫حال‬
field majaal Like “field of
‫مجال‬ work”

pass murr
‫مر‬

93
fall sa’ut
‫سقط‬
note malaHaza
‫ملحظة‬
special khaaS
‫خاص‬
talk Haka
‫حكى‬
particular mu3ayen
‫معين‬
today alyawm Lit. “the day”
‫اليوم‬
measure bee’ees
‫بيقيس‬
walk masha / yemshee
‫مشى \ بيمشي‬
teach 3lam / bee3lam
‫علم \ بيعلم‬
low minkhafaD
‫منخفض‬
hour saa3a
‫ساعة‬
type nawa3 also “species”
‫نوع‬
carry Hamal
‫حمل‬
rate nisbe
‫نسبة‬
remain Dul
‫ضل‬
full kamel
‫كامل‬
street shaara3
‫شارع‬
easy sahal
‫سهل‬

94
although m3 ino
‫مع انه‬
record sajal
‫سجل \ تسجيل‬
sit ‘3d / bee’3d
‫قعد \ بيقعد‬
determine Haddad
‫حدد‬
level mustawa
‫مستوى‬
local maHlee
‫محلي‬
sure akeed
‫اكيد‬
receive istalam
‫استلم‬
thus mishaan hayk
‫مشان هيك‬
moment laHaza
‫لحظة‬
spirit rawH
‫روح‬
train darrab /
‫درب \ بيدرب‬ beedarrab

college kaliye
‫كلية‬
religion deen
‫دين‬
perhaps mumkin
‫ممكن‬
music moosee’a
‫موسيقى‬
grow zara3
‫مزرع‬

95
free Hurr
‫حر‬
cause sabab
‫سبب‬
serve khadam
‫خدم \ بيخدم‬
age 3mar
‫عمر‬
book kitaab
‫كتاب‬
board majlas
‫مجلس‬
recent Hadeeth
‫حديث‬
sound Sawt
‫صوت‬
office maktab
‫مكتب‬
cut ‘T3
‫قطع‬
step khaTwe
‫خطوة‬
class Suf
‫صف‬
true Ha’ee’ee
‫حقيقي‬
history tareekh
‫تاريخ‬
position maw’a3
‫موقع‬
above faw’
‫فوق‬
strong ‘awee
‫قوي‬
friend rafee’ Like Rafiki from
‫رفيق‬

96
 the Lion King –
“my friend”.
Adopted from
Arabic into
Swahili

necessary Darooree
‫ضروري‬
add Daaf / beeDeef
‫ضاف \ بيضيف‬
court maHkama
‫محكمة‬
deal Safqa
‫صفقة‬
tax Dareeba
‫ضريبة‬
support d3m
‫دعم‬
party Hizb / Hafle
‫حزب \ حفلة‬
whether iza
‫اذا‬
either ya for example:
‫يا‬
‫يا هون يا هوناك‬...

“either here or
there”

land arD
‫ارض‬
material maada
‫مادة‬
happen Sar / beeSeer
‫صار \ بيصير‬
education t3leem
‫تعليم‬

97
death mawt
‫موت‬
agree tawafa’
‫توافق‬
mother emm different from
‫ام‬ MSA “umm”

across 3bar
‫عبر‬
quite f3laan
‫فعل‬
anything ay shee
‫اي شي‬
town balade
‫بلدة‬
past made
‫ماضي‬
view manZar
‫منظر‬
society mujtam3
‫مجتمع‬
manage adaar / beedeer
‫ادار \ بيدير‬
answer jawaab
‫جواب‬
break kasar / beekasar
‫كسر \ بيكسر‬
organize tanazam
‫تنظم‬
half nuS
‫نص‬
fire nar / haree’ ‫نار‬
‫نار \ حريق‬ is like a
campfire
‫ حريق‬is like an
uncontrolled fire
(e.g. house,

98
 forest)

lose fa’ad
‫فقد‬
money maSaree
‫مصاري‬
stop wa’af
‫وقف‬
actual Ha’ee’ee
‫حقيقي‬
already min ‘abal
‫من قبل‬
effort jahad
‫جهد‬
wait inTur
‫انطر‬
department ‘asm
‫قسم‬
able ‘aadr
‫قادر‬
political seeasee
‫سياسي‬
learn t3alam / byet3lm
‫تعلم \ بيتعلم‬
voice Sawt
‫صوت‬
air hawa
‫هوا‬
together sawa
‫سوا‬
cover ghaTa / beeghTee
‫غطى \ بيغطي‬
common mushtarak
‫مشترك‬
subject mawDoo3
‫موضوع‬

99
draw rasam / byersem
‫رسم \ بيرسم‬
short ‘aseer
‫قصير‬
wife jawza
‫جومزة‬
treat 3aalaj / by3alaj
‫عالج \ بيعالج‬
limit Had Its plural, ‫ حدود‬,
‫حد‬
means border

road Taree’
‫طريق‬
letter maktoob
‫مكتوب‬
color lohn
‫لون‬
behind wara
‫ورا‬
produce intaj
‫انتج‬
send b3t / byeb3t
‫بعت \ بيبعت‬
term t3beer
‫تعبير‬
total ijmaalee
‫اجمالي‬
university jaam3a
‫جامعة‬
rise rafaa3
‫رفع‬
century ‘arn
‫قرن‬
success nijaH
‫نجاح‬

100
minute da’ee’a
‫دقيقة‬
remember tazakar /
‫تذكر \ بيتذكر‬ byetzakar

purpose gharaD
‫غرض‬
test faHaS
‫فحص‬
fight ta’aatal /
‫تقاتل \ بيتقاتل‬ byet’aatal

watch shoof / tafaraj 3la

‫شوف \ تفرج‬
‫ع‬...
situation Hale
‫حالة‬
south janoob
‫جنوب‬
ago min … / ‘abl…
‫ \ قبل‬...‫من‬... ‫قبل‬
‫شهرين‬
‫من شهرين‬
“two months ago”

difference fara’
‫فرق‬
stage masraH
‫مسرح‬
father aab
‫اب‬
table Tawle
‫طاولة‬
rest irtaH
‫ارتح‬

101
bear taHamal / As a verb. The
‫تحمل \ بيتحمل‬ byetHaml
animal is ‫دب‬
entire ‫بالكامل‬ bilkaamil

market ‫سوق‬ soo’

prepare ‫جهز‬ jahaz

explain \ ‫بيشرح شرح‬ sharaH /

byeshraH

offer ‫قدم \ بيقدم‬ ‘adam /

bee’adam

plant ‫مزرع‬ zara3

charge ‫شحن‬ shaHan As in electricity

ground ‫ارض‬ arD

west ‫غرب‬ ghurb

picture ‫صورة‬ Sawra

hard ‫صعب‬ S3b

front ‫قدام‬ ‘adam

lie ‫كذب‬ kizb As in deceive

modern ‫حديث‬ Hadeeth /

Hadees

dark ‫مظلم‬ mazlam

surface ‫سطح‬ saTaH

102
rule ‘anoon
‫قانون‬
dance ra’aS
‫رقص‬
peace salam Can be used as a
‫سلم‬ greeting

observe raSad / byerSad

‫رصد \ بيرصد‬
future musta’bal
‫مستقبل‬
farm mazra3
‫مزرع‬
claim muTalabe
‫مطالبة‬
firm thabit
‫ثابت‬
operation 3maliye As in a general
‫عملية‬ action or medical
procedures

pressure DaghaT
‫ضغط‬
property malakeeye
‫ملكية‬
morning SabaH
‫صباح‬
amount Kemiye
‫كمية‬
outside bara
‫برا‬

103
104