Monday, 19 March 2018

Exclamations

Let's talk about exclamations. There are a lot of them in Egyptian Arabic.
For example, when you receive bad news you say:

يا خبر اسود
Ya khabar eswed

 
Oh black news!

-Bukra mush agaza. (Tomorrow isn't a holiday)
-Ya khabar eswed!

When you receive good news you say:

يا نهار أبيض
Ya nhar abyad!


Oh white day!

-Elmurattab nizil  ennaharda (the salary is today)
-Ya nhar abyad!

You can hear people say "ya nhar eswed (black) or sometimes even azra2 (2=ء) (blue) when they receive bad or good news.

يا راجل
Ya ragel!
(if you are talking to a man)

Oh man
 
And

يا شيخة
Ya sheikha!
(a woman)

Oh old woman! 
 
Are both exclamations of amazement and sometimes disbelief. Something like "really???"

- El-2ahwa bi 30 gineh. (the coffee is 30 pounds) -Ya ragel! -Ana mush geya bukra (I'm not coming tomorrow) - Ya sheikha!

When we are happy to see someone or something we say:

ايه الحلاوة دي
Eih el-7alawa di
(7 stands for ح) or
ايه الجمال ده
Eih el-gamaal da

 
What is this beauty! How beautiful! 
 
You see someone you haven't seen for a long time.  Eih  el-7alawa di. -Ibni nigi7 (my son passed the exams) -eih el-gamal da!


الله الله
ايه الجمال ده
الحياة احلوت من امتى
Allah Allah
Eih el-gamaal da
El-7aya e7lowet min emta
God god
How wonderful!
Since when my life is so good?

Sunday, 18 March 2018

At the supermarket

What if you want to buy something from a 

كشك
Koshk 

 
a kiosk


You will say:


أنا عايز/أنا عاوز
Ana 3ayez or Ana 3awez
(3=ع)
(if you are a 👨 ) 


أنا عايزة/أنا عاوزة
Ana 3ayza or Ana 3awza

 
If you are a 👩
Which means "I want" and you will add 


لو سمحت
Low sama7t
(7=ح) 


If you are addressing a man or


Low sama7ti 

 
If your are addressing a woman
Which means "please".


You will hear:


اتفضل
Itfaddal (👨 )
Or itfaddali
(👩) 


"Here you are".


You will ask:


كم؟
Kam? 

 
How much? 

 
Don't be surprised when you hear the answer :


خلي
Khalli 

 
Which means "Keep it" (your money) 


Don't think that you can really walk away without paying. They don't actually mean it. Say:


شكرا
Shukran

 
Thank you
And you will be told how much you need to pay. Don't forget to take your 


باقي
Ba2i
(2=٢)


Or 


فكة
Fakka 

 
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