Egyptian Arabic Lesson 11

Isn’t there one bigger than this?

Vocabulary ‫اﳌﻔﺮدات‬

Verbs Ordinals

‫اﻓﺘﮑﺮ ﻳﻔﺘﮑﺮ‬ to think (that) iftakar yiftikir ‫ﺗﺎﻟﺖ‬ third taalit

‫ﻓ ّﮑﺮ ﻳﻔ ّﮑﺮ ﻓﻲ‬ to think about fakkar yifakkar fi ‫راﺑﻊ‬ fourth raabic

‫ﺳﻤﻊ ﻳﺴﻤﻊ‬ to hear, listen simic yismac ‫ﺧﺎﻣﺲ‬ fifth xaamis

ّ
‫ﻳﺘﻌﺸﻰ‬ ّ
‫اﺗﻌﺸﻰ‬ to eat dinner itcašša yitcašša ‫ﺳﺎدس‬ sixth saadis

‫ اﺗﻐ ّﺪى ﻳﺘﻐ ّﺪى‬to eat lunch it¶adda yit¶adda ‫ﺳﺎﺑﻊ‬ seventh saabic

‫ اﲡ ّﻮز ﻳﺘﺠ ّﻮز‬to get married itgawwiz yitgawwiz ‫ﺗﺎﻣﻦ‬ eighth taamin

‫ﻳﺪرس‬ّ ‫درس‬ ّ to teach darris yidarris ‫ﺗﺎﺳﻊ‬ ninth taasic

‫ﻋﺎﺷﺮ‬ tenth aašir

c

Adjectives and Elative Adjectives

‫ﻏﺎﻟﻲ‬ expensive ¶aali Nouns

‫رﺧﻴﺺ‬ cheap rixiiß ‫ﻫﺎﱎ‬ madame haanim

‫ﻣﺘﺠ ّﻮز‬ married mitgawwiz ‫ﲤﻦ‬ price taman

‫أﮐﺒﺮ‬ bigger/biggest ’akbar ‫إﻳﺪ إﻳﺪﻳﻦ أﻳﺎدي‬ hand; handle ’iid ’ideen ’ayaadi

‫أﻗﺼﺮ‬ shorter/shortest ’a’ßar ‫ﻋﺎﻟﻢ‬ world caalam

‫أﺣﻠﻰ‬ sweeter/sweetest ’a˙la ‫اﻟﺸﺮق اﻷوﺳﻂ‬ the Middle East iššar’ il’awsaT

‫أﻏﻠﻰ‬ more/most expensive ’a¶la ‫ﻣﺴﺎﺣﺔ‬ area (m3) masaaHa

‫أﺣﺴﻦ‬ better/best ’a˙san ‫ﺷ ّﻘﺔ ﺷﻘﻖ‬ apartment ša’’a šu’a’

(‫أﺟ ّﺪ )أﺟﺪد‬ newer/newest ’agadd (’agdad) ‫أوﺿﺔ ﻧﻮم‬ bedroom ’oo∂it noom

‫ﺣ ّﻤﺎم ﺣ ّﻤﺎﻣﺎت‬ bathroom ˙ammaam ˙ammamaat

Other Words
‫ﻣﻄﺒﺦ ﻣﻄﺎﺑﺦ‬ kitchen ma†bax ma†aabix
‫ ﺑﺎﻳﻦ‬clear baayin
‫ﻣﻄﺎر ﻣﻄﺎرات‬ airport ma†aar ma†araat
‫ ﺑﺎﻟﻨﺴﺒﺔ ل‬in relation to binnisba li
‫ﺟﻮز‬ husband gooz
‫ﺻﺢ‬
ّ right ßa˙˙
‫ﺟﻮاز ﺟﻮازات‬ marriage gawaaz gawazaat
‫ ﻏﻠﻂ‬wrong ¶ala†
‫ﺳﺖ ﺳﺘّﺎت‬
ّ lady (wife) sitt sittaat
‫ ﻟﻮ‬if (+ past tense) law
‫زوﺟﺔ زوﺟﺎت‬ wife zooga zogaat

‫ﻣﺮات ﻓﻼن‬ wife of so and so maraat fulaan

‫ﻓﻠﻮس‬ money filuus

Expressions and Proverbs

‫ إﻳﺪ ورا وإﻳﺪ ﻗ ّﺪام‬One hand in front and one behind (empty-handed) ’iid wara wi’iid ’uddaam

‫ اﻟﻐﺎﻟﻲ ﲤﻨﻪ ﻓﻴﻪ‬e expensive thing has its price in it. (it pays to buy the best) il¶aali tamanu fiih
‫ ﮐﻞ ﺷﻲء ﺑﺘﻤﻨﻪ‬Everything for its price. (everything has a price) kull šay’ bitamanu

‫ ﻏﺎﻟﻲ واﻟﻄﻠﺐ رﺧﻴﺺ‬Dear (expensive), and the request is cheap. (you are so dear to ¶aali wi††alab rixiiß
me that any request you make seems cheap)

(‫ ﻣﺒﺮوك )اﻟﻠﻪ ﻳﺒﺎرك ﻓﻴﻚ‬Blessed! (Response: May God bless you) mabruuk! (allaah yibaarik fiik!)
(Congratulations said upon the acquisition of anything new,
or upon marriage or the birth of a child)

Dialogue Assignment
1. Work with a partner and compare your hometowns using elatives. For example, say things like: ‘my city is bigger than yours’ or
‘my city is more beautiful because it has _____,’ etc.

2. Work with a partner and tell about your daily schedule. Use words like ‘wake up,’ eat lunch,’ ‘eat dinner, ‘leave the house,’ and
‘return home.’

Drills
1. Answer the following questions using elatives.
Example: Prompt: ‫ اﻧﺖ وﻻ اﻷﺳﺘﺎذ؟‬،‫ ﻣﲔ أﮐﺒﺮ‬Answer: .‫اﻷﺳﺘﺎذ أﮐﺒﺮ ﻣﻨﻲ‬

‫ ﺗﺎﮐﻮ ﺑﻴﻞ وﻻ ﮐﺎي أف ﺳﻲ؟‬،‫أي ﻣﻄﻌﻢ أﻏﻠﻰ‬ ‫ ﻣﺼﺮ وﻻ ﺳﻮرﻳﺎ؟‬،‫أي ﺑﻠﺪ أﺟﻤﻞ‬
‫ اﻧﺖ وﻻ اﻟﺸﺨﺺ ﺟﻨﺒﻚ؟‬،‫أي ﺷﺨﺺ أﻗﺼﺮ‬ ‫ ﺑﻐﺪاد وﻻ ﻓﺮاﻧﮑﻔﻮرت؟‬،‫أي ﻣﺪﻳﻨﺔ أﺑﻌﺪ‬

2. Form superlative adjectives from the comparatives in the following sentences and then translate your answers into English.
Example: Prompt: .‫ اﻷوﺿﺔ دي أﮐﺒﺮ ﻣﻦ ﮐﻞ اﻷوض ﻓﻲ اﻟﺸﻘﺔ‬Answer: .‫‘ دي أﮐﺒﺮ أوﺿﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺸﻘﺔ‬is is the largest room in the
apartment.’

.‫اﻟﺒﻨﺖ دي أﺟﻤﻞ ﻣﻦ ﮐﻞ اﻟﺒﻨﺎت ﻓﻲ اﳌﺪﻳﻨﺔ‬ .‫اﻟﺸﻨﻄﺔ دي أﻏﻠﻰ ﻣﻦ ﮐﻞ اﻟﺸﻨﻂ ﻫﻨﺎ‬

.‫اﻟﺸﻘﻖ دول أرﺧﺺ ﻣﻦ ﮐﻞ اﻟﺸﻘﻖ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة‬ .‫اﻟﺒﻠﺪ دي ﻣﻦ أﮐﺒﺮ ﻣﻦ ﮐﻞ اﻟﺒﻼد ﻓﻲ اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻢ‬

3. Make three sentences using past, present continuous or habitual, and future with each of the following verbs. Use a different
personal pronoun subject for each sentence.
Example: Prompt: ‫ اﺗﮑﻠﻢ ﻳﺘﮑﻠﻢ‬Answer: .‫( أﻧﺎ اﺗﮑﻠﻤﺖ ﻣﻊ اﻷﺳﺘﺎذ اﻣﺒﺎرح‬Past) I spoke with the professor yesterday. ‫ﻫﻲ ﺑﺘﺘﮑﻠﻢ‬
.‫( ﻋﺮﺑﻲ ﮐﻮﻳﺲ ﻗﻮي‬Present) She speaks Arabic very well. .‫( اﺣﻨﺎ ﺣﻨﺘﮑﻠﻢ ﺑﻌﺪ اﻟﺪرس‬Future) We’ll talk after class.

‫ﻧﺎم ﻳﻨﺎم‬ ‫اﻓﺘﮑﺮ ﻳﻔﺘﮑﺮ‬ ‫راح ﻳﺮوح‬

‫ﻳﺪرس‬
ّ ‫درس‬ ّ ‫اﲡﻮز ﻳﺘﺠﻮز‬

4. Do drill 3 again, this time negating all three of your sentences for each verb.
Example: Prompt: ‫ اﺗﮑﻠﻢ ﻳﺘﮑﻠﻢ‬Answer: .‫( أﻧﺎ ﻣﺎﺗﮑﻠﻤﺘﺶ ﻣﻊ اﻷﺳﺘﺎذ اﻣﺒﺎرح‬Past) I spoke with the professor yesterday. ‫ﻫﻲ‬
.‫( ﻣﺎﺑﺘﺘﮑﻠﻤﺶ ﻋﺮﺑﻲ ﮐﻮﻳﺲ ﻗﻮي‬Present) She speaks Arabic very well. .‫( اﺣﻨﺎ ﻣﺶ ﺣﻨﺘﮑﻠﻢ ﺑﻌﺪ اﻟﺪرس‬Future) We’ll talk after class.

5. Write the root and Verb Form for each of the verbs in drill 3.
Example: Prompt: ‫ اﺗﮑﻠﻢ ﻳﺘﮑﻠﻢ‬Answer: root: ‫ م‬- ‫ ل‬- ‫ ك‬Verb Form: V
6. Answer the following questions in the affirmative using pronoun endings.
Example: Prompt: ‫ اﻧﺖ ﺷﻔﺖ ﻣﺤﻤﻮد اﻟﻨﻬﺎرده؟‬Answer: .‫ ﺷﻔﺘﻪ اﻟﻨﻬﺎرده‬،‫أﻳﻮه‬

‫ﺑﻴﺤﺒﻮا اﻟﻄﻼب؟‬
‫ﺑﺘﻔﻬﻤﻮﻧﻲ ﳌﺎ أﻧﺎ ﺑﺎﺗﮑﻠﻢ؟‬

7. Answer the questions in drill 7 in the negative. Remember to use the pronoun endings?
Example: Prompt: ‫ اﻧﺖ ﺷﻔﺖ ﻣﺤﻤﻮد اﻟﻨﻬﺎرده؟‬Answer: .‫ ﻣﺎﺷﻔﺘﻮش اﻟﻨﻬﺎرده‬،‫ﻻ‬

8. General review. Translate the following sentences into Arabic. Remember that non-human plurals often agree as if they were
feminine singular

I had an old desk in the office, but I don’t have it now.

e two books were on the table last ursday, but I haven’t seen them this week.

ere are not any new offices in this building, right?

At three o’clock I have to go eat dinner.

Eavery Friday they go to the mosque.

I brought nine pens in my bag today.

We didn’t have a house when we arrived in America.

EA 11 Language Notes
1. Elatives
Elatives are adjectives that function as both comparatives (as in ‘better’) and superlatives (as in ‘best’). All elatives are
adjectives, although not all adjectives have comparative or superlative forms. Many adjectives form the elative by using the
’aFMaL pattern. us ‘bigger’ is ‫أﮐﺒﺮ‬, ‘prettier’ is ‫أﺟﻤﻞ‬, and ‘further’ is ‫أﺑﻌﺪ‬. Note that the elative adjective does not agree in
gender.
Adjective Elative
‫ﺑﻌﻴﺪ‬ ‫أﺑﻌﺪ‬ bicid ’abcad

‫ﮐﺒﻴﺮ‬ ‫أﮐﺒﺮ‬ kibiir ’akbar

‫ﻃﻮﻳﻞ‬ ‫أﻃﻮل‬ †awiil ’a†wal

When the adjective is based on a doubled root like ‫‘ ﺟﺪﻳﺪ‬new’ the pattern ’aFaDD is often used instead: ‫ أﺟ ّﺪ‬agadd ‘newer’
(although ‫’ أﺟﺪد‬agdad is also sometimes used). If the root is weak, the pattern is ’aFMaa. For example:

Adjective Elative
‫ﺟﺪﻳﺪ‬ ‫ أﺟﺪد‬،‫أﺟ ّﺪ‬ gidiid ’agadd, ’agdad

‫ﺣﻠﻮ‬ ‫أﺣﻠﻰ‬ ˙ilw ’a˙la

Note: the adjective ‫‘ ﮐﻮﻳﺲ‬good’ takes the special elative form ‫‘ أﺣﺴﻦ‬better’.

2. Comparatives
Two items are compared by using the elative adjective and the preposition ‫ﻣﻦ‬. For example:

.‫ اﻷﺳﺘﺎذ أﻃﻮل ﻣﻦ اﻟﻄﺎﻟﺐ‬e professor is taller than the student.

.‫ اﻟﮑﺘﺎب اﻟﺒﻨﻲ أﺣﺴﻦ ﻣﻦ اﻟﮑﺘﺎب اﻷزرق‬e brown book is better than the blue book.
.‫ ﻟﻌﺮﺑﻲ أﺳﻬﻞ ﻣﻦ اﻹﳒﻠﻴﺰي‬Arabic is easier than English.

3. Superlatives
To form a superlative, an elative adjective is used in an INDEFINITE i∂aafa. e translation in English is definite, so this
can be somewhat confusing. In English we say ‘Cairo is the biggest city in Egypt’, while in Arabic they say ‫اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة أﮐﺒﺮ ﻣﺪﻳﻨﺔ ﻓﻲ‬
‫ ﻣﺼﺮ‬without the article (Cairo – biggest city in Egypt). Remember to leave out the article even if the English meaning has
a ‘the.’ Examples:
‫ أﮐﺒﺮ ﻣﺪﻳﻨﺔ‬the biggest city
.‫ ﻫﻮ أﻃﻮل ﻃﺎﻟﺐ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻔﺼﻞ‬He is the tallest student in the class.
. ‫ دي أﻋﻠﻰ ﺑﻨﺎﻳﺔ ﻓﻲ اﳌﺪﻳﻨﺔ‬is is the tallest building in the city.

Another possible construction is to put the elative in a DEFINITE i∂aafa with a PLURAL noun. e meaning is slightly
different. In this case it means ‘the biggest/best/furthest/etc. of the ____.’ ere is a direct contrast, therefore, between
indefinite elatives and definite i∂aafas with plural nouns (elatives in definite i∂aafas with singular nouns are usually
impossible). For example, compare the following sentences:
.‫ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة واﺳﮑﻨﺪرﻳﺔ واﻟﺮﻳﺎض أﮐﺒﺮ ﻣﺪن ﻓﻲ اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻢ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻲ‬Cairo, Alex and Riyadh are the biggest cities in the Arab World.
.‫ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة أﮐﺒﺮ اﳌﺪن ﻓﻲ اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻢ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻲ‬Cairo is the biggest of the cities in the Arab World.
.‫ اﻟﻘﺎﻫﺮة أﮐﺒﺮ ﻣﺪﻳﻨﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻢ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻲ‬Cairo is the beggest city in ht eArab World.

Here are more examples of an elative in a definite I∂aafa with a plural noun:

.‫ ﺳﻤﻴﺮ أﻗﺼﺮ اﻟﻄﻼب ﻓﻲ اﻟﻔﺼﻞ‬Samir is the shortest of the students in the class.
.‫ ﺑﻴﺘﻲ أﺟﺪد اﻟﺒﻴﻮت ﻓﻲ اﳌﺪﻳﻨﺔ‬My house is the newest of the houses in the city.

4. Form II verbs
As stated in the last lesson, the verbs of the various forms conjugate pretty much the same way as the verbs you have already
learned. Here is the entire conjugation of the verb ‫ﻳﺪرس‬ ّ ‫درس‬ّ a typical Form II Sound verb.

Imperative ˙a- Imperfect bi- Imperfect Plain Imperfect Perfect Pronoun

‫ﺣﻴﺪرس‬
ّ ‫ﺑﻴﺪرس‬
ّ ‫ﻳﺪرس‬
ّ ‫درس‬
ّ ‫ﻫﻮ‬
‫ﺣﺘﺪرس‬
ّ ‫ﺑﺘﺪرس‬
ّ ‫ﺗﺪرس‬ّ ‫درﺳﺖ‬ ّ ‫ﻫﻲ‬
‫درس‬
ّ ‫ﺣﺘﺪرس‬ ّ ‫ﺑﺘﺪرس‬ ّ ‫ﺗﺪرس‬ ّ ‫درﺳﺖ‬ ّ ‫اﻧﺖ‬
‫درﺳﻲ‬ّ ‫ﺣﺘﺪرﺳﻲ‬ ّ ‫ﺑﺘﺪرﺳﻲ‬ ّ ‫ﺗﺪرﺳﻲ‬ ّ ‫درﺳﺘﻲ‬ ّ ‫اﻧﺖ‬
ِ
‫ﺣﺎدرس‬ ّ ‫ﺑﺎدرس‬ ّ ‫ادرس‬ ّ ‫درﺳﺖ‬ ّ ‫أﻧﺎ‬

‫ﺣﻴﺪرﺳﻮا‬
ّ ‫ﺑﻴﺪرﺳﻮا‬
ّ ‫ﻳﺪرﺳﻮا‬
ّ ‫درﺳﻮا‬ّ ‫ﻫﻢ‬
‫درﺳﻮا‬
ّ ‫ﺣﺘﺪرﺳﻮا‬ّ ‫ﺑﺘﺪرﺳﻮا‬ّ ‫ﺗﺪرﺳﻮا‬ ّ ‫درﺳﺘﻮا‬ ّ ‫اﻧﺘﻮ‬
‫ﺣﻨﺪرس‬
ّ ‫ﺑﻨﺪرس‬
ّ ‫ﻧﺪرس‬
ّ ‫درﺳﻨﺎ‬
ّ ‫اﺣﻨﺎ‬

Imperative ˙a- Imperfect bi- Imperfect Plain Imperfect Perfect Pronoun

˙aydarris biydarris yidarris darris huwwa
˙atdarris bitdarris tidarris darrisit hiyya
darris ˙atdarris bitdarris tidarris darrist inta
darrisi ˙atdarrisi bitdarrisi tidarrisi darristi inti
˙adarris badarris adarris darrist ana

˙aydarrisu biydarrisu yidarrisu darrisu humma

darrisu ˙atdarrisu bitdarrisu tidarrisu darristu intu
˙andarris bindarris nidarris darrisna i˙na

Verbal Noun ‫ﺗﺪرﻳﺲ‬ tadriis

Active Participle ‫ﻣﺪرس‬
ّ mudarris
5. Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) take the pattern FaaMiL except for 1st, which takes ’awwil. All the other ordinal numbers
through 10th are based on the corresponding cardinal number (talaata—taalit, ’arbaca—raabic, etc.) except for ‘sixth,’ which
appears to be unrelated to the cardinal (sitta—saadis). Learn the pattern, but be sure to learn ‘first’ and ‘sixth’ separately.