2 Chapter 2

الشرح

Explanation

المعنى بالإنجليزية

The meaning in English

أداة الاستفهام بالعامية

“WH-” word in CA

أداة الاستفهام بالفصحى

“WH-” word in MSA

Same uses as MSA

how

كِيفْ

كَيْفَ

Same uses as MSA

how much/many

كَام

كَم

Same uses as MSA

What is the cost of…?

بِكَام

بِكَم

Same uses as MSA

where (LCA)

where ( ECA)

وِيِنْ

فِيِن

أَيْنَ

Same uses as MSA

who

مِيِن

مَن

Same uses as MSA

when

إمْتَى

مَتى

Same uses as MSA

what

شُو (LCA)
إيه (ECA)

ماذا

Same uses as MSA but slight difference in pronunciation in MSA; it can be أيَّ أو أيِّ أو أيُّ depending on the words used with أيّ and its grammatical position in the sentence.

which

أيّ

أيّ

Not used in CA

for Yes/ No questions

Not used in conversations, replaced by rising intonation for yes or no questions

هل/ أ

الكلمة والتعبير بالعامية

The word and expression in CA

المعنى بالإنجليزية

The meaning in English

الكلمة والتعبير المساوي بالفصحى

The equivalent in MSA

سوّاق

driver

سَائِق

Usually in CA, the ء is either deleted or changing in form. In this case, it is deleted and is replaced by a و and a ّ  (shadda)

التاكسي

taxi

In MSA, sometimes سيارة أجرة is used. LM: “a car with a fare.”

آه

This word can mean “yes” in response to questions in Egyptian Arabic (as in the coming dialogue). It can also be a sound made when one is in pain.

نَعَم

Also used in CA

عَنْدَكْ (إنتَ)

عَنْدِكْ (إنتِ)

IM: “ you have”

LM: “at you” because عند  means “at” & ك is an attached pronoun

Same word with different internal voweling.

أنتَ عِنْدُكَ

أنتِ عِنْدُكِ

عَدَّاد

meter

same

شوّية

a little bit

شويّة is the Egyptian for a few or little

شويّ is levant for a few or little.

Example:

I want a little water, please.

عايز شويّة ميه لو سمحت.

I want few apples, please.

عايز شويّة تفاح لو سمحت.

The equivalent in MSA is قليلاً and it can mean a few or little.

خُشْ (إنتَ)

enter (m.s.2 imperative)

No equivalent

شِمَال

left

It is used in MSA, together with يَسَار. Both are used in MSA and CA. In Gulf countries يسار  is used more often

طَيِّب

OK/ alright

Note: this word has 3 meanings:

1) ok/alright

2) delicious (food)

3) kind a person)

same

شِمَال في يمِين

left then right

In this expression, means في “immediately after” (left then right immediately, with no streets/ roads in between).

Not used in MSA in this manner.

الكلمة والتعبير بالعامية

المعنى بالإنجليزية

الكلمة و التعبير المساوي بالفصحى

لَوْ سَمَحْتِ (إنتِ)

لَوْ سَمَحْت (أنتَ)

If you please

female recipient

If you please

male recipient

Used in MSA and more formally إذا سمحت

مِن فَضْلِكْ (إنتِ)

مِن فَضْلَكْ (إنتَ)

If you please

female recipient

If you please

male recipient

Same words with different internal voweling;

مِن فَضْلُكَ (أنتَ)

مِن فَضْلُكِ (أنتِ)

As you might have noticed, أنتَ with the ء on the ‘Alif is MSA while in CA, the ء  is below the ‘Alif, causing the difference in pronunciation; same with أنتِ in MSA becoming إنتِ or إنتي.

تَذْكَرَة

ticket

In some countries like Egypt and Sudan, the ذ changes in pronunciation to be z. In other countries, like in the gulf, the ذ is pronounced the same as in MSA.

same

على فين؟

No exact English equivalent except the closest IM: “Where are you heading?”

LM: “To where?”

إلى أَيْن؟

رايح

IM is “is/are going” but it is not a verb in Arabic.  It could be translated as the “goer” or in this dialogue “are going.”

ذاهب

It is اسم فاعل or active participle, meaning the doer of the action. It can replace the verb and be translated as

“going.”

رايح – جَيّ

IM: “return ticket”

LM: “ going and coming back”

ذِهَاب وإيّاب

ولّا

or

The equivalent in MSA is أو which is used in CA. But ولاّ is not used in MSA.

(Watch this song in CA [YouTube] where the signer is using ولاّ throughout the song).

قَطْر

train

Note: the ق in most of Egypt and parts of the Levant is pronounced as ء (a glottal stop). In some dialects, it is pronounced as ج or just like MSA.

قِطَار

الصُّبْح

the morning

الصَّبَاح

باليل

at night

باليل

Sometimes in MSA and CA في is used as well in place of ب to mean “at.”

دَرَجَة

In the context of the coming dialogue, it means “class” in a train.

Same and “step” or, if one is talking about the weather, it means

“degree temperature” درجة الحرارة

بسِتّين جنيه

IM: “60 Egyptian pounds (cost)”

LM: “ with 60

Egyptian pounds”

same

إتْفَضَّلي

إتْفَضَّل

here (offering s.th.)

female recipient

male recipient

Same but with the deletion of the initial إ in CA

تَفَضّلي

تَفَضّلْ

الفِلُوس

money

مَال

بالسلامة

IM: “travel safely”

LM: “with safety”

الكلمة والتعبير بالعامية

المعنى بالإنجليزية

الكلمة والتعبير المساوي بالفصحى

أهلا وسهلا فِيكِي

أهلا وسهلا فِيكْ

أهلا وسهلا بِيكِي

أهلا وسهلا بِيكْ

welcome

female recipient (LCA)

welcome

male recipient

welcome

female recipient (ECA)

welcome

male recipient

أهلاً وسهلاً بِكِ (أنتِ)

أهلاً وسهلاً بِكَ (أنتَ)

تحبّي…..( إنتِ)

LM: “you (f.) like”

IM: “ would you like?” when followed by a rise in intonation

same

المِنْيو

the menu

قائمة الطعام

Still used in restaurants and newspapers together with the borrowed word  المِنْيو

بِدِّي

(عايز- عايزة)

I want

does not change with speaker’s gender

طَبق

dish or plate alternatively, unlike English.

same

مَلْفوف

stuffed leaves (LCA)

It is called مَحْشِي  (ECA)

إشِي

something ( LCA)

حَاجَة

(ECA)

شَيء

تاني

In the context of the coming dialogue, it means “another” but it can also mean “second.”

ثاني second

“another” آخَر

رُز

rice

أُرز

حَلِيب

milk ( LCA)

(ECA) لَبَن 

In Egypt, yogurt is زَبَادِي while in the Levant, لَبَن is yogurt.

same

شويّ

شويّ is levant for a few or little.

شويّة is the Egyptian for a few or little

Example:

I want little water, please.

عايز شويّة ميه لوسمحت

I want few apples, please.

عايز شويّة تفاح لو سمحت

قليلاً  

عَجَبِكْ

The LM: “pleases you”

أَعْجَبكَ

طَيّب

delicious. See taxi conversation for more information.

same word or لَذِيِذ

الشِيك

LM: “check (n.)” IM: “receipt or bill”

This word can be used in MSA as a borrowed term.

الكلمة بالعربية

المعنى بالإنجليزية

مِيدَان

(city) square

الصَيّدَلِيّة

pharmacy