Egyptian Arabic Lesson 3 What is this? فﺎﺟ ﻢﻠﻗ بﺎﺤﺻأ ﺐﺣﺎﺻ

Egyptian Arabic Lesson 3
What is this?
‫اﳌﻔﺮدات‬
Vocabulary
ings
‫ﻗﻠﻢ ﺟﺎف‬
‫ﻗﻠﻢ رﺻﺎص‬
‫أﻗﻼم‬
‫ورﻗﺔ أوراق‬
‫ﮐﺮﺳﻲ ﮐﺮاﺳﻲ‬
‫ﺷﻨﻄﺔ ﺷﻨﻂ‬
People
pen
‘alam gaaf
pencil
’alam rußaaß
pens, pencils
’a’laam
(piece of ) paper
wara’a ’awraa’
chair
kursi karaasi
briefcase, suitcase,
šan†a šuna†
purse
‫ﺳ ّﺒﻮرة ﺳ ّﺒﻮرات‬
‫ﺗﺮﺑﻴﺰة ﺗﺮﺑﻴﺰات‬
‫ﻣﮑﺘﺐ ﻣﮑﺎﺗﺐ‬
‫ﮐﺮاﺳﺎت‬
ّ ‫ﮐﺮاﺳﺔ‬
ّ
(‫)ﮐﺮارﻳﺲ‬
‫ﮐﺸﮑﻮل ﮐﺸﺎﮐﻴﻞ‬
‫ﺷ ّﺒﺎك ﺷﺒﺎﺑﻴﻚ‬
‫ﺷﺮﻳﻂ ﺷﺮاﻳﻂ‬
‫ﮐﺘﺎب ﮐﺘﺐ‬
‫ﺟﺎﻣﻌﺔ ﺟﺎﻣﻌﺎت‬
‫ﺻﺎﺣﺐ أﺻﺤﺎب‬
‫زﻣﻴﻞ زﻣﻼء‬
‫دﮐﺘﻮر دﮐﺎﺗﺮة‬
(‫ﺳ ّﻴﺪ )ﺳ ّﻴﺪة‬
‫آﻧﺴﺔ‬
‫ﻣﺪام‬
friend
ßaa˙ib ’aß˙aab
colleague
zimiil zumalaa’
doctor, Dr.
duktoor dakatra
Mr. (Mrs.)
sayyid (sayyida)
Miss
’aanisa
Mrs., wife
madaam
Adjectives
blackboard
sabbuura sabbuuraat
table
tarabeeza tarabeezaat
desk, office
maktab makaatib
‫ ﮐﺒﻴﺮ ﮐﺒﻴﺮة ﮐﺒﺎر‬big kibiir kibiira kubaar
‫ ﺻﻐ ّﻴﺮ ﺻﻐ ّﻴﺮة ﺻﻐ ّﻴﺮﻳﻦ‬small ßu¶ayyar -a ßu¶ayyariin
notebook (thin)
kurraasa kurraasaat
Prepositions
(alternate plural)
(karariis)
notebook (thick)
kaškuul kašakiil
window
šubbaak šababiik
tape
šarii† šaraayi†
book
kitaab kutub
university
gamca gamcaat
‫ﻣﺎﻓﻴﺶ‬
‫ﮐﻤﺎن‬
(‫)اﮐﺘﺒﻲ‬
ِ ‫اﮐﺘﺐ‬
(‫اﻗﺮا )اﻗﺮي‬
ّ
ّ
(‫)اﺗﻔﻀﻠﻲ‬
‫اﺗﻔﻀﻞ‬
’eeh
da (di) (dool)
fiih
this is/are not
mafiiš
also
kamaan
write! (to m/f )
iktib (iktibi)
read! (to m/f )
i’ra (i’ri)
come in!/here you
itfa∂∂al (itfa∂∂ali)
go!/have a seat!/etc.
on
c
ala (ca)
under
ta˙t
in front of
’uddaam
behind
wara
beside
gamb
Expression
!‫اﻟﻠﻪ أﮐﺒﺮ‬
Other Words
‫ أﻳﻪ‬what
(‫ دا )دي( )دول‬- ‫ ده‬this (m/f/pl)
‫ ﻓﻴﻪ‬there is, there are
(‫ﻋﻠﻰ )ع‬
‫ﲢﺖ‬
‫ﻗﺪام‬
‫ورا‬
(‫ﺟﻨﺐ )ﺟﻤﺐ‬
’allaahu ’akbar
God is very great! (general context:
Wow! or Let’s Go!) (Islamic context:
expression of solidarity with the
Islamic community)
Dialogue Assignment
Write a dialogue between two people including at least the following features:
Greetings
Asking about how each other are
Introductions and appropriate responses
Asking what several things are (the person responding can sometimes say he doesn’t know)
Asking whose book/bag this is
Asking who another person is or the name of another person
Asking where the person is from and where the person lives
Goodbyes
Drills
1. Make the following nouns definite by adding the article. Remember to assimilate before sun letters. Example: baab = il-baab, but
†aalib = i†-†aalib.
kitaab
maktab
sabbuura
’ustaaz
tarabeeza
šan†a
2. Translate the following possessives into Arabic I∂aafas. Remember that the I∂aafa is an “of ” construction, so watch Arabic noun
order carefully. Remember also that the first term of the I∂aafa does not have an article. Be careful to change feminine -a to -it
where necessary. Remember how to form the I∂aafa with proper names. Example: Mahmoud’s colleague = zamiil ma˙muud.
George’s professor
the capital of Egypt
Linda’s chair
Joe’s blackboard
John’s table
Sarah’s friend
Suzanne’s briefcase
Jim’s book
the chair of the desk
the window of the door
the professor’s friend
the colleague (f ) of the student
the table of the office
the University of Arizona
3. Translate the following sentences into Arabic.
Is this a table? No this is a desk.
Is there a notebook in the briefcase? No, there is not a notebook in the briefcase.
Is there a tape on the table? Yes, there is a tape on the table.
Where is the student’s girlfriend living?
e door of the university is beside the street.
Paris is the capital of France.
4. Translate the following sentences into English.
.‫اﻟﻮرﻗﺔ ﺟﻨﺐ اﻟﮑﺮﺳﻲ‬
.‫اﻟﮑﺘﺎب ﲢﺖ اﻟﺴﺒﻮرة‬
‫اﻟﺸﺎرع ورا وﻻ ﻗﺪام اﳉﺎﻣﻌﺔ؟‬
.‫ﺷﻨﻄﺔ اﻷﺳﺘﺎذ ﻓﻲ اﳌﮑﺘﺐ‬
.‫ﻣﮑﺘﺐ اﻟﺪﮐﺘﻮر ﮐﺒﻴﺮ‬
.‫ﺟﺎﻣﻌﺔ ﮐﺎﻟﻴﻔﻮرﻧﻴﺎ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺪﻳﻨﺔ ﺑﻴﺮﮐﻠﻲ‬
Fuß˙a section
1. Fuß˙a or caamiyya? (‫ اﻟﻔﺼﺤﻰ‬or ‫)اﻟﻌﺎﻣﻴﺔ‬
‫اﻟﻔﺼﺤﻰ‬
‫ ﻣﺎذا‬maaða
‫ ﻫﺬا ﻫﺬه‬haaða/haaðihi
‫˙ َﺣﻘﻴﺒﺔ‬aqiiba
‫ ﻟَ ْﻮح‬law˙
‫† ﻃﺎوِ ﻟﺔ‬aawila
‫ﺻﺪﻳﻖ‬
َ
َ‫ُﻫﻨﺎك‬
َ ‫َﻫ ْﻞ ُﻫ‬
‫ﻨﺎك؟‬
َ ‫ﺲ ُﻫ‬
‫ﻨﺎك‬
َ ‫ﻟَ ْﻴ‬
‫َأ ْﻳﻀ ًﺎ‬
ßadiiq
hunaaka
hal hunaaka?
laysa hunaaka
’ay∂an
‫أﻳﻪ‬
‫ده دي‬
‫ﺷﻨﻄﺔ‬
‫ﺳﺒﻮرة‬
‫ﺗﺮﺑﻴﺰة‬
‫ﺻﺎﺣﺐ‬
‫ﻓﻴﻪ‬
‫ﻓﻴﻪ؟‬
‫ﻣﺎﻓﻴﺶ‬
‫ﮐﻤﺎن‬
Note that the word fiih can mean ‘there is’ or ‘is there?’
2. ‫ اﻟﻔﺼﺤﻰ‬listening online.
‫اﻟﻌﺎﻣﻴﺔ‬
’eeh
da di
šan†a
sabbuura
tarabeeza
ßaa˙ib
fiih
fiih?
mafiiš
kamaan
EA 3 Language Notes
1. Preposition Variation
Some prepositions, like cala and min, take variant forms when used before the definite article. cala often becomes ca, and min
sometimes becomes mi. For example:
il’alam
e pen
ala
is on
tarabeeza.
a table.
il’alam
e pen
a
is on
ttarabeeza
the table.
ilkursi
e chair
mi
is from
lgamca
the university
c
c
2. ere is/there are
ere is/there are sentences in Egyptian Arabic are formed with the word fiih. ey are negated with mafiiš. ese words
are not really verbs, but the have a kind of verbal force, as in clear from the type of negation. Examples of the use of these
forms:
‫ﻓﻴﻪ ﮐﺘﺎب ع اﻟﺘﺮﺑﻴﺰة؟‬
.‫ ﻣﺎﻓﻴﺶ ﮐﺘﺎب ع اﻟﺘﺮﺑﻴﺰة‬،‫ﻻء‬
‫ﻓﻴﻪ ﻗﻠﻢ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺸﻨﻄﺔ؟‬
.‫ ﻓﻴﻪ‬،‫أﻳﻮه‬
fiih kitaab ca ttarabeeza?
Is there a book on the table?
la’, mafiiš kitaab a ttarabeeza.
No, there is not a book on the table.
fiih ’alam fi ššan†a?
Is there a pen in the bag?
’aywa, fiih.
Yes, there is.
c
3. Agreement of Demonstratives
Demonstratives (this, that) must agree with the nouns they refer to, masculine or feminine. For example:
da
is (m)
is
kitaab.
a book.
di
is (f )
is
wara’a.
a piece of paper.
In asking the question “What is this?,” if the person doing the asking already knows the answer, then s/he should ask with
the demonstrative form in the proper gender. If the person does not know the answer, then s/he should use the “default”
masculine form: ’eeh da?
4. Indefinite Nouns
ere is no indefinite article (“a” or “an”) in Arabic. is means that a bare noun like kitaab means both ‘book’ and ‘a book’ in
English.
5. Definite Nouns
As you learned in the first lesson, to make a noun definite (to change “book” or “a book” to “the book”) in writing, the letters
alif-lam are added to the front of the word (compare kitaab ‫ ﮐﺘﺎب‬and il-kitaab ‫)اﻟﮑﺘﺎب‬. Pronunciation of this article varies,
however. Before letters called moon letters, like baa’, the /l/ is pronounced /l/, but before sun letters, like siin, the /l/
assimilates to the letter, so instead of getting /ls/, you get /ss/. e sun and moon letters are as follows (and should be
memorized):
Moon Letters
‫ء‬
‫ب‬
‫ج‬
‫ح‬
‫خ‬
‫ع‬
‫غ‬
‫ف‬
‫ق‬
‫ك‬
‫م‬
‫ه‬
‫و‬
‫ي‬
’
b
g
˙
x
c
¶
f
q
k
m
h
w
y
‫ث‬
‫د‬
‫ذ‬
‫ر‬
‫ز‬
‫س‬
‫ش‬
‫ص‬
‫ض‬
‫ط‬
‫ظ‬
‫ل‬
‫ن‬
(th)
d
(dh)
r
z
s
š
ß
∂
†
Ω
l
n
Sun Letters
‫ت‬
t
Note that the letters kaaf ‫ ك‬and giim ‫ ج‬can be either sun or moon letters in Egyptian colloquial. Remember that in
handwriting, all you have to do is add alif-lam to the front of the word. It is only in pronunciation that you need to remember
the sun and moon letters; this will come with practice.
If the word with the article comes at the first of a sentence, it is pronounced ’il (or ’is, etc., see above) but if it comes in the
middle of a sentence, the /i/ is often left out, particularly if the word before it ends with a vowel. For example: ’ilkitaab at
the first of a sentence, but with the preposition fi before it, it becomes: fi lkitaab; similarly, ’ittarabeeza, when preceded by the
preposition ca, becomes ca ttarabeeza. For now, you should start noticing when words have the article and when they don’t.
6. Possession (e “I∂aafa” or Construct State)
In English we show possession either with ’s, as in “Bob’s book,” or with the preposition ‘of,’ as in “the door of the office.” In
Arabic, possession is shown by a construction know as the I∂aafa, or Construct State. To form an I∂aafa, you simply put two
nouns together, one after the other. e first noun (called the first term of the I∂aafa) can never have the definite article, but
the second term is free to take an article or not. For example:
‫ ﻣﮑﺘﺐ اﳉﺎﻣﻌﺔ‬maktab ilgamca
the office of the university, the university’s office
‫’ ﻗﻠﻢ اﻟﻄﺎﻟﺐ‬alam i††aalib.
the pen of the student, the student’s pen
‫ ﮐﺘﺎب ﻃﺎﻟﺒﺔ‬kitaab †aaliba
a book of a student, a student’s book
As you can see from the examples, if the second term is definite, the whole I∂aafa is considered to be definite (the pen of the
student), while if the second term is indefinite, the whole I∂aafa is considered to be indefinite (a pen of a student). ere is
no way to ‘mix and match’ with this construction. In other words you can’t say ‘a pen of the student,’ or ‘the pen of a student.’
With the I∂aafa either the whole thing is all definite or all indefinite.
Remember that a noun does not necessarily have to have the definite article to be definite. Proper nouns, for example, are
definite by definition without the definite article. So an I∂aafa with a proper noun as the second term would be definite
throughout, even though no article appears anywhere in the I∂aafa. For example:
‫ﺻﺎﺣﺐ ﺟﻮرج‬
ßaa˙ib George
the friend of George, George’s friend
‫ ﮐﺮﺳﻲ ﻣﺤﻤﻮد‬kursi ma˙muud the chair of Mahmoud, Mahmoud’s chair
To summarize, the most important thing to remember about an I∂aafa, and the way you will be able to recognize one, is that
there are two or more nouns in a row, and only the last one can have an article. e first one(s) can never have an article.
It is common to use the I∂aafa construction in questions about ownership. For example:
‫ ﮐﺘﺎب ﻣﲔ ده؟‬kitaab miin da?
‫ ده ﻗﻠﻢ ﻣﲔ؟‬da ’alam miin?
e book of whom is this? Whose book is this?
is is the pen of whom? Whose pen is this?
In this case, the second term of the I∂aafa is the question word miin.
7. Feminine Nouns as First Terms of the I∂aafa Construction
If the first noun of an I∂aafa construct is a feminine noun ending in -a, you must change the -a to -it. However, remember
that this change is only made in actual speech, not in writing. For example, the word šan†a ‘briefcase’ is pronounced šan†it in
the I∂aafa construction: šan†it linda ‘the briefcase of Linda’ or ‘Linda’s briefcase’. Sometimes, as in the third sentence in the
following box, the ‘i’ of the -it drops, since short i’s often drop in Egyptian Arabic. Other examples of -a changing to -it:
‫ ورﻗﺔ ﻣﺤﻤﻮد‬wara’it ma˙muud
the paper of Mahmoud, Mahmoud’s paper
‫’ أﺳﺘﺎذة ﮐﺮﱘ‬ustaazit kariim
the professor (f ) of Karim, Karim’s professor
‫ ﺳﺒﻮرة اﳉﺎﻣﻌﺔ‬sabburt ilgamca (from sabbuurit ilgamca)
the black board of the university
‫ وﻻﻳﺔ ﮐﺎﻟﻴﻔﻮرﻧﻴﺎ‬wilaayit kalifornya
the state of California
‫ ﻋﺎﺻﻤﺔ ﻟﺒﻨﺎن‬caaßimit lubnnan
the capital of Lebanon
Note that it is only when the feminine noun is the first term that it is changed in spoken Arabic. A feminine noun that is the
second term of an I∂aafa keeps its -a, as in kursi ttarabeeza ‘the chair of the table.’
8. Plurals of Arabic nouns and adjectives
Plurals of Arabic nouns and adjectives are not predictable and therefore must be learned separately. It is a good idea to learn
them while learning the singulars. ey will be listed in the vocabulary lists from now on. e following plurals were not
introduced with their singular counterparts in lessons 1-2 and should now be learned:
Singular
‫ﮐﺘﺎب‬
‫ﺑﺎب‬
‫ﺻﻔﺤﺔ‬
‫أﺳﺘﺎذ‬
‫ﻋﺎرف‬
‫ﺳﺎﮐﻦ‬
‫ﮐﻮﻳﺲ‬
Plural
Plural
Singular
‫ﮐﺘﺐ‬
‫أﺑﻮاب‬
‫ﺻﻔﺤﺎت‬
‫أﺳﺎﺗﺬة‬
‫ﻋﺎرﻓﲔ‬
kutub
kitaab
’abwaab
baab
ßafa˙aat
ßaf˙a
’asadza
’ustaaz
‫ﺳﺎﮐﻨﲔ‬
‫ﮐﻮﻳﺴﲔ‬
arfiin
aarif
c
c
sakniin
saakin
kuwayyisiin kuwayyis