Lesson 1 -- Introduction
Since this lesson is memorization heavy, it will be relatively brief. Future lessons will contain exercises. Vocabulary from this lesson will be used in the next lesson as well.
In this brief lesson, we will learn about:
1) Basic greetings - مفردات (Vocabulary section)
2) Present tense - قواعد (Grammar section)
3) Questions - عامية (Spoken dialect section)
<b>مفردات/mufradât/[mu.fræ."dæ:t]</b>
Greetings in Arabic are somewhat complicated, and you must take several factors into consideration to determine which greeting to use.
a) اهلا وسهلا ahlan wa sahlan ["ʔæh.læn wa "sæh.læn]; ~"[Come] like family and with easy"
This greeting usually means "welcome." Often times it's shortened to اهلا ahlan, which is less formal. It can be used in a number of cases other than greetings as well, and often communicates "I have nothing more to say in this conversation, so let me welcome you!" Usually, this phrase is used by a host.
In response to a man, you say اهلا بيك ahlan bêk [bi:.k];
In response to a woman, اهلا بيكي ahlan bêkê ["bi:.ki];
A very formal response, or to a group of people, is اهلا بيكم ahlan bêkom ["bi:.kum]
b) السلام عليكم al-salâm 3alêkum [sæ."læ:.m ʕa."lɛi.kum]; ~"Peace be upon you"
This is the Muslim greeting, but it's one of the most common. Feel free to use it as a formal greeting whatever your religion, but note that Christians and other religious minorities typically don't use it. It can be pronounced a number of ways, and usually isn't fully pronounced. Above is the most common pronunciation. It's full pronunciation is [æs.sæ."læ:.mu ʕa."lɛi.kum] and it may also be pronounced [æs.sæ."læ:m ʕa."lɛi.kum].
To respond, say وعليكم سلام wa 3alêkum salam [wa ʕa."lɛi.kum sæ."læ:m]
c) سلام salâm; "Peace"
This can also be a greeting and is not religion-specific. Most often, it's employed to say "bye."
d) صباح الخير sabâ7 al-khêr [sˁa."ba:.ħ æl.xɛi.r]; "Good morning"
Used until noon.
Some other expressions that may be used in response:
صباح النور sabâ7 al-nôr [sˁa."ba:.ħ æn.nu:.r] "The morning of light"
صباح الورد sabâ7 al-ward [sˁa."ba:.ħ æl.wærd] "Morning of the rose"
صباح الفول sabâ7 al-fôl [sˁa."ba:.ħ æl.fu:.l] "Morning of fôl (beans)"
صياح الفلافل sabâ7 al-falâfal [sˁa."ba:.ħ æl-fæ."læ:.fæl] "Morning of falafel" (usually said for humor in response to سباح الفول sabâ7 al-fôl)
e) مساء الخير masâ2 al-khêr [mæ."sæ:.ʔ]; "Good evening"
Used after noon.
Response: مساء النور masâ2 al-nôr
f) تصبح على الخير tisba7 3la al-khêr [tisˁ.ba:ħ ʕal.xɛi.r]; ~"Have a good night"
To woman: تصبحي على الخير tisba7 3la al-khêr [tisˁ.ba:.ħi ʕal.xɛi.r]
This is heard in Egyptian Arabic rather than Fus7a.
Response to man: وانت من اهله wa inta min ahlo [wa "in.ta min "æh.lu] "You too from my family"
Response to a woman: وانتي من اهله wa inti min ahlo [wa "in.ti min "æh.lu] "You too from my family"
g) مع السلامة ma3a al-salâmah [ma.ʕa as.sæ."læ:.ma]; ~"[Go] with peace"
h) الله معك Allah ma3ak [alˁ."lˁa: ma.ʕak]; ~"May God be with you"
To woman: Allah ma3ik [alˁ."lˁa: ma.ʕik]
i) رمضان كريم Ramadan karêm [ra.mæ."dˁa:.n kæ.ri:.m] ~"May Ramadan be gracious to you"
or رمضان مبارك Ramadan mobârak [ra.mæ."dˁa:.n mu.bæ:.ræk] ~"May Ramadan be blessed for you"
Response: كل عام وانتم بخير kol 3âm wa intum bikhêr [kul ʕa:m wa "In.tum bi."xɛi.r] ~"May all your years be great"
Other important expressions:
Note that this is a very partial list of expressions. If you wish to expand on expressions like these, you should look into grabbing a phrasebook. You can also send me a private message with any question, or, if enough people so desire, I could kindly rip off the important parts of a phrasebook
a) كيف حالك kêfa 7âlak [kɛi:fa ħa:.læk] "how are you?"
To a woman: kêfa 7âlik
b) الحمدلله al-7amdullah [æl.ħam.dulˁ.lˁa:] "Praise God"; "Hallelujah"
One response to "How are you?" By itself, it means "I'm great," but is used also after any answer, including unfortunate answers.
This expression can be used in any situation of relief or excitement, as well.
c) انا مريض ana marêd [æ.na mæ.ri:.dˁ] "I'm sick"
Response: سلمتك salamtak [sæ."læm.tæk]
(To a woman: salamtik)
Response to response: الله يسلمك Allah yasallimak [alˁ."lˁa: jæ.sæl.li.mæk] "May God give you peace"
(To a woman: yasallimik)
d) ان شاء الله inshallah [ʔin ʃa:.ʔ alˁ."lˁa:] "If it's God's will"
Almost synonymous with "hopefully." Used much more often.
e) ما شاء الله mashallah [mæ ʃa:.ʔ alˁ."lˁa:] "Whatever is God's will"
Said after giving a compliment to remind oneself not to be covetous.
f) شكرا shokran [ʃuk.ran] "Thank you"
Response: عفوا
3afwan [ʕaf.wan]
h) اسمي ismi [is.mi] "my name is"
اتعرف على - I meet s.o.
ata3arref 3ala [ʔæ.tæ."ʕar.rif]
اتكلم - I speak
atakallem [ʔæ.tæ."kal.lim]
اعرف - I know
a3rif ["ʔaʕ.rif]
الاسلام - Islam
al-islâm [æl-ʔis."læ:.m]
احب - I like
o7ebb [ʔu."ħib:]
حاج - title of respect for an old man
7âj [ħa:dʒ:]
حبيبي - my friend; baby; boo
7abêbe [ħa."bi:.bi]
سلام - peace
salâm [sæ.læ.m]
سيارة - car
sayyârah [sæj.ja:.ra]
صباح - morning
sabâ7 [sæ.ba:.ħ]
ليلة - night
lêlah ["lɛi.la]
قمر - moon
qamr ["qam.r=]
ورد - rose
ward [wærd]
مساء - evening
masâ2 [mæ."sæ.ʔ]
مصر - Egypt
masr [misˁ.r=]
ههه - hahaha
hhh
يا - vocative particle
ya [jæ]
يوم - day
yôm [jo:.m]
اليوم - today
al-yôm [æl.jo:.m]
<b>قواعد/qawâ3id/[qa."wæ:.ʕid]</b>
Because there's so much to memorize in this lesson, I wish to just briefly introduce the present tense. We will work on it more in the next lesson, which will include exercises.
But since Arabic verbs don't work quite the same way as we're typically used to, we will henceforth refer to the present tense as المضارع al-modâre3 [æl.mu."dˁa:.ri.ʕa]. In fact, Arabic only has two generic tenses: perfect and imperfect. Al-modare3 is the imperfect tense and, when unmodified, refers to an incomplete action that begins in the present and extends into the future.
The following is the generic conjugation of verb stems, using the root ف-ع-ل f-3-l as the stem. For now, simply study the tense without memorizing. Do you recognize any patterns? For instance, what do you notice about plural verbs? Dual verbs? Feminine verbs?
Singular
1 أفعل [ʔæf.ʕal]
2af3al
2m تفعل [tæf.ʕal]
taf3al
2f تفعلين [tæf.ʕa.li:n]
taf3alên
3m يفعل [jæf.ʕal]
yaf3al
3f تفعل [tæf.ʕal]
taf3al
Plural
1 نفعل [[næf.ʕal]
naf3al
2m تفعلون [tæf.ʕa.lu:n]
taf3alôn
2f تفعلن [tæf.ʕal.na]
taf3alna
3m يفعلون [jæf.ʕa.lu:n]
yaf3alôn
3f يفعلن [jæf.ʕal.na]
yaf3alna
Dual
2 تفعلان [tæf.ʕa.læ:n]
taf3alân
3m يفعلان [jæf.ʕa.læ:n]
yaf3alân
3f تفعلان [tæf.ʕa.læ:n]
taf3alân
Other notes to keep in mind for the next lesson:
-Al-modare3 can be modified to begin in the past by using the perfect tense conjugation of "to be." For now, we will only do this with the 3rd person and treat the verb, كان kan [kæ:n], more like a particle.
-Al-modare3 can be modified to begin in the future by adding the prefix س s-. For example, ستفعل sataf3al [sæ.tæf.ʕal] means "you will do."
<b>قراءة/qirâ2ah/[qi."ra:.ʔa]/Reading Fus7a</b>
عمر: سلام عليكم يا حاج
الحاج: وعليكم سلام يا عمر. كيف حالك اليوم؟
عمر: الحمدلله. كيف حالك؟
الحاج: الحمدلله. صياح الخير يا مريم
مريم: صياح النور. احب السيارة يا حاج, ما شاء الله
الحاج: شكرا, الله يسلمك
مريم: مع السلامة
الحاج: مع السلامة
عمر: من هي؟
الحاج: هي مريم
عمر: ساتعرف علي مريم ان شاء الله
الحاج: هههه. ان شاء الله حبيبي
3omr: salam 3alekum ya 7aj
al-7aj: wa 3lekum salam. kefa 7alak al-yom?
3omr: al-7amdullah. kefa 7alak?
al-7aj: al-7amdullah. saba7 al-kher ya mariam
mariam: saba7 al-nor. o7ebb al-sayarah ya 7aj, mashallah
al-7aj: shokran, Allah yasallimik
mariam: ma3a al-salamah
al-7aj: ma3a al-salamah
3omr: man hiyya?
al-7aj: hiyya mariam
3omr: sa2ata3arrif 3la mariam inshallah
al-7aj: hhhh inshallah 7abebe
<b>3âmiyyah/عامية/[ʕa:.mi:.ja]</b>
We will begin this section each time with vocabulary from above that differs in Egyptian Arabic than from the Fus7a given before delving into other aspects. Following the new vocabulary, the reading above will be translated at least partially into Egyptian Arabic. The section will usually conclude with a dialogue.
عربية - car
3arabiyya [ʕa.ræ.bi:.ja]
قمر - moon
2amr ["ʔam.r=]
مسا - evening
misâ [mi."sæ]
مصر - Egypt
masr [masˁ.r=]
عيان - sick
3ayyân [3aj.jæ:.n]
النهارده - today
il-nahârdah [in.næ."hæ:.r.da]
عمر: سلام عليكم يا حاج
الحاج: وعليكم سلام عمر. ازيك النهارده؟
عمر: الحمدلله. ازيك؟
الحاج: الحمدلله. صياح الخير مريم
مريم: صياح النور. باحب السيارة يا حاج, ما شا الله
الحاج: شكرا, الله يسلمك
مريم: مع السلامة
الحاج: مع السلامة
عمر: مين هي؟
الحاج: هي مريم
عمر: حاتعرف علي مريم ان شا الله
الحاج: هههه. ان شا الله حبيبي
3omr: salam 3alekum ya 7aj
al-7aj: wa 3lekum salam 3omr. izayyak il-nahardah?
3omr: al-7amdullah. izayyak?
al-7aj: al-7amdullah. saba7 al-kher mariam
mariam: saba7 al-nor. bo7ebb al-sayarah ya 7aj, mashallah
al-7aj: shokran, Allah yasallimik
mariam: ma3a al-salamah
al-7aj: ma3a al-salamah
3omr: man hiyya?
al-7aj: hiyya mariam
3omr: 7âta3arrif 3la mariam inshallah
al-7aj: hhhh inshallah 7abebe
In this lesson, we will discuss questions in both fus7a and Egyptian Arabic.
In fus7a, a question is formed with a question particle هل hal [hæl], which is placed at the beginning of a sentence.
In Egyptian, questions are distinguished by intonation alone.
The following are question words in fus7a:
who? من؟ man? [mæn]
what? ما؟ ma? [mæ] - used if there is no verb in the sentence
ماذا؟ mâza? ["mæ:.ða] - used if there is a verb in the sentence
when? متي؟ mata? [mæ.ta]
where? اين؟ ayna? [ʔaj.na]
why? لماذا؟ limâza? [li."mæ:.ða]
how? كيف؟ kêfa? [kɛi:.fa]
The following are question words in Egyptian -- most of which are distinctive for this dialect:
who? مين؟ mên? [mi:n]
what? ايه؟ ay? [ɛj]
when? امتى؟ imta? [im.tæ]
where? فين؟ fên? [fɛi.n]
why? ليه؟ lay? [lɛj]
how? ازي؟ izayy? [ʔi.zaj:]