EgyptianArabicGrammar V1.1

Egyptian Arabic Grammar
Version 1.1
© Copyright 2007-2020 Mike Green.

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Contents
Contents
Section I
Introduction.................................................................................................................. 3
Essentials .................................................................................................................... 4
Section II - Grammar
Nouns ........................................................................................................................ 13
Pronouns ................................................................................................................... 18
Adjectives .................................................................................................................. 22
Verbs ......................................................................................................................... 31
Adverbs ..................................................................................................................... 39
Prepositions............................................................................................................... 45
Conjunctions.............................................................................................................. 50
Determiners ............................................................................................................... 55
Section III - Usage
Courtesies ................................................................................................................. 59
Orders and requests.................................................................................................. 65
Questions .................................................................................................................. 68
Negation .................................................................................................................... 73
Ownership ................................................................................................................. 84
Numbers .................................................................................................................... 75
Quantities .................................................................................................................. 90
Which one? ............................................................................................................... 97
Time ........................................................................................................................ 100
Appendices
Arabic writing ........................................................................................................... 103

Transliteration of arabic into European letters......................................................... 103
Arabic alphabet ....................................................................................................... 104
Egyptian pronunciation rules ................................................................................... 117
More about verbs than you will ever want to know.................................................. 123
Irregular verbs ......................................................................................................... 119
About this document................................................................................................ 124
Copyright ................................................................................................................. 125
Page 2
Introduction
This book is a concise reference to grammar for people who are learning the spoken arabic of
Egypt. It is intended to be used alongside other study aids available free of charge in various
formats at www.lisaanmasry.org. These include over 1,500 example sentences with detailed
explanations of the meanings, and recordings of all examples and words
Getting started
This document is made up of three main sections:
• essentials - an introduction to grammatical terms and to Egyptian arabic, pointing out the
similarities and differences between Egyptian and English
• grammar - a description of how to build sentences using the standard language elements
• usage - commonly used words, phrases and expressions
If you just want to learn a few useful phrases like "Hello" and "How are you?", you can skip to the
Courtesies chapter, however it will make a lot more sense to you if you read the earlier chapters
first.
A word about arabic writing

It is not difficult to learn to read and write in arabic, but it is an additional barrier to learning. You
are unlikely ever to see Egyptian Arabic in print: notices, packaging, adverts, web sites etc are
written in Modern Standard Arabic. And if you want to read Arabic handwriting, that's a different
ballgame altogether. An understanding of the Arabic alphabet can, therefore, be useful, but it is by
no means essential.
The examples in this book appear in arabic writing and also in european writing as they would be
pronounced by and English person.
The essentials
The essentials
In many cases, Egyptian uses the same structure as English: let's first look at some simple
examples where the structure is similar, then move on to the differences.
Nouns and verbs

Here is a simple sentence in both English and Egyptian:
Ahmed loves sarah

'ahmad biyihibb saara
‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﺤـﹻﺐﹼ ﺳﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹶﺓ‬
Element English Egyptian
subject noun Ahmed 'ahmad ‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ‬
verb loves biyihibb ‫ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﺤـﹻﺐﹼ‬
object noun Sarah saara ‫ﺳﺎﹶﺭ ﹶﺓ‬
In both the English and Egyptian examples, there are three words: two words are nouns (people,
things or ideas) and the middle word is a verb, which explains what is happening. In both cases,
the noun before the verb (Ahmed) is the subject (the person or thing that is doing something) and
the noun after the verb (Sarah) is the object- is the person or thing that is having something done
to it.
We can change the meaning by turning the words around, like this:
Sarah loves Ahmed

saara bitihibb 'ahmad
‫ﺳﺎﹶﺭ ﹶﺓ ﺑـﹻﺘـﹻﺤـﹻﺐﹼ ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ‬
subject noun Sarah saara ‫ﺳﺎﹶﺭ ﹶﺓ‬
verb loves bitihibb ‫ﺑـﹺﺗـ ﹺﺣـﹻﺐﹼ‬
object noun Ahmed 'ahmad ‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ‬
The nouns do not change, they have just moved: we know from the order of the words that Sarah
is now the subject- the one who is loving, and Ahmed is now the object, the one who is loved. In
English, the verb does not change at all, but in Egyptian it changes a little because the subject is
now female, not male. We will look in more detail at how exactly verbs change to match the
subject later, in the section on verbs.
Page 4
Subject and Object
The subject and object can be a proper noun- a name that begins with a capital letter- like Sarah,
Ahmed, London, but there are some other possiblities as well. Here are some examples:

proper noun Sarah saara ‫ﺳﺎﹶﺭ ﹶﺓ‬
noun (specific) the man ilraagil ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺮﺍ ﹶﺟـﹻﻞ‬
the woman ilsitt ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺴـﹻﺖﹼ‬
the cat il'uTTa ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻘـﹹﻄﹽـﹷﺔ‬
the idea ilfikra ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻔـﹻﻜﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
noun(general) a man raagil ‫ﺭﺍﹶﺟـﹻﻞ‬
a woman sitt ‫ﺳـﹻﺖﹼ‬
a cat 'uTTa ‫ﻗـﹹﻄﹽـﹷﺔ‬
an idea fikra ‫ﻓـﹻﻜﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
noun(quantity) some men shwyit rigalaat ‫ﺷﻮﻳـﹻﺔ ﺭ ﹺﺟﺎ ﹶﻻ ﹶﺓ‬
five men Kamas rigaala ‫ﺧـﹷﻤـﹷﺲ ﺭ ﹺﺟﺎ ﹶﻻﹶ‬
any man 'ai raagil ‫ﺃﻱ ﺭﺍﹶﺟـﹻﻞ‬

pronoun(subject) he huwwa ‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬
she hiya ‫ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬
pronoun(object) him -uh ‫ــﹹﻪ‬
her -ha ‫ـﻬﺎﹶ‬
Determiners
Determiners help to identify the specific, the kind or the quantity of something that you are talking
about. In English, determiners are words like the, a, some and his.
The Egyptian word il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬corresponds to the in English, but there is no equivalent to 'a'. The noun
just appears on its own.
Note that adding il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬to a word affects the pronunciation if it begins with a sun letter.
The essentials
Pronouns
Pronouns are the short words like I and they that often replace nouns in spoken English and
Egyptian, to make our speech clearer and more concise. Here is a simple example:
I love her
'ana bahibbaha
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺑـﹷﺤـﹻﺒﹽـﹷﻬﺎﹶ‬
subject pronoun I 'ana ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ‬
verb love bahibb ‫ﺑـﹷﺤـﹻﺐﹼ‬
object pronoun her -aha ‫ــﹷﻬﺎﹶ‬
We can see that the subject is still at the start of the sentence and the object is still at the end of
the sentence, but in Egyptian the object pronoun is attached to the end of the verb. Let's turn that
round and see what happens:
she loves me
hiya bitihibbni
‫ﻫـﹻﻲ ﹶ ﺑـﹻﺘـﹻﺤـﹻﺒﹽﻨﻲ‬
subject pronoun she hiya ‫ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬
verb loves bitihibb ‫ﺑـﹻﺘـﹻﺤـﹻﺐﹼ‬
object pronoun me -ni ‫ـﻨﻲ‬
Woa, what happened there? Everything changed, in both English and Egyptian! The reason is
that, in both languages, there are different forms of the pronoun for subject and object. There is a
third form of the pronoun that indicates ownership (mine/his/yours/theirs/its) but we will save that
until we cover pronouns in more detail. For now, let's just look at the subject and object pronouns.
Remember that object pronouns are attached to the end of the verb.
Subject Object
English Egyptian English Egyptian
I 'ana ‫ ﺃﻧﺎﹶ‬me -ni ‫ـﻨﻲ‬
we 'ihna ‫ ﺇﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬us -na ‫ـﻨﺎﹶ‬
you(m) 'inta ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬you(m) -ak ‫ــﹷﻚ‬
you(f) 'inti ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹺ‬you(f) -ik ‫ــﹻﻚ‬
-
you(pl) 'intu ‫ ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬you(pl) ukw ‫ــﹹﻜﻮ‬
he/it(m) huwwa ‫ ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬him/it(m) -uh ‫ــﹹﻪ‬
she/it(f) hiya ‫ ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬her/it(f) -ha ‫ـﻬﺎﹶ‬
-
they humma ‫ ﻫـﹹﻢﹼﹶ‬them
uhum‫ــﹹﻬـﹹﻢ‬
Here are a few more examples:
Page 6
English Egyptian
I know him 'ana Aarfuh ‫ﺃﻧﺎ ﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﹸﻩ‬
Ahmed knows him 'ahmad Aarfuh ‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﹸﻩ‬
Sarah knows him saara Aarfituh ‫ﺳﺎﹶﺭ ﹶﺓ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻓـﹻﺖ ﹸﻩ‬
I smoke cigarettes 'ana bashrab sagaayar ‫ﺃﻧﺎ ﹶ ﺑﺎ ﹶﺷﺮ ﹶﺏ ﺳـﹷﺠﺎ ﹶﻳـﹷﺮ‬
I write books 'ana baktib kutoob ‫ﺃﻧﺎ ﹶ ﺑﺎ ﹶﻛﺘـﹻﺐ ﻛـﹹﺘﻮﺏ‬

Ahmed writes books 'ahmad biyiktib kutoob ‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﻜﺘـﹻﺐ ﻛـﹹﺘﻮﺏ‬
he writes books huwwa biyiktib kutoob ‫ﻫـ ﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﻜﺘـﹻﺐ ﻛـﹹﺘﻮﺏ‬
Note that, in Egyptian, the subject pronoun can be omitted if the meaning is still clear:
English Egyptian
'ana Aarfuh ‫ﺃﻧﺎ ﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﹸﻩ‬
I know him
Aarfuh ‫ﻋﺎﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﹸﻩ‬
huwwa 'inta Aarfuh? ‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺇﻧﺘـ ﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﹸﻩ؟‬
Do you (m) know him
huwwa Aarfuh? ‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﹸﻩ؟‬
There is no 'is'
The word is/am/are is one of the most commonly use verbs in English.... but, if you are talking
about something now (not the past or future), there is no word in Egyptian for 'is'. That's quite a big
difference, but it's not too difficult. Let's take a look at some examples:
English Egyptian
I am tired 'ana taAbaan ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺗـﹷﻌﺒﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
Ahmed is Egyptian 'ahmad maSri ‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﻣـﹷﺼﺮﻱ‬
the cats are in the garden il'uTaT fi ilgineena ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻘـﹹﻄـﹷﻂ ﻓﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺠـﹻﻨﻴﻨـﹷﺔ‬
Sarah is available saara mawgooda ‫ﺳﺎﹶﺭ ﹶﺓ ﻣـﹷﻮﺟﻮﺩ ﹶﺓ‬

today is Friday ilnaharda ilgumAa‫ﺍﹺﻟﻨـﹷﻬﺎ ﹶﺭﺩ ﹶﺓ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺠـﹹﻤﻌـﹷﺔ‬
this is my wife di miraati ‫ﺩﻱ ﻣـﹻﺮﺍ ﹶﺗﻲ‬

my husband is at home goozi fi ilbiyt ‫ﺟﻮﺯﻱ ﻓﻲ ﺍﹺﻟﺒـﹻﻴﺖ‬
When you are talking about a past or future situation, the Egyptian words kaan ‫ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬- was and
haykoon ‫ ﻫـ ﹷﻴﻜﻮﻥ‬- will be are used. This will be covered in more detail later under verbs. Here are
some simple examples:
The essentials
English Egyptian
I am tired 'ana taAbaan ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺗـﹷﻌﺒﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
Ahmed is tired 'ahmad taAbaan ‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺗـﹷﻌﺒﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
I was tired 'ana kunt taAbaan ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻛـ ﹹﻨﺖ ﺗـﹷﻌﺒﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
Ahmed was tired 'ahmad kaan taAbaan ‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ ﺗـﹷﻌﺒﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
I will be tired 'ana hakoon taAbaan ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻫـ ﹷﻜﻮﻥ ﺗـﹷﻌﺒﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
Ahmed will be tired 'ahmad hayikoon taAbaan ‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﻫـ ﹷﻴـ ﹻﻜﻮﻥ ﺗـﹷﻌﺒﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
There is no 'have'
The verb have is widely used in English, but there is no equivalent verb in Egyptian. Have is used
in many ways in English, and in Egyptian a different word is used for each meaning... and none of
them are verbs.
Meaning English Egyptian

have with me I have matches maAaya kabreet ‫ﻣـ ﹷﻌـ ﹶﻳﺎ ﹶ ﻛـﹷﺒﺮﻳﺖ‬
own I have a house Aandi biyt ‫ﻋـ ﹷﻨﺪﻱ ﺑـﹻﻴﺖ‬
must I have to go laazim 'aruwh ‫ﻻ ﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ ﺃﺭ ﹸﻭﺡ‬
I will have dinner
eat, etc hatAashsha ‫ﻫـ ﹷﺘﻌـ ﹷﺸ ﹽﺎ ﹶ‬
(I will dine)
I will have a nap
take haaKuz taAseela ‫ﻫﺎ ﹶﺧـ ﹹﺬ ﺗـﹷﻌﺴﻴﻠـﹷﺔ‬
(I will take a nap)
Masculine, feminine, plural

Like many european languages, all Egyptian nouns are either masculine or feminine. Here are
some examples:
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Gender English Arabic
book kitaab ‫ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
dog kalb ‫ﻛـﹷﻠﺐ‬
man raagil ‫ﺭﺍﹶﺟـﹻﻞ‬
masculine house biyt ‫ﺑـﹻﻴﺖ‬
milk laban ‫ﻟـﹷﺒـﹷﻦ‬
peace salaam ‫ﺳـﹷﻼ ﹶﻡ‬
teacher mudarris ‫ﻣـﹹﺪ ﹶﺭﹼ ﹺﺱ‬
teacher mudarrisa ‫ﻣـﹹﺪ ﹶﺭﹼ ﹺﺳـﹷﺔ‬
idea fikra ‫ﻓـﹻﻜﺮ ﹶﺓ‬

table tarabeeza ‫ﺗـﹷﺮﺍ ﹶﺑﻴﺰ ﹶﺓ‬
workshop warsha ‫ﻭﹶﺭﺷـﹷﺔ‬
feminine
woman sitt ‫ﺳـﹻﺖﹼ‬
daughter
bint ‫ﺑـﹻﻨﺖ‬
girl
fire naar ‫ﻧﺎﹶﺭ‬
head raas ‫ﺭﺍﹶﺱ‬
As you can see, the majority of feminine nouns end in -a ‫ــ ﹷﺔ‬. There are a few exceptions though:
some are obvious, like woman and daughter, but others, you just need to learn them. We will
cover this in more detail in the section on nouns.
In both English and Egyptian, the majority of nouns have singular and plural forms: in Egyptian, a
very small number of plural nouns are also divided by gender (masculine and feminine). Here are
some examples of plurals:
The essentials
English Arabic
Singular Plural Singular Plural
book books kitaab ‫ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬kutub ‫ﻛـﹹﺘـﹹﺐ‬
dog dogs kalb ‫ ﻛـﹷﻠﺐ‬kilaab ‫ﻛـﹻﻼ ﹶﺏ‬
man men raagil ‫ ﺭﺍﹶﺟـﹻﻞ‬riggaala ‫ﺭﹺﺟﹽﺎ ﹶﻻﹶ‬
child children Tifl ‫' ﻃـﹻﻔﻞ‬aTfaal ‫ﺃﻃﻔﺎﹶﻝ‬
house houses biyt ‫ ﺑـﹻﻴﺖ‬buyoot ‫ﺑـﹹﻴﻮﺕ‬
milk laban ‫ﻟـﹷﺒـﹷﻦ‬
peace salaam ‫ﺳـﹷﻼ ﹶﻡ‬
teacher(m) teachers mudarris ‫ ﻣـﹹﺪ ﹶﺭﹼ ﹺﺱ‬mudarriseen ‫ﻣـﹹﺪ ﹶﺭﹼ ﹺﺳﻴﻦ‬
teacher(f) teachers mudarrisa ‫ ﻣـﹹﺪ ﹶﺭﹼ ﹺﺳـﹷﺔ‬mudarrisaat ‫ﻣـﹹﺪ ﹶﺭﹼ ﹺﺳﺎ ﹶﺕ‬
idea ideas fikra ‫' ﻓـﹻﻜﺮ ﹶﺓ‬afkaar ‫ﺃﻓﻜﺎﹶﺭ‬

table tables tarabeeza ‫ ﺗـﹷﺮﺍ ﹶﺑﻴﺰ ﹶﺓ‬tarabeezaat ‫ﺗـﹷﺮﺍ ﹶﺑﻴﺰﺍ ﹶﺕ‬
workshop workshops warsha ‫ ﻭﹶﺭﺷـﹷﺔ‬wirash ‫ﻭﹺﺭ ﹶﺵ‬
woman women sitt ‫ ﺳـﹻﺖﹼ‬sattaat ‫ﺳـﹷﺘﹽﺎ ﹶﺕ‬
fire fires naar ‫ ﻧﺎﹶﺭ‬neeraan ‫ﻧﻴﺮﺍﹶﻥ‬
In English, the majority of plural nouns are the same as the singular, with a suffix of -s for example
book/books, but there are a small number of words with unusual plurals, for example man/men
and child/children. In Egyptian, feminine nouns that end in -a ‫ ــ ﹷﺔ‬usually have a very
straightforward plural- -aat ‫ـﺎ ﹶﺕ‬. Plurals of masculine nouns vary quite a lot- the vowels move
about a bit but the consonants remain the same. You will need to learn them.
Note that, both in English and Egyptian, some words do not have a plural- for example milk and
peace.
Adjectives
Adjectives are words that describe something- for example, good or small. In English, adjectives
do not change, but in Egyptian there are different forms of an adjective for masculine, feminine
and plural. Here are some examples:
English Egyptian
he is tired huwwa taAbaan ‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺗـﹷﻌﺒﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
she is tired hiya taAbaana ‫ﻫـﹻﻲ ﹶ ﺗـﹷﻌﺒﺎ ﹶﻥ ﹶﺓ‬
they are tired humma taAbaneen ‫ﻫـﹹﻢﹼ ﹶ ﺗـﹷﻌﺒﺎ ﹶﻥﻳﻦ‬
he is good huwwa kuwayis ‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﻛـﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـﹻﺲ‬
she is good hiya kuwayisa

‫ﻫـﹻﻲ ﹶ ﻛـﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـﹻﺲ‬
‫ﹶﺓ‬
they are good humma kuwayiseen ‫ﻫـﹹﻢﹼ ﹶ ﻛـﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـﹻﺲﻳﻦ‬
The good news is that the majority of adjectives require just a different ending for feminine- -a ‫ــ ﹷﺔ‬
and plural -yn ‫ ـﻴﻦ‬forms. We will cover this in more detail in the section on adjectives.
Page 10
Adverbs
Just as adjectives describe a noun, adverbs say something about a verb - where, when, how
often, how much etc. They can also be used to describe the extent of an adjective (very good) or
even another adverb (very slowly). Many English adverbs end with -ly. Usage of adverbs is very
similar in English and Egyptian, though adverbs usually go after adjectives: here are some
examples
describing English Egyptian

'ana hargaA baAd shuwaya
verb I will come back soon
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻫـﹷﺮﺟـﹷﻊ ﺑـ ﹷﻌﺪ ﺷـ ﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـ ﹷﺔ‬
'ahmad biyimshi bisuraAa
verb Ahmed walks quickly
‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﻤﺸﻲ ﺑـ ﹻﺴـ ﹹﺮ ﹶﻋـ ﹷﺔ‬
'ahmad shaaTir giddan
adjective Ahmed is extremely clever
‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺷﺎ ﹶﻃـﹻﺮ ﺟـ ﹻﺪ ﹼﺍ ﹰ‬
'ahmad biyisoo' bisuraAa maA'oola
adverb Ahmed drives reasonably fast
‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﺴﻮﻕ ﺑـﹻﺴـﹹﺮ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ ﻣـﹷﻌﻘﻮﻟـﹷﺔ‬
Prepositions
In English, prepositions link an additional noun to a verb. This is possible in Egyptian, but
prepositions are also commonly used in place of verbs, for example have is usually expressed
using the prepositions Aand ‫( ﻋـ ﹷﻨﺪ‬own) and maAa ‫( ﻣـ ﹷﻊ ﹶ‬have with you): see ownership for more
information. Here are some examples of prepositions:

baAd hiya gaat baAd ilAasha'
after she came after dinner
‫ﺑـﹷﻌﺪ‬ ‫ﻫـﹻﻲ ﹶ ﺟﺎ ﹶﺕ ﺑـ ﹷﻌﺪ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌـﹷﺸﺎ ﹶء‬
wara ilgineena wara ilbiyt
behind the garden is behind the house
‫ﻭﹶﺭﺍﹶ‬ ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺠـﹻﻨﻴﻨـﹷﺔ ﻭ ﹶﺭﺍ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺒـﹻﻴﺖ‬
Aand Aandi biyt fi il'ahra
have I have a house in Cairo
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ‬ ‫ﻋـ ﹷﻨﺪﻱ ﺑـﹻﻴﺖ ﻓﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻘﺎ ﹶﻫـﹻﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
fi fi mayaat
there is there is water
‫ﻓﻲ‬ ‫ﻓﻲ ﻣـﹷﻴﺎ ﹶﺓ‬
Conjunctions
A conjunction joins two clauses to make a much more complex sentence. Here is an example:
I want to make bread but I don't have enough flour

Aaayiz 'aAamil Aiysh lakin maAandeesh di'ee' kifaaya
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﺃﻋـﹷﻤـﹻﻞ ﻋـﹻﻴﺶ ﻟـ ﹷﻜـ ﹻﻦ ﻣـﹷﻌـﹷﻨﺪﻳﺶ ﺩ ﹺﻗﻴﻖ ﻛـﹻﻔﺎ ﹶﻳـﹷﺔ‬
Part English Egyptian
Aaayiz 'aAamil Aiysh
Main clause I want to make bread
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﺃﻋـﹷﻤـﹻﻞ ﻋـﹻﻴﺶ‬
laakin
Conjunction but
‫ﻻﹶﻛـﹻﻦ‬
Second maAandeesh di'ee' kifaaya
I don't have enough flour
clause ‫ﻣـﹷﻌـﹷﻨﺪﻳﺶ ﺩ ﹺﻗﻴﻖ ﻛـﹻﻔﺎ ﹶﻳـﹷﺔ‬
The essentials
In English, the same word is often used for a preposition and a conjunction, but in Egyptian it may
be different. Sometimes it is only necessary to add the word ma ‫ ﻣﺎ ﹶ‬to convert a preposition to a
conjunction.

'iGsil ieedeek 'abl ilAasha'
preposition wash your hands before
(dinner is a noun) dinner
‫ﺇﻏﺴـﹻﻞ ﺍ ﹺﻳﺪﻳﻚ ﻗـ ﹷﺒﻞ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌـﹷﺸﺎ‬
‫ﹶء‬
'iGsil ieedeek 'abl ma
conjunction taakul
wash your hands before you
(you eat is a clause-
it contains a verb)
eat ‫ﺇﻏﺴـﹻﻞ ﺍ ﹺﻳﺪﻳﻚ ﻗـ ﹷﺒﻞ ﻣﺎ ﹶ ﺗﺎ‬
‫ﹶﻛـﹹﻞ‬
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Nouns
A noun represents a person, thing or concept. Here are some examples:
Type English Arabic

person Ahmed 'ahmad ‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ‬
person man raagil ‫ﺭﺍﹶﺟـﹻﻞ‬
person player laaAib ‫ﻻﹶﻋـﹻﺐ‬
thing leather gild ‫ﺟـﹻﻠﺪ‬
concept wisdom hikma ‫ﺣـﹻﻜﻤـﹷﺔ‬
concept appointment meeAaad ‫ﻣﻴﻌﺎﹶﺩ‬
Masculine and feminine

In arabic, nouns can be masculine or feminine. This does not necessarily mean that they belong to
male and female persons. Most words that end with -a ‫ ــ ﹷﺔ‬are feminine. Egyptian spelling is
somewhat whimsical: some people use -ah ‫ ــ ﹷﻪ‬at the end of feminine words.
In addition, there are a small number of words that do not end in -a ‫ ــ ﹷﺔ‬that are also feminine.
Some of these words are obvious: others less so. Here are some examples of feminine nouns:
Feminine nouns
English Arabic
idea fikra ‫ﻓـﹻﻜﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
woman sitt ‫ﺳـﹻﺖﹼ‬
daughter bint ‫ﺑـﹻﻨﺖ‬
fire naar ‫ﻧﺎﹶﺭ‬
head raas ‫ﺭﺍﹶﺱ‬
leg rigl ‫ﺭﹺﺟﻞ‬
ear widn ‫ﻭﹺﺩﻥ‬
France
faransa ‫ﻓـﹷﺮ ﹶﻧﺴﺎﹶ‬
and all other countries
Tunis
Toonis ‫ﻃﻮﻧـﹻﺲ‬
and some other cities
Nouns
Plurals
If there is more than one of something, the noun becomes a plural. For the majority of English
words, we make a small change to the ending - book/books, story/stories: there are a few
exceptions, for example child/children. The same is true in Egyptian: for many nouns, only the
ending changes, though for quite a few the volwels move around within the word. Here are some
of the simple ones:
Gender Ending Singular Plural

masculine -yn ‫ ـﻴﻦ‬muhaasib ‫ ﻣـﹹﺤﺎ ﹶﺳـﹻﺐ‬muhasbeen ‫ﻣـﹹﺤﺎ ﹶﺳـﹻﺐﻳﻦ‬
feminine -aat ‫ ـﺎﹶﺕ‬muhasba ‫ ﻣـﹹﺤﺎ ﹶﺳﺐ ﹶ ﺓ‬muhasbaat

‫ﻣـﹹﺤﺎ ﹶﺳـﹻﺐﺍ‬
‫ﹶﺕ‬
For the majority of masculine nouns and for a few feminine nouns, the plural is formed by re-
arranging the vowels- usually converting short vowels for long: it's probably easiest just to
remember the plural when you learn a new word, rather than trying to work out the rules. Here are
some examples:
English Singular Plural

man raagil ‫ ﺭﺍﹶﺟـﹻﻞ‬rigaela ‫ﺭﹺﺟﺎ ﹶﻻﹶ‬
dog kalb ‫ ﻛـﹷﻠﺐ‬kilaeb ‫ﻛـﹻﻼ ﹶﺏ‬
fingernail Dufr ‫ ﺿـﹹﻔﺮ‬Dawaefir ‫ﺿـﹷﻮﺍ ﹶﻓـﹻﺮ‬
book kitaeb ‫ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬kutub ‫ﻛـﹹﺘـﹹﺐ‬
story QiSSa ‫ ﻗـﹻﺼﹽـﹷﺔ‬QiSaS ‫ﻗـﹻﺼـﹷﺺ‬
king malik ‫ ﻣـﹷﻠـﹻﻚ‬mulook ‫ﻣـﹹﻠﻮﻙ‬
type Sanf ‫' ﺻـﹷﻨﻒ‬aSnaaf ‫ﺃﺻﻨﺎﹶﻑ‬
broker simsaar
‫ ﺳـﹻﻤﺴﺎ‬samasra
‫ﺳـﹷﻤـﹷﺴﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
‫ﹶﺭ‬
A very small number of nouns have a different plural when you are talking about between 3 and
10 of them. These are:

day yoom ‫ ﻳﻮﻡ‬tiyaem ‫ﺗـﹻﻴﺎ ﹶﻡ‬
month shahr ‫ ﺷـﹷﻬﺮ‬tushhoor ‫ﺗـﹹﺸﻬﻮﺭ‬
person nafar ‫ ﻧـﹷﻔـﹷﺮ‬tinfaar ‫ﺗـﹻﻨﻔﺎ ﹶﺭ‬
plate Taba' ‫ ﻃـﹷﺒـﹷﻖ‬tiTbaa' ‫ﺗـﹻﻄﺒﺎ ﹶﻕ‬
thousand 'alf ‫ ﺃﻟﻒ‬talaaf ‫ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﻑ‬
Occupations
Generally speaking, the plural for trades ends with either -yn ‫ ـﻴﻦ‬or -aya ‫ــ ﹷﻴـ ﹷﺔ‬, but for professions
there are different endings for men -yn ‫ ـﻴﻦ‬and women -aat ‫ـﺎ ﹶﺕ‬.
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carpenter naggaar ‫ ﻧـﹷﺠﹽﺎ ﹶﺭ‬naggareen ‫ﻧـﹷﺠﹽﺎ ﹶﺭﻳﻦ‬
greengrocer KuDari ‫ ﺧـﹹﻀـﹷﺮﻱ‬KuDariyya ‫ﺧـﹹﻀـﹷﺮ ﹺﻱﻳـ ﹷﺔ‬
male
mudarris ‫ ﻣـﹹﺪ ﹶﺭﹼ ﹺﺱ‬mudarriseen ‫ﻣـﹹﺪ ﹶﺭﹼ ﹺﺱﻳﻦ‬
teacher
female
mudarrisa ‫ ﻣـﹹﺪ ﹶﺭﹼ ﹺﺱ ﹶ ﺓ‬mudarrisaat ‫ﻣـﹹﺪ ﹶﺭﹼ ﹺﺱﺍ ﹶﺕ‬
teacher
Collective nouns and mass nouns

In English, deer can mean one deer or several: the latter is described as a collective noun. In
Egyptian, many foods- and some other things- are usually referred to using a collective noun. You
can talk about one item, for example one fish, by adding -a ‫ ــ ﹷﺔ‬ending:
English collective one

eggs biyD ‫ ﺑـﹻﻴﺾ‬biyDa ‫ﺑـﹻﻴﺾ ﹶﺓ‬
fish samak ‫ ﺳـﹷﻤـﹷﻚ‬samaka ‫ﺳـﹷﻤـﹷﻚ ﹶﺓ‬
flies dibbaan ‫ ﺩﹺﺑﹽﺎ ﹶﻥ‬dibbaana ‫ﺩﹺﺑﹽﺎ ﹶﻥ ﹶﺓ‬
In English, items that you can't easily count, like sugar and cheese, are referred to using a mass
noun. In Egyptian, a collective noun is used, and you can refer to a tiny amount of it by adding the-
a ‫ ــ ﹷﺔ‬ending, for example flour is diQeeQ ‫ ﺩ ﹺﻗﻴﻖ‬and a grain of flour is diQeeQa ‫ﺩ ﹺﻗﻴﻘـ ﹷﺔ‬.
Many materials- things that can be used to make something from, like leather or cloth, are treated
in the same way: you add -a ‫ ــ ﹷﺔ‬to give the meaning a piece of...
English collective a piece

wood Kashab ‫ ﺧـﹷﺸـﹷﺐ‬Kashaba ‫ﺧـﹷﺸـﹷﺐ ﹶ ﺓ‬
soap Saboon ‫ ﺻﺎﹶﺑﻮﻥ‬Saboona ‫ﺻﺎﹶﺑﻮﻥ ﹶﺓ‬
Pairs
The Egyptian word for shoes (gazma ‫ )ﺟـ ﹷﺰﻣـ ﹷﺔ‬relates to a pair. For a single shoe, it is necessary to
say fardit gazma ‫ﻓـ ﹷﺮﺩ ﹺﺓ ﺟـ ﹷﺰﻣـ ﹷﺔ‬. Note that Egyptians do not consider trousers to be a pair. Here
are some examples of words that work like this:
English Egyptian
shoes gazma ‫ﺟـﹷﺰﻣـﹷﺔ‬
socks sharaab ‫ﺷـﹷﺮﺍ ﹶﺏ‬
gloves guwanti ‫ﺟـﹹﻮﺍ ﹶﻧﺘﻲ‬
Nouns
Duals
If you want to talk about two people, or specify a quantity of two, see the section on two in
numbers.
If you want to talk about two things (not people or quantities), you should use the dual suffix -yn
‫ـﻴﻦ‬. This is equivalent to a couple which can mean exactly two, or approximately two. There are
slightly different forms for feminine nouns and words ending in -i ‫ـﻲ‬. Here are some examples:
English Egyptian Suffix English Egyptian

book (m) kitaab ‫ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬-yn ‫ ـﻴﻦ‬two books kitabeen ‫ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺑﻴﻦ‬
chair
kursi ‫ ﻛـﹹﺮﺳﻲ‬-iyyin ‫ ــﹻﻴﻴـﹻﻦ‬two chairs kursiyyin‫ﻛـﹹﺮﺳـﹻﻴﻴـﹻﻦ‬
(ends with y)
minute (f) di'ee'a ‫ ﺩﹺﻗﻴﻘـﹷﺔ‬-teen ‫ ـﺘﻴﻦ‬a couple of minutes di'i'teen ‫ﺩﹺﻗـﹻﻘﺘﻴﻦ‬
Genitive form
The genitive is used to express ownership. In English, the most common way is to put an
apostrophe-s on the end of the owned noun, for example John's house. It is similar in Egyptian.
For masculine nouns, the ending does not change: for feminine nouns that end with -a ‫ــ ﹷﺔ‬, the
ending changes to -it ‫ ــ ﹻﺔ‬which is written the same but the t-marbuta at the end is pronounced as
a t.
English Egyptian
Ahmed's book kitaab 'ahmad ‫ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ‬
the book's cover Gulaef ilkitaeb ‫ﻏـﹹﻼ ﹶﻑ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
Sarah's toy liAbit sara ‫ﻟـﹻﻌﺒـﹻﺔ ﺳـﹷﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
You can also express the genitive using the word of. For example, you could say the house of
John, although the 's form is usually preferred when expressing ownership. of can also be used
to express a quantity or a package of something: the genitive is also used in Egyptian.
English Egyptian
a bottle of water 'izzazit mayyah ‫ﺇﺯﹼ ﹶﺯ ﹺﺓ ﻣـﹷﻴﻴـﹷﻪ‬
a kilo of potatoes keelw baTaaTiS ‫ﻛﻴﻠﻮ ﺑـﹷﻄﺎ ﹶﻃـﹻﺺ‬
a pack of cigarettes bakw seegaayar ‫ﺑﺎﹶﻛﻮ ﺳﻴﺠﺎ ﹶﻳـﹷﺮ‬

a box of matches Ailbit kabreet ‫ﻋـﹻﻠﺒـﹻﺔ ﻛـﹷﺒﺮﻳﺖ‬
Possessive suffixes
In English, you can also express ownership with a possessive determiner, for example my, your,
his. In Egyptian, you add a posessive suffix to the end of the owned noun. When you add a suffix
to a feminine noun, the -a ‫ ــ ﹷﺔ‬is converted to a -it- ‫ــ ﹻﺘـ‬, both in writing and speech. Here are some
examples:
English on its own with pronoun

his book kitaab ‫ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬kitaabuh ‫ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﹸﻩ‬
my wife does not exist on its own miraati ‫ﻣـﹻﺮﺍ ﹶﺕﻱ‬
your(m) idea fikra ‫ ﻓـﹻﻜﺮ ﹶﺓ‬fikritak ‫ﻓـﹻﻜﺮ ﹺﺕ ﹶ ﻙ‬
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See determiners for more information about possessive suffixes, and ownership for information
about other methods of expressing ownership.
Compound nouns
You can describe a noun using another noun, for example to say what material it is made from.
The qualifying noun is placed after the main noun, and is always singular. If the main noun is
preceded by il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬the qualifying noun is also preceded by il- ‫ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬. Note that adding il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬to a word
affects the pronunciation if it begins with a sun letter.
English Arabic
a plastic bag kees blastik ‫ﻛﻴﺲ ﺑﻼﹶﺳﺘـﹻﻚ‬
the plastic bag ilkees ilblastik ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜﻴﺲ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺒﻼ ﹶﺳﺘـﹻﻚ‬
plastic bags 'akyaas blastik ‫ﺃﻛﻴﺎﹶﺱ ﺑﻼ ﹶﺳﺘـﹻﻚ‬
the plastic bags il'akyaas ilblastik ‫ﺍﹺﻷﻛﻴﺎ ﹶﺱ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺒﻼ ﹶﺳﺘـﹻﻚ‬
Pronouns
Pronouns
Pronouns are short words that are used to replace nouns in spoken English and Arabic. They are
used when both the speaker and listener know what noun they represent, for example if the noun
has already been used in an earlier sentence. This makes our speech clearer and more concise.
In this example, Ahmed and dog are the nouns and He and it are pronouns:
Ahmed has a dog. He walks with it every day

'ahmad Aanduh kalb wa huwwa biyitmashsha maAauh kul yoom
‫ﺃﺣﻤـ ﹷﺪ ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹸﻩ ﻛـﹷﻠﺐ ﻭ ﹶ ﻫـ ﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﺘﻤـﹷﺸﹽﻰ ﻣـﹷﻌـﹶ ﹸﻩ ﻛـﹹﻞ ﻳﻮﻡ‬
There are four main groups of pronoun:
• personal pronouns - I, me, mine, he, him, his etc

• demonstrative pronouns - this, that
• indefinite pronouns - somebody, anywhere
• relative pronouns - who, which, that
Personal pronouns
In English, there are four versions of the personal pronoun (he, him, his, himself): in Egyptian,
there is an additional version (to him).
English Egyptian Form

I, he huwwa ‫ ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬subject
me, him -uh ‫ ــﹹﻪ‬object
to me, to him -luh ‫ ـﻠـﹹﻪ‬indirect object
mine milk-i ‫ ﻣـﹻﻠﻜـﻲ‬posessive
myself, himself nafsuh‫ ﻧـﹷﻔﺴـﹹﻪ‬reflexive
In Egyptian, there are separate forms of you for masculine, feminine and plural, but there is no
neuter (it): instead, it is necessary to use the he or she form, depending on the gender of the
noun.
Subject pronouns
A subject is the noun that appears before the verb- the person or thing that is doing something.
I like to read
'ana baahib 'aktib
‫ﺃﻧﺎ ﹶ ﺑﺎ ﹶﺣـﹻﺐ ﺃﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
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The subject pronouns are:
English Egyptian
I 'ana ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ‬
we 'ihna ‫ﺇﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬
you(m) 'inta ‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬
you(f) 'inti ‫ﺇﻧﺖﹺ‬
you(pl) 'intu ‫ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬
he/it(m) huwwa ‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬
she/it(f) hiya ‫ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬

they humma ‫ﻫـﹹﻢﹼﹶ‬
Personal pronouns are not needed with perfect and x-imperfect verbs, as it is clear from the verb,
but it is common to use them, especially for emphasis. They are often used with participles to
make it clearer who is the subject.
Pronoun suffixes
You can attach a pronoun as a suffix to a verb, preposition or conjunction. It is normally an object
pronoun (me, him) when attached to a verb and a subject pronoun (I, he) when attached to a
preposition or conjunction.

verb
I love her 'ana baahibbaha ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺑﺎ ﹶﺣـﹻﺐﹼ ﹶﻫـ ﹶ‬
object
preposition
Do you have a lighter? maAakwalaeAa? ‫ﻣـﹷﻊ ﹶﻙﻭ ﹶﻻ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ؟‬
subject
conjunction
I think that you are wrong 'ana 'aftikir 'innak Galtan ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺃﻓﺘـﹻﻜـﹻﺮ ﺇﻥﹼ ﹶﻙ ﻏـﹷﻠﺘﺎﹰ‬
subject
The pronoun suffixes are:
English Suffix
me -i ‫ـﹺ‬
us -na ‫ـﻦﹶ‬
You(m) -ak ‫ــﹷﻚ‬
You(f) -ik ‫ــﹻﻚ‬
-
You(pl)
kum ‫ـﻜـﹹﻢ‬
Him/it(m) -u ‫ـﹸ‬
Her/it(f) -ha ‫ـﻬﺎﹶ‬
-
Them
hum ‫ـﻬـﹹﻢ‬
Pronouns
Possessive pronoun
Words like mine and hers are possessive pronouns: they are used on their own to represent
something that you own. They are similar to possessive determiners, which are used together with
the noun they represent, for example my book. In Egyptian arabic, the equivalent of a possessive
pronoun is formed by adding a possessive suffix to the owning-word milk ‫ﻣـ ﹻﻠﻚ‬.
that house is mine

ilbiyt dah milki
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺒـﹻﻴﺖ ﺩ ﹶﻩ ﻣـ ﹻﻠﻜﻲ‬
Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself)
Reflexive pronouns can be used after a noun or a verb. They are formed by adding a possessive
suffix to the self-word nafs ‫ﻧـ ﹷﻔﺲ‬.
English Egyptian
I can look after myself haaKud baali min nafsi ‫ﻫﺎﹶﺧـﹹﺪ ﺑﺎ ﹶﻟﻲ ﻣـﹻﻦ ﻧـﹷﻔﺴﻲ‬
The man himself ilraagil nafsuh ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺮﺍ ﹶﺟـﹻﻞ ﻧـﹷﻔﺴـﹹﻪ‬
He did it by himself huwwa Aaamalha binafsuh‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﻣـﹷﻠﻪ ﹶ ﺑـﹻﻨـﹷﻔﺴـﹹﻪ‬
Demonstrative pronouns
These are the words that you use when you want to point at something.
English Egyptian
this (man) dah ‫ﺩﹶ ﻩ‬
this (woman, thing) di ‫ﺩﻱ‬
those (men) dool ‫ﺩﻭﻝ‬
those
(women,things)
deeh ‫ﺩﻳﻪ‬
If you want to use one of these together with a noun, rather than to replace the noun, for example
this book, you would use a demonstrative determiner in English and a demonstrative adjective in
Egyptian.

noun how much is the book? bikaam ilkitaab? ‫ﺑـﹻﻜﺎ ﹶﻡ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻜـ ﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ؟‬
pronoun how much is this? bikaam dah? ‫ﺑـﹻﻜﺎ ﹶﻡ ﺩ ﹶﻩ؟‬
adjective how much is this book? bikaam ilkitaab dah ‫ﺑـﹻﻜﺎ ﹶﻡ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺩ ﹶ ﻩ‬
Indefinite pronouns
These are words like anybody, something etc. In Egyptian, these are made up of two words, but
they are used in exactly the same way as in English.
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English Egyptian
somebody hadd ‫ﺣـﹷﺪﹼ‬
anybody 'ai hadd ‫ﺃﻱ ﺣـﹷﺪﹼ‬
nobody wala hadd ‫ﻭﹶﻻ ﹶ ﺣـﹷﺪﹼ‬
something haaga ‫ﺣﺎﹶﺟـﹷﺔ‬
anything 'ai haaga ‫ﺃﻱ ﺣﺎﹶﺟـﹷﺔ‬
nothing wala haaga ‫ﻭﹶﻻ ﹶ ﺣﺎ ﹶﺟـﹷﺔ‬
somewhere makaan ‫ﻣـﹷﻜﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
anywhere 'ai makaan ‫ﺃﻱ ﻣـﹷﻜﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
nowhere wala makaan ‫ﻭﹶﻻ ﹶ ﻣـﹷﻜﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
Relative pronoun
A relative pronoun forms a relative clause, which describes a noun in the main clause. The relative
pronoun represents that noun within the relative clause. In this example, the who-clause describes
man in the first clause and who replaces he in the second clause:
I know a man - main clause

he sells flowers - relative clause
I know a man who sells flowers
In English, there are three different relative pronouns, some of which have subject, object and
possessive forms:
Subject Object Possessive

who whom whose
which which whose
that that
The relative pronoun illi ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟ ﹽﻲ‬is used to represent that, who and which
take the right turn that is coming (ie the next left)
Kushsh ilyimeen illi gayi
‫ﺧـﹹﺶﹼ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻴـﹻﻤﻴﻦ ﺍ ﹺﻟ ﹽﻲ ﺟـﹷﻴﻲ‬
I know the man who lives here
'ana Aaerif ilraagil illi saakin hina
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺮﺍ ﹶﺟـﹻﻞ ﺍ ﹺﻟ ﹽﻲ ﺳﺎ ﹶﻛـﹻﻦ ﻫـﹻﻨﺎﹶ‬
I know a man whose house is enormous
Aaarif raagil illi huwwa biytuh kibeer
‫ﻋﺎﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﺭﺍ ﹶﺟـﹻﻞ ﺍ ﹺﻟ ﹽﻲ ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺑـﹻﻴﺘـﹹﻪ ﻛـﹻﺒﻴﺮ‬
Note that illi ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟ ﹽﻲ‬is not used for whom:
I know a man whom you can trust

'ana Aaarif raagil yimkin tuthu'' feeh
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﺭﺍ ﹶﺟـﹻﻞ ﻳـﹻﻤﻜـﹻﻦ ﺗـﹹﺜـﹹﻖﹼ ﻓﻴﻪ‬
Note that, in English, that can also be a demonstrative pronoun, a demonstrative determiner or a
conjunction.
Adjectives
Adjectives
Adjectives can be used in two ways: to describe something, or to specify which one of several you
are talking about (a qualifying adjective).
In English, you put the in front of a qualifying adjective. In Egyptian, you put il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬before both the
qualifiying adjective and the noun: the il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬before the adjective is the one that means that the
adjective is specifying which one you mean. Note that adding il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬to a word affects the
pronunciation if it begins with a sun letter.
English Egyptian
describe a cherry is red kireeza hamra ‫ﻛـﹻﺮﻳﺰ ﹶﺓ ﺣـﹷﻤﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
describe the ball is red ilkoora hamra ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜﻮﺭ ﹶﺓ ﺣـﹷﻤﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
describe I want a red ball aayiz koora hamra ‫ﹶﺓ ﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﻛﻮﺭ ﹶﺓ ﺣـﹷﻤﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
qualify I want the red ball Aaayiz ilkoora ilhamra ‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﺍ ﹺﻝﻛﻮﺭ ﹶﺓ ﺍ ﹺﻝﺣـﹷﻤﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
describe the book is big ilkitaab kibeer ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﻛـﹻﺒﻴﺮ‬
describe I have read a big book 'ara't kitaab kibeer ‫ﻗـﹷﺮﺍ ﹶءﺕ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﻛـﹻﺒﻴﺮ‬
specify I have read the big book 'ara't ilkitaab ilkibeer ‫ﻗـﹷﺮﺍ ﹶءﺕ ﺍ ﹺﻝﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻝﻛـﹻﺒﻴﺮ‬
describe the man is blind ilraagil 'aAma ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺮﺍ ﹶﺟـﹻﻞ ﺃﻋﻤﻰ‬
describe a blind man is outside raagil 'aAma barra ‫ﺭﺍﹶﺟـﹻﻞ ﺃﻋﻤﻰ ﺑـﹷﺮﹼﺍﹶ‬
qualify the blind man is outside ilraagil il'aAma barra ‫ﺍ ﹺﻝﺭﺍ ﹶﺟـﹻﻞ ﺍ ﹺﻷﻋﻤﻰ ﺑـﹷﺮﹼﺍﹶ‬
Masculine, feminine, plural

In English, there is only one form of an adjective, but in Egyptian, most adjectives must agree in
gender and number with the noun that they relate to. Here are some examples:
English Egyptian
the man is clever ilraagil shaaTir ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺮﺍ ﹶﺟـﹻﻞ ﺷﺎ ﹶﻃـﹻﺮ‬
the woman is clever ilsitt shaTra ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺴـﹻﺖﹼ ﺷﺎ ﹶﻃﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
the children are clever il'aTfaal shaTreen ‫ﺍﹺﻷﻃﻔﺎ ﹶﻝ ﺷﺎ ﹶﻃـﹻﺮﻳﻦ‬
The following table shows some typical feminine and plural forms:
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Egyptian
English masculine feminine plural
-a ‫ ــﹷﺔ‬-yn ‫ـﻴﻦ‬
big kibeer ‫ ﻛـﹻﺒﻴﺮ‬kibeera ‫ ﻛـﹻﺒﻴﺮ ﹶﺓ‬kubaar ‫ﻛـﹹﺒﺎ ﹶﺭ‬
good kuwayis‫ ﻛـﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـﹻﺲ‬kuwayisa ‫ ﻛـﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـﹻﺲ ﹶ ﺓ‬kuwayiseen ‫ﻛـﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـﹻﺲﻳﻦ‬
red 'ahmar ‫ ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺮ‬hamra ‫ ﺣـﹷﻤﺮ ﹶﺓ‬humr ‫ﺣـﹹﻤﺮ‬

easy sahl ‫ ﺳـﹷﻬﻞ‬sahla ‫ ﺳـﹷﻬﻞ ﹶﺓ‬sahleen ‫ﺳـﹷﻬﻞﻳﻦ‬
nice laTeef ‫ ﻟـﹷﻄﻴﻒ‬laTeefa ‫ ﻟـﹷﻄﻴﻒ ﹶﺓ‬luTaaf ‫ﻟـﹹﻄﺎ ﹶﻑ‬
free faaDi ‫ ﻓﺎﹶﺿﻲ‬faDya ‫ ﻓﺎﹶﺿﻲ ﹶﺓ‬faDyyin ‫ﻓﺎﹶﺿﻲﻳـ ﹻﻦ‬
brown bunni ‫ ﺑـﹹﻨﹽﻲ‬bunni ‫ ﺑـﹹﻨﹽﻲ‬bunni ‫ﺑـﹹﻨﹽﻲ‬
The feminine form of most adjectives is made by adding the suffix -a ‫ــ ﹷﺔ‬, and the plural is formed
by adding the suffix -yn ‫ـﻴﻦ‬. Note that adding a suffix may affect the pronunciation.
The plural form of an adjective is normally only used for many people: for many things, the
feminine form is used. Animals are half-way between: in the same way as an English person might
say 'he' or 'it' about a dog, Egyptians could use either the plural or the feminine form to talk about
a group of animals
English Egyptian
thing plural person plural
the dogs are
ilkilaeb kibeera ‫ ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﻼ ﹶﺏ ﻛـﹻﺒﻴﺮ ﹶﺓ‬ilkilaeb kubaar ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﻼ ﹶﺏ ﻛـﹹﺒﺎ ﹶﺭ‬
big
the dogs are ilkilaeb
ilkilaeb kuwayisa ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﻼ ﹶﺏ ﻛـﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـﹻﺲ ﹶﺓ‬ ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﻼ ﹶﺏ ﻛـﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـﹻﺲﻳﻦ‬
good kuwayiseen
Some nouns, for example dibbaen ‫( ﺩ ﹺﺑ ﹽﺎ ﹶﻥ‬flies) are collective nouns- a singular form is used to
talk about a group of them. When an adjective is applied, the singular form of the adjective is
used, for example:
the flies are disgusting

ildibbaen mu'rif
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺪ ﹺﺑﹽﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻣـﹹﻘﺮ ﹺﻑ‬
We will look at some of the common exceptions later. Note that some words, for example brown
bunni ‫ ﺑـ ﹹﻨ ﹽﻲ‬are invariable- you use the same form for masculine, feminine and plural.
Adjectives
Countries
A country name is usually converted to an adjective by adding -i ‫ـﻲ‬. This can be used to refer to a
person, a language or something from a country.
English Country m f pl
-i ‫ـﻲ‬ -iya ‫ــﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬ iyyin ‫ﹺﻳﻴـﹻﻦ‬
Egypt maSr
‫ ﻣـﹷﺼﺮ‬maSriyyin ‫ﻣـﹷﺼﺮ‬
‫ ﻣـﹷﺼﺮ‬maSri ‫ ﻣـﹷﺼﺮﻱ‬maSriya
‫ﹺﻳـﹷﺔ‬ ‫ﹺﻳﻴـﹻﻦ‬
Greece ilyoonaan‫ ﺍﹺﻟﻴﻮﻧﺎ ﹶﻥ‬yoonaani ‫ ﻳﻮﻧﺎﹶﻧﻲ‬yoonaaniya ‫ ﻳﻮﻧﺎﹶﻧـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬yoonaaniyyin ‫ﻳﻮﻧﺎﹶﻧـﹻﻴﻴـﹻﻦ‬
Italy 'ieeTalya ‫' ﺇﻳﻄﺎﹶﻟﻴﺎﹶ‬ieeTaali ‫' ﺇﻳﻄﺎﹶﻟﻲ‬ieeTalya ‫' ﺇﻳﻄﺎﹶﻟﻴـﹷﺔ‬ieeTalyyin ‫ﺇﻳﻄﺎﹶﻟﻴﻴـﹻﻦ‬
Sweden ilsiweed ‫ ﺍﹺﻟﺴـﹻﻮﻳﺪ‬siweedi ‫ ﺳـﹻﻮﻳﺪﻱ‬siweedya ‫ ﺳـﹻﻮﻳﺪﻳـﹷﺔ‬siweedyyin ‫ﺳـﹻﻮﻳﺪﻳﻴـﹻﻦ‬
the
ilshimaal
‫ ﺍﹺﻟﺸـﹻﻤﺎ‬shimaali ‫ ﺷـﹻﻤﺎ‬shimaaliya ‫ ﺷـﹻﻤﺎ‬shimaaliyyin ‫ﺷـﹻﻤﺎ‬
North ‫ﹶﻝ‬ ‫ﹶﻟﻲ‬ ‫ﹶﻟـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬ ‫ﹶﻟـﹻﻴﻴـﹻﻦ‬
Europe 'uoorubba‫' ﺃﹸﻭﺭ ﹸﺑﹽﺎﹶ‬uooroobbi

‫' ﺃ‬uooroobbiya ‫' ﺃ‬uoorubbiyyin ‫ﺃﹸﻭﺭ‬
‫ﹸﻭﺭﻭﺑﹽﻲ‬ ‫ﹸﻭﺭﻭﺑﹽـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬ ‫ﹸﺑﹽـﹻﻴﻴـﹻﻦ‬
Irregular ones...
India ilhind ‫ ﺍﹺﻟﻬـﹻﻨﺪ‬hindi ‫ ﻫـﹻﻨﺪﻱ‬hindya ‫ ﻫـﹻﻨﺪﻳـﹷﺔ‬hunood ‫ﻫـﹹﻨﻮﺩ‬
(people)
'amreeka ‫' ﺃﻣﺮﻳﻜﺎﹶ‬amreeki ‫' ﺃﻣﺮﻳﻜﻲ‬amreekiyya ‫' ﺃﻣﺮﻳﻜـﹻﻴﻴـﹷﺔ‬amreekiyyin ‫ﺃﻣﺮﻳﻜـﹻﻴﻴـﹻﻦ‬
America
(things) ‫ﺃﻣﺮﹺﻛﺎ‬
'amrikaani ‫ﹶﻧﻲ‬
(things,men)
roosya ‫ ﺭﻭﺳﻴﺎﹶ‬roos ‫ ﺭﻭﺱ‬roosiyya ‫ ﺭﻭﺳـﹻﻴﻴـﹷﺔ‬roos ‫ﺭﻭﺱ‬
Russia
(women)
roosyaet ‫ﺭﻭﺳﻴﺎﹶﺕ‬
For some countries, eg England, the adjective is made from the collective noun. Here are some
examples:
English Country m f collective noun

-i ‫ ـﻲ‬-iya ‫ــﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬
England 'ingiltira ‫' ﺇﻧﺠـﹻﻠﺘـﹻﺮﺍﹶ‬ingileezi ‫' ﺇﻧﺠـﹻﻠﻴﺰﻱ‬ingileeziya ‫' ﺇﻧﺠـﹻﻠﻴﺰ ﹺﻳـﹷﺔ‬ingileez ‫ﺇﻧﺠـﹻﻠﻴﺰ‬
Arabia Aarabi
‫ﻋـﹷﺮ‬
‫ ﻋـﹷﺮ ﹶﺑﻲ‬Aarabi ‫ ﻋـﹷﺮ ﹶﺑﻲ‬Aarabiya ‫ ﻋـﹷﺮ ﹶﺑـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬Aarab
‫ﹶﺏ‬
Russia roosya ‫ ﺭﻭﺳﻴﺎﹶ‬roosi ‫ ﺭﻭﺳﻲ‬roosya ‫ ﺭﻭﺳﻴـﹷﺔ‬roos ‫ﺭﻭﺱ‬
Germany 'almanya ‫' ﺃﻟﻤﺎﹶﻧﻴﺎﹶ‬almaani ‫' ﺃﻟﻤﺎﹶﻧﻲ‬almanya ‫' ﺃﻟﻤﺎﹶﻧﻴـﹷﺔ‬almaan ‫ﺃﻟﻤﺎﹶﻥ‬
Spain 'asbanya ‫' ﺃﺳﺒﺎﹶﻧﻴﺎﹶ‬asbaani ‫' ﺃﺳﺒﺎﹶﻧﻲ‬asbanya ‫' ﺃﺳﺒﺎﹶﻧﻴـﹷﺔ‬asbaan ‫ﺃﺳﺒﺎﹶﻥ‬
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For countries ending with two consonants and alif, for example faransa ‫ﻓـ ﹷﺮ ﹶﻧﺴﺎ ﹶ‬, the ending is -
aawi ‫ـﺎ ﹶﻭﻱ‬.
English Country m f pl
-aawi ‫ ـﺎﹶﻭﻱ‬-aawiya ‫ ـﺎﹶﻭ ﹺﻳـﹷﺔ‬-aawiyyin ‫ـﺎﹶﻭ ﹺﻳﻴﺎ ﹺﻥ‬
Austria ilnimsa ‫ ﺍﹺﻟﻨـﹻﻤﺴﺎﹶ‬nimsaawi

‫ ﻧـﹻﻤﺴﺎ‬nimsawiyya ‫ ﻧـﹻﻤﺴـﹷﻮ‬nimsawiyyin
‫ﻧـﹻﻤﺴـﹷﻮ ﹺﻳﻴـﹻﻦ‬
‫ﹶﻭﻱ‬ ‫ﹺﻳﻴـﹷﺔ‬
France faransa ‫ ﻓـﹷﺮ ﹶﻧﺴﺎﹶ‬faransaawi

‫ ﻓـﹷﺮ ﹶﻧﺴﺎ‬faransawiya ‫ ﻓـﹷﺮ ﹶﻧﺴـﹷﻮ‬faransawiyyin ‫ﻓـﹷﺮ ﹶﻧﺴـﹷﻮ‬
‫ﹶﻭﻱ‬ ‫ﹺﻳـﹷﺔ‬ ‫ﹺﻳﻴـﹻﻦ‬
One common usage of the country adjective is to talk about a person from that country. Here are
some examples:
English Egyptian
an Egyptian man waahid maSri ‫ﻭﺍﹶﺣـﹻﺪ ﻣـﹷﺼﺮﻱ‬
an Egyptian woman wahda maSrya ‫ﻭﺍﹶﺣﺪ ﹶﺓ ﻣـﹷﺼﺮﻳـﹷﺔ‬
an Englishman waahid 'ingilizi ‫ﻭﺍﹶﺣـﹻﺪ ﺇﻧﺠـﹻﻠـﹻﺰﻱ‬
an Englishwoman wahda 'ingileezya ‫ﻭﺍﹶﺣﺪ ﹶﺓ ﺇﻧﺠـﹻﻠﻴﺰﻳـﹷﺔ‬
a Frenchman waahid faransawi ‫ﻭﺍﹶﺣـﹻﺪ ﻓـﹷﺮ ﹶﻧﺴـﹷﻮﻱ‬
a Frenchwoman wahda faransawiya ‫ﻭﺍﹶﺣﺪ ﹶﺓ ﻓـﹷﺮ ﹶﻧﺴـﹷﻮ ﹺﻳـﹷﺔ‬
The feminine and plural are used only for people. For inanimate objects, the masculine form only
is used. Here are some examples:
English Egyptian
a Greek boat markib yoonaani ‫ﻣـﹷﺮﻛـﹻﺐ ﻳﻮﻧﺎ ﹶﻧﻲ‬
French cheese gibna faransaawi ‫ﺟـﹻﺒﻨـﹷﺔ ﻓـﹷﺮ ﹶﻧﺴﺎ ﹶﻭﻱ‬
American cars ilAarabiyaat 'amrikaani ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻌـﹷﺮ ﹶﺑـﹻﻴﺎ ﹶﺕ ﺃﻣﺮ ﹺﻛﺎ ﹶﻧﻲ‬
Colours
The main colours follow a pattern. Here are some examples:
English m f pl
C=consonant aCCaC CaCCao CuCC
white 'abyaD ‫ ﺃﺑﻴـﹷﺾ‬biyDa ‫ ﺑـﹻﻴﻀـﹷﺔ‬biyD ‫ﺑـﹻﻴﺾ‬
black 'iswid ‫ ﺇﺳﻮﹺﺩ‬sooda ‫ ﺳﻮﺩﹶﺓ‬suwd ‫ﺳـﹹﻮﺩ‬
yellow 'aSfar ‫ ﺃﺻﻔـﹷﺮ‬Safra ‫ ﺻـﹷﻔﺮ ﹶﺓ‬Sufr ‫ﺻـﹹﻔﺮ‬
blue 'azra' ‫ ﺃﺯﺭﹶﻕ‬zar'a ‫ ﺯﹶﺭﻗـﹷﺔ‬zur' ‫ﺯﹸﺭﻕ‬
green 'aKDar ‫ ﺃﺧﻀـﹷﺮ‬KaDra ‫ ﺧـﹷﻀﺮ ﹶﺓ‬KuDr ‫ﺧـﹹﻀﺮ‬
red 'ahmar ‫ ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺮ‬hamra ‫ ﺣـﹷﻤﺮ ﹶﺓ‬humr ‫ﺣـﹹﻤﺮ‬
Adjectives
Colours derived from a material or thing just have a -i ‫ ـﻲ‬added. They are invariable: the feminine
and plural form is the same as the masculine form.
English m/f/pl
brown
bunni ‫ﺑـﹹﻨﹽﻲ‬
coffee
gold zahabi ‫ﺫﹶﻫـﹷﺒﻲ‬
silver faDDi ‫ﻓـﹷﻀﹽﻲ‬
copper nahaasi ‫ﻧـﹷﺤﺎ ﹶﺳﻲ‬
light grey rumaadi ‫ﺭﹸﻣﺎ ﹶﺩﻱ‬
dark grey
ruSaaSi ‫ﺭﹸﺻﺎ ﹶﺻﻲ‬
lead
dark green
olive
zeeti ‫ﺯﻳﺘﻲ‬
dark blue kuhli ‫ﻛـﹹﺤﻠﻲ‬

pale blue
labani ‫ﻟـﹷﺒـﹷﻨﻲ‬
milk
dark red
nibeeti ‫ﻧـﹻﺒﻴﺘﻲ‬
wine
chestnut kastanaa'i
‫ﻛـﹷﺴﺘـﹷﻨﺎ‬
‫ﹶﺋﻲ‬
light brown
Aasali ‫ﻋـﹷﺴـﹷﻠﻲ‬
honey
purple
banafsigi ‫ﺑـﹷﻨـﹷﻔﺴـﹻﺠﻲ‬
violet
orange burtu'aali ‫ﺑـﹹﺮﺗـﹹﻘﺎ ﹶﻟﻲ‬
deep purple
bitangaani ‫ﺑـﹻﺘـﹷﻨﺠﺎ ﹶﻧﻲ‬
aubergine
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Personal attributes
Personal attributes or disabilities follow the same pattern as the basic colours:
English m f pl
C=consonant aCCaC CaCCao CuCC
foolish 'ahbal ‫ ﺃﻫﺒـﹷﻞ‬habla ‫ ﻫـﹷﺒﻠـﹷﺔ‬hubl ‫ﻫـﹹﺒﻞ‬
squinting 'ahwal ‫ ﺃﺣﻮﹶﻝ‬hoola' ‫ ﺣﻮﻻﹶء‬huwl ‫ﺣـﹹﻮﻝ‬
bald 'a'raA ‫' ﺃﻗﺮﹶﻉ‬arAa ‫' ﻗـﹷﺮﻋـﹷﺔ‬urA ‫ﻗـﹹﺮﻉ‬
bald 'aSlaA ‫ ﺃﺻﻠـﹷﻊ‬SalAa' ‫ ﺻـﹷﻠﻌﺎ ﹶء‬SulA ‫ﺻـﹹﻠﻊ‬
fair skin
'ash'ar ‫ ﺃﺷﻘـﹷﺮ‬sha'ara ‫ ﺷـﹷﻘـﹷﺮ ﹶﺓ‬shu'r ‫ﺷـﹹﻘﺮ‬
blonde
dark skin
'asmar ‫ ﺃﺳﻤـﹷﺮ‬samra ‫ ﺳـﹷﻤﺮ ﹶﺓ‬sumr ‫ﺳـﹹﻤﺮ‬
brunette
frizzy haired 'akrat ‫ ﺃﻛﺮﹶﺕ‬karta ‫ ﻛـﹷﺮﺗـﹷﺔ‬kurt ‫ﻛـﹹﺮﺕ‬
left handed 'ashwal ‫ ﺃﺷﻮﹶﻝ‬shoola ‫ ﺷﻮﻟـﹷﺔ‬shool ‫ﺷﻮﻝ‬
right handed 'aeeman ‫ ﺃﻳﻤـﹷﻦ‬yimna ‫ ﻳـﹻﻤﻨـﹷﺔ‬yumn ‫ﻳـﹹﻤﻦ‬
lame 'aArag ‫ ﺃﻋﺮﹶﺝ‬Aarga ‫ ﻋـﹷﺮﺟـﹷﺔ‬Aurg ‫ﻋـﹹﺮﺝ‬
blind 'aAma ‫ ﺃﻋﻤﻰ‬Aamya ‫ ﻋـﹷﻤﻴـﹷﺔ‬Aumi ‫ﻋـﹹﻤﻲ‬
deaf 'aTrash ‫ ﺃﻃﺮﹶﺵ‬Tursha' ‫ ﻃـﹹﺮﺷﺎ ﹶء‬Tursh ‫ﻃـﹹﺮﺵ‬
deaf 'aSam ‫ ﺃﺻـﹷﻢ‬Sama' ‫ ﺻـﹷﻤﺎ ﹶء‬Summ ‫ﺻـﹹﻢﹼ‬

mute 'aKras ‫ ﺃﺧﺮﹶﺱ‬Karsa ‫ ﺧـﹷﺮﺳـﹷﺔ‬Kurs ‫ﺧـﹹﺮﺱ‬
Slightly, Very... Extremely...

The following adverbs can be placed after the adjective:
English Egyptian
slightly shwaya ‫ﺷﻮﹶﻳـﹷﺔ‬
moderately bi'iAtidaal ‫ﺑـﹻﺈﻋﺘـﹻﺪﺍ ﹶﻝ‬
very 'awi ‫ﻗـﹷﻮﻱ‬

KaaliS ‫ﺧﺎﹶﻟـﹻﺺ‬
extremely giddan ‫ﺟـﹻﺪﹼﺍﹰ‬
Aail'aKir ‫ﻋـﹷﺎ ﹺﻷﺧـﹻﺮ‬
too 'awi ‫ﻗـﹷﻮﻱ‬
Here are some examples:
Adjectives
English Egyptian
the car is slightly damaged ilAarabiya 'itDarrarit shwaya ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻌـﹷﺮ ﹶﺑـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ ﺇﺗﻀـﹷﺮﹼ ﹶﺭ ﹺﺕ ﺷﻮ ﹶﻳـﹷﺔ‬
the carpet was very expensive ilsigaada kaanit Galya 'awi ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺴـﹻﺠﺎ ﹶﺩ ﹶﺓ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻧـﹻﺖ ﻏﺎ ﹶﻟﻴـﹷﺔ ﻗـ ﹷﻮﻱ‬
he is extremely rich huwwa Gani giddan ‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﻏـﹷﻨﻲ ﺟـ ﹻﺪ ﹼﺍ ﹰ‬
this house is too big ilbiyt dih kibeer 'awi ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺒـﹻﻴﺖ ﺩ ﹺﻩ ﻛـﹻﺒﻴﺮ ﻗـ ﹷﻮﻱ‬
You may have noticed that the word qawy has two meanings: very and too. This sometimes
causes confusion when Egyptians speak English: they say, for example, too much when they
mean very much.
Comparatives
In English we take an adjective like big and add suffixes -er to make comparative bigger and -est
to make the superlative biggest. In Egyptian there is one word, a comparative, that is used for
both. The context indicates the meaning.
We can compare two things using min ‫ﻣـ ﹻﻦ‬, which is equivalent to than in English:
English Egyptian
Ahmad is taller than me 'ahmad 'aTwal minni ‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺃﻃﻮ ﹶﻝ ﻣـ ﹻﻦ ﹼﻱ‬
he is more stupid than I
huwwa 'aGba min makunt faakir ‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺃﻏﺒﻰ ﻣـ ﹻﻦ ﻣـﹷﻜـﹹﻨﺖ ﻓﺎ ﹶﻛـﹻﺮ‬
thought
We can also make comparison without specifying the second thing like this:
English Egyptian
Ahmad is a lot taller 'ahmad 'aTwal bikiteer ‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺃﻃﻮ ﹶﻝ ﺑـﹻﻜـﹻﺘﻴﺮ‬
ilgaww haykoon 'ahsan shuwaya bukra
the weather will be a little better tomorrow
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺠـﹷﻮﹼ ﺣـﹷﻴﻜﻮﻥ ﺃﺣﺴـ ﹷﻦ ﺷـﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـﹷﺔ ﺑـﹹﻜﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
For the superlative (best, biggest) the comparative is used immediately before a noun:
English Egyptian
mohammed is the tallest student muhammad 'aTwal Taalib ‫ﻣـﹹﺤـﹷﻤﹽـﹷﺪ ﺃﻃﻮ ﹶﻝ ﻃﺎ ﹶﻟـﹻﺐ‬
he is the youngest boy huwwa 'aSGar walad ‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺃﺻﻐـ ﹷﺮ ﻭ ﹶﻟـﹷﺪ‬
ilTaalib il'aTwal Toolooh mitr 1 wa 90 santi
the tallest student is 1m90
‫ ﺳـﹷﻨﺘﻲ‬٩٠ ‫ ﻭ ﹶ‬١ ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻄﺎ ﹶﻟـﹻﺐ ﺍ ﹺﻷﻃﻮ ﹶﻝ ﻃﻮﻟﻮﻩ ﻣـﹻﺘﺮ‬
the most expensive drink is 20
ilmashroob il'aGla 20 gineeh ‫ ﺟـﹻﻨﻴﻪ‬٢٠ ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻤـﹷﺸﺮﻭﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻷﻏﻠﻰ‬
pounds
this is the prettiest dress in the
dih 'ahla fustaan fi ilmahal ‫ﺩﹺﻩ ﺃﺣﻠﻰ ﻓـﹹﺴﺘﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻓﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـﹷﺤـﹷﻞ‬
shop
it was the best day in my life kaan 'ahsan yoom fi hayaati ‫ﻛﺎﹶﻥ ﺃﺣﺴـ ﹷﻦ ﻳﻮﻡ ﻓﻲ ﺣـﹷﻴﺎ ﹶﺗﻲ‬
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Making comparatives
As you may have noticed from the previous examples, the comparative is often derived from the
adjective as follows:
English adjective comparative

big kibeer ‫' ﻛـﹻﺒﻴﺮ‬akbar ‫ﺃﻛﺒـﹷﺮ‬
easy sahl ‫' ﺳـﹷﻬﻞ‬ashal ‫ﺃﺳﻬـﹷﻞ‬
tall Taweel ‫' ﻃـﹷﻮﻳﻞ‬aTwal ‫ﺃﻃﻮﹶﻝ‬
classy raaQi ‫' ﺭﺍﹶﻗﻲ‬arQa ‫ﺃﺭﻗﻰ‬
exceptions
good kuwayyis
‫' ﻛـﹹﻮ‬ahsan
‫ﺃﺣﺴـﹷﻦ‬
‫ﹶﻳﻴـﹻﺲ‬
For adjectives with two consonants and ending in -i ‫ ـﻲ‬or -w ‫ـﻮ‬, the final letter changes to alif-
layena -a ‫ـﻰ‬.

pretty hilw ‫' ﺣـﹻﻠﻮ‬ahla ‫ﺃﺣﻠﻰ‬
expensive Gaali ‫' ﻏﺎﹶﻟﻲ‬aGla ‫ﺃﻏﻠﻰ‬
loud/high Aaali ‫' ﻋﺎﹶﻟﻲ‬aAla ‫ﺃﻋﻠﻰ‬
rich Gani ‫' ﻏـﹷﻨﻲ‬aGna ‫ﺃﻏﻨﻰ‬
‫ﺻـ‬
healthy Sahi no comp
‫ﹷﺤﻲ‬
stupid Gabi ‫' ﻏـﹷﺒﻲ‬aGba ‫ﺃﻏﺒﻰ‬
clever zaki ‫' ﺫﹶﻛﻲ‬azka ‫ﺃﺫﻛﻰ‬
For adjectives with three consonants where the last two consonants are the same, the middle
vowel is replaced with a fatha -a ‫ـ ﹶ‬.

serious gadd ‫ ﺟـﹷﺪﹼ‬no comp
new gideed ‫' ﺟـﹻﺪﻳﺪ‬agdad ‫ﺃﺟﺪﹶﺩ‬
important muhimm ‫' ﻣـﹹﻬـﹻﻢﹼ‬ahamm ‫ﺃﻫـﹷﻢﹼ‬
numerous Aadeed ‫ ﻋـﹷﺪﻳﺪ‬no comp
lucky mahZooZ‫ ﻣـﹷﺤﻈﻮﻅ‬no comp
popular mahboob ‫' ﻣـﹷﺤﺒﻮﺏ‬ahabb ‫ﺃﺣـﹷﺐﹼ‬

‫ﺃﺧـ‬
light Kafeef ‫' ﺧـﹷﻔﻴﻒ‬aKaff
‫ﹷﻒﹼ‬
delicious lazeez ‫' ﻟـﹷﺬﻳﺬ‬alazz ‫ﺃﻟـﹷﺬﹼ‬
few 'alayil ‫' ﻗـﹷﻠـﹷﻴـﹻﻞ‬a'aal ‫ﺃﻗﺎﹶﻝ‬
Adjectives
In English, it is not possible to make a comparative in the usual way from some adjectives, for
example interesting: instead, we say more interesting. The same is true in Egyptian: the words
'aktar ‫ ﺃﻛﺘـ ﹷﺮ‬- more and 'a'aal ‫ ﺃﻗﺎ ﹶﻝ‬- less are used with the adjective. Here are examples of
adjectives that are handled this way
Group Example
the contract is more acceptable like this
participles ilAa'd ma'bool 'aktar kidah
beginning with m- ‫ﻣـ‬
‫ﺍﹺﻟﻌـﹷﻘﺪ ﻣـ ﹷﻘﺒﻮﻝ ﺃﻛﺘـ ﹷﺮ ﻛـﹻﺪ ﹶﻩ‬
I am less traditional than you
participles 'ana ta'lidi 'a'aal minnak
beginning with ta- ‫ﺗـ ﹶ‬
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺗـ ﹷﻘﻠـ ﹻﺪﻱ ﺃﻗﺎ ﹶﻝ ﻣـﹻﻨﹽـﹷﻚ‬
he gets more selfish every day
adjectives huwwa biyib'a 'anaani 'aktar kul yoom
beginning with 'a- ‫ﺃـ‬
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﺒﻘﺎ ﹶ ﺃﻧﺎ ﹶﻧﻲ ﺃﻛﺘـ ﹷﺮ ﻛـﹹﻞ ﻳﻮﻡ‬
Sarah is more tired than Ahmed
adjectives saara taAbaana 'aktar min 'ahmad
ending with -an ‫ـﺎ ﹰ‬
‫ﺳﺎﹶﺭ ﹶﺓ ﺗـ ﹷﻌﺒﺎ ﹶﻧـ ﹷﺔ ﺃﻛﺘـ ﹷﺮ ﻣـﹻﻦ ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ‬
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Verbs
A verb tells you what is happening- for example, reading, walking etc. In Egyptian, the general
meaning of a word is defined by the consonants, and several related words may contain this set of
letters. For example, the letters ktb are used to make the words write, type, book, writer, written,
writing, office and desk. The exact meaning is affected by the vowels, prefixes and suffixes (extra
bits at the beginning and the end). Here are some of the ways the exact meaning can change for
verbs:
• tense - when something happens (past, present, future)

• case - who is doing it (I, you, he, etc)
• mode - must, could etc
• pronouns - who is doing it, who is having it done to them
• negation - say something is NOT happening
Most of the examples in this chapter use the verb katab ‫ﻛـ ﹷﺘـ ﹷﺐ‬, which means write: about 30% of
verbs follow this pattern.
The web site www.lisaanmasry.org and the apps that you can download from the web site all
provide full details for the majority of verbs.
Pronouns
There are three main types of pronouns that can be used with verbs:
• subject - I, we, you, he, she, it, they

• object - me, us, you, him, her, it, them
• indirect object - to me, to us, to you, to him, to her, to it, to them
In Egyptian, the subject pronoun is a separate word before the verb: the object and indirect object
pronouns are attached to the end of the verb. Here are a some examples:
Pronoun English Egyptian

Subject I know Ahmed 'ana Aaarif 'ahmad ‫ﺃﻧﺎ ﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ‬
Subject, object I know him 'ana Aarfuh ‫ﺃﻧﺎ ﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﹸﻩ‬
Object Ahmed saw her yesterday 'ahmad shafha 'imbaarih ‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺷﺎ ﹶﻓﻬﺎ ﹶ ﺇﻣﺒﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﺡ‬
Object Sarah knows him saara Aarfah ‫ﺳﺎﹶﺭ ﹶﺓ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﹶﻩ‬

Object, Indirect give it to me! iddeehooli ‫ﺍﹺﺩﹼﻱﻫﻮﻟﻲ‬
Verbs
Subject pronoun
The subject pronoun appears before the verb or participle.
English Egyptian
I 'ana ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ‬
we 'ihna ‫ﺇﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬
you(m) 'inta ‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬
you(f) 'inti ‫ﺇﻧﺖﹺ‬
you(pl) 'intu ‫ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬
he/it(m) huwwa ‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬
she/it(f) hiya ‫ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬

they humma ‫ﻫـﹹﻢﹼﹶ‬
Object pronoun
You can attach an object pronoun (for example me or him) to the end of an imperative, verb or
participle. See pronouns for more information.
Ahmed envies me
'ahmad biyihsadni
‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﺤﺴـﹷﺪﻧﻲ‬
English Suffix
me -ni ‫ـﻨﻲ‬
us -na ‫ـﻨﺎﹶ‬
you(m) -ak ‫ــﹷﻚ‬
you(f) -ik ‫ــﹻﻚ‬
-
you(pl)
him/it(m) -uh ‫ــﹹﻪ‬
her/it(f) -ha ‫ـﻬﺎﹶ‬
-
them
If there is an -i- ‫ ــ ﹺ‬before the last consonant and the suffix starts with a vowel, the -i- ‫ ــ ﹺ‬is dropped.
If the verb requires a preposition (to, from etc) the object goes on the preposition.
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English Egyptian
show me! warreeni ‫ﻭﹶﺭﹼﻱﻧﻲ‬
nobody helped us mahaddish saaAidna ‫ﻣـﹷﺤـﹷﺪﹼ ﹺﺵ ﺳﺎ ﹶﻋـﹻﺪﻧﺎ ﹶ‬
I saw you(m) 'ana shuftak ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺷـﹹﻔﺖ ﹶﻙ‬

I love you(f) 'ana bahibbik ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺑـﹷﺤـﹻﺐﹼ ﹺﻙ‬
I know him 'ana Aarfuh ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﹸﻩ‬
I told them 'ana 'ultilhum ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻗـﹹﻠﺘـﹻﻞﻫـ ﹹﻢ‬
Indirect object
Some verbs require two objects- for example:
give it(f) to me
iddeehaali
‫ﺍﹺﺩﹼﻳﻬﺎ ﹶﻟﻲ‬
It is the direct object and to me is the indirect object. The indirect object suffixes are as follows:
English Suffix
to me -li ‫ـﻠﻲ‬
to us -lina ‫ـﻠـﹻﻨﺎﹶ‬
to you(m) -lak ‫ـﻠـﹷﻚ‬
to you(f) -lik ‫ـﻠـﹻﻚ‬
to you(pl) -luku ‫ـﻠـﹹﻚﹸ‬
to him/it(m) -lu ‫ـﻞﹸ‬
to her/it(f) -laha ‫ـﻠـﹷﻬﺎﹶ‬
‫ـﻠـ‬
to them -luhum
‫ﹹﻬـﹹﻢ‬
Verbs
Tenses
In both English and Egyptian, a verb has different tenses to indicate when something happens- in
the past, now or in the future. The usage of each tense will be explained in more detail later. Here
are some examples using katab ‫ﻛـ ﹷﺘـ ﹷﺐ‬:
No of
Form Example Meaning
cases
8 (i/we/
perfect katab ‫ ﻛـﹷﺘـﹷﺐ‬he wrote you, etc)
simple used with modals - eg he must write 8 (i/we/
yiktib ‫ ﻳـﹻﻜﺘـﹻﺐ‬and kaan ‫ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬- he used to write
imperfect you, etc)
he is writing
he writes 8 (i/we/
bi-imperfect biyiktib‫ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﻜﺘـﹻﺐ‬
he knows how to write used with kaan ‫ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬ you, etc)
conditionals: if I had a pen, I would write
he will write 8 (i/we/
ha-imperfect hayiktib
‫ﻫـﹷﻴـﹻﻜﺘـﹻﺐ‬ used with kaan ‫ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬ you, etc)
active
kaatab ‫( ﻛﺎﹶﺗـﹷﺐ‬he is) writing 3 (m/f/pl)
participle
passive
maktoob ‫( ﻣـﹷﻜﺘﻮﺏ‬it is) written 3 (m/f/pl)
participle
imperative iktib ‫ ﺍﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬write! 3 (m/f/pl)
polite
miktib ‫ ﻣـﹻﻜﺘـﹻﺐ‬will you please write
request
verbal noun kitaaba ‫( ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺑـﹷﺔ‬the box is covered with) writing 2 (s/pl)
place maktab ‫ ﻣـﹷﻜﺘـﹷﺐ‬writing place (desk or office) 2 (s/pl)
Case
The two main tenses of a verb are the perfect and the simple imperfect: the bi-and ha- imperfect
just have prefixes added to the simple imperfect. The usage of these tenses will be explained in
more detail in the section on time. Here is the he case of each tense:
Tense English Egyptian

perfect he wrote huwwa katab ‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﻛـﹷﺘـﹷﺐ‬
simple imperfect he must write huwwa laazim yiktib ‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﻻ ﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ ﻳـﹻﻜﺘـﹻﺐ‬
bi-imperfect he writes huwwa biyiktib ‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﻜﺘـﹻﺐ‬

ha-imperfect he will write huwwa hayiktib ‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﻫـﹷﻴـﹻﻜﺘـﹻﺐ‬
There are eight possible cases for each tense, corresponding to the eight pronoun forms (I/we/
you/he, etc). Remember that the three imperfect forms are very similar.
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Perfect
Here is an example of the perfect, which is used for things that occurred in the past.
Perfect
English Pronoun Verb
I wrote 'ana ‫ ﺃﻧﺎﹶ‬katabt ‫ﻛـﹷﺘـﹷﺐﺕ‬
we wrote 'ihna ‫ ﺇﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬katabna ‫ﻛـﹷﺘـﹷﺐﻧﺎ ﹶ‬
you(m) wrote 'inta ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬katabt ‫ﻛـﹷﺘـﹷﺐﺕ‬
you(f) wrote 'inti ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹺ‬katabti ‫ﻛـﹷﺘـﹷﺐﺗﻲ‬
you(pl) wrote 'intu ‫ ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬katabtu ‫ﻛـﹷﺘـﹷﺐﺗﻮ ﺍ‬
he/it(m) wrote huwwa ‫ ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬katab ‫ﻛـﹷﺘـﹷﺐ‬
she/it(f) wrote hiya ‫ ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬katabit ‫ﻛـﹷﺘـﹷﺐ ﹺ ﺕ‬
they wrote humma ‫ ﻫـﹹﻤﹽﺎﹶ‬katabu ‫ﻛـﹷﺘـﹷﺐﻭ ﺍ‬
Simple imperfect
The imperfect has no meaning on its own, but is used with other verbal forms in five ways:
• with kaan ‫ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬for things that happened in the past

• with 'iza kaan ‫ ﺇﺫﺍ ﹶ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬for conditionals
• with modals- must, could, should etc and modal verbs- like, going to.
• with bi-prefix for things happening now
• with ha-prefix for things that will happen
Here is an example with laazim ‫ﻻ ﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ‬, which means must.
Simple Imperfect
English Pronoun modal Verb
I must write 'ana ‫ ﺃﻧﺎﹶ‬laazim ‫' ﻻﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ‬aktib ‫ﺃﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
we must write 'ihna ‫ ﺇﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬laazim ‫ ﻻﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ‬niktib ‫ﻧـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
you(m) must write 'inta ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬laazim ‫ ﻻﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ‬tiktib ‫ﺗـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
you(f) must write 'inti ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹺ‬laazim ‫ ﻻﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ‬tiktibi ‫ﺗـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐﻱ‬
you(pl) must write 'intu ‫ ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬laazim ‫ ﻻﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ‬tiktibu ‫ﺗـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐﻭ‬

‫ﺍ‬
he/it(m) must write huwwa ‫ ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬laazim ‫ ﻻﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ‬yiktib ‫ﻳـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
she/it(f) must write hiya ‫ ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬laazim ‫ ﻻﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ‬tiktib ‫ﺗـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
they must write humma ‫ ﻫـﹹﻤﹽﺎﹶ‬laazim ‫ ﻻﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ‬yiktibu ‫ﻳـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐﻭ‬

‫ﺍ‬
The English words must and might and the equivalent Egyptian words laazim ‫ ﻻ ﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ‬and yimkin
‫ ﻳـ ﹻﻤﻜـ ﹻﻦ‬are proper modals: they are the same for all cases. Later on, you will see how to use
participles and verbs in the same way as modals, and you will see that they do change to match
the case.
Verbs
bi-imperfect
For the majority of verbs, the bi-imperfect is used to describe things happening now, and for
habitual actions. See active participles for the exceptions
It is the same as the simple imperfect, with a bi- ‫ ﺑـ ﹺ‬in front. Note that the vowels in the the
beginning of the imperfect may change in some verbs when the prefix is added.
bi-imperfect
I write 'ana ‫ ﺃﻧﺎﹶ‬baktib ‫ﺑـ ﹶﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
we write 'ihna ‫ ﺇﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬biniktib ‫ﺑـ ﹻﻨـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
you(m) write 'inta ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬bitiktib ‫ﺑـ ﹻﺘـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
you(f) write 'inti ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹺ‬bitiktibi ‫ﺑـ ﹻﺘـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐﻱ‬
you(pl) write 'intu ‫ ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬bitiktibu ‫ﺑـ ﹻﺘـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐﻭ‬

‫ﺍ‬
he/it(m) writes huwwa ‫ ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬biyiktib ‫ﺑـ ﹻﻴـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
she/it(f) writes hiya ‫ ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬bitiktib ‫ﺑـ ﹻﺘـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
they write humma ‫ ﻫـﹹﻤﹽﺎﹶ‬biyiktibu ‫ﺑـ ﹻﻴـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐﻭ‬

‫ﺍ‬
ha-imperfect
The ha-imperfect is used for things that will happen at some time in the future.
It is the same as the simple imperfect, with ha- ‫ ﻫـ ﹶ‬in front. Egyptian spelling is somewhat
whimsical: some people use ha- ‫ ﺣـ ﹶ‬instead. Note that the vowels in the the beginning of the
imperfect may change in some verbs when the prefix is added.
ha-imperfect
I will write 'ana ‫ ﺃﻧﺎﹶ‬haktib ‫ﻫـ ﹶﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
we will write 'ihna ‫ ﺇﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬haniktib ‫ﻫـ ﹷﻨـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
you(m) will write 'inta ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬hatiktib ‫ﻫـ ﹷﺘـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
you(f) will write 'inti ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹺ‬hatiktibi ‫ﻫـ ﹷﺘـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐﻱ‬
you(pl) will write 'intu ‫ ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬hatiktibu ‫ﻫـ ﹷﺘـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐﻭ‬

‫ﺍ‬
he/it(m) will write huwwa ‫ ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬hayiktib ‫ﻫـ ﹷﻴـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
she/it(f) will write hiya ‫ ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬hatiktib ‫ﻫـ ﹷﺘـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐ‬
they will write humma ‫ ﻫـﹹﻤﹽﺎﹶ‬hayiktibu ‫ﻫـ ﹷﻴـ ﹺﻛﺘـﹻﺐﻭ‬

‫ﺍ‬
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is/was/will be
As mentioned earlier, there is no word for is in Egyptian. There are, however, words for was -
kaan ‫ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬and will be - haykoon ‫ﻫـ ﹷﻴﻜﻮﻥ‬.
kaan
kaan ‫ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬can be used on its own to talk about some situation in the past, or it can be used with
the imperfect and bi-imperfect to move the meaning of the verb into the past and also for
conditionals, and with the ha-imperfect to indicate something that almost or nearly happened.
kaan
I was aana ‫ ﺍﹶﻧﺎﹶ‬kunt ‫ﻛـﹹﻨﺖ‬
we were ihna ‫ ﺍﹺﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬kunna ‫ﻛـﹹﻨﹽﺎﹶ‬
you(m) were 'inta ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬kunt ‫ﻛـﹹﻨﺖ‬
you(f) were 'inti ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹺ‬kunti ‫ﻛـﹹﻨﺘﻲ‬
you(pl) were 'intu ‫ ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬kuntu ‫ﻛـﹹﻨﺘﻮﺍ‬
he/it(m) was huwa ‫ ﻫـﹹﻮﹶ‬kaan ‫ﻛﺎﹶﻥ‬
she/it(f) was hiya ‫ ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬kaanit ‫ﻛﺎﹶﻧـﹻﺖ‬
they were humma ‫ ﻫـﹹﻤﹽﺎﹶ‬kanu ‫ﻛﺎﹶﻧﻮﺍ‬
English Egyptian
he was here kaan hina ‫ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻫـﹻﻨﺎﹶ‬
I was too tired kunt taAbaan 'awi ‫ﻛـ ﹹﻨﺖ ﺗـﹷﻌﺒﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻗـﹷﻮﻱ‬
the party was good ilhafla kaanit kuwayisa ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺤـﹷﻔﻠـﹷﺔ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻧـ ﹻﺖ ﻛـﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـﹻﺴـﹷﺔ‬
there was water, but it's
preposition kaan fi mayaah wa KilSit ‫ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻓﻲ ﻣـﹷﻴﺎ ﹶﻩ ﻭ ﹶ ﺧـﹻﻠﺼـﹻﺖ‬
finished
preposition we had a house kaan Aandina biyt ‫ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹺﻧﺎ ﹶ ﺑـﹻﻴﺖ‬
bi-
he was smoking a cigarette kaan biyishrab seegaara ‫ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﺸﺮ ﹶﺏ ﺳﻴﺠﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹶﺓ‬
imperfect
bi-
he used to smoke cigarettes kaan biyishrab sigaayar ‫ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﺸﺮ ﹶﺏ ﺳـﹻﺠﺎ ﹶﻳـﹷﺮ‬
imperfect
ha-
I almost ran him over kunt hadoosuh ‫ﻛـ ﹹﻨﺖ ﻫـﹷﺪﻭﺳـﹹﻪ‬
imperfect
Note that, for prepositional sentences, kaan ‫ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬does not change with the subject of the sentence
- it is always kaan ‫ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬- it was.
Verbs
haykwn
haykoon ‫ ﻫـ ﹷﻴﻜﻮﻥ‬simply means will be. Here are some examples:
haykwn
English Pronoun verb
I will be aana ‫ ﺍﹶﻧﺎﹶ‬hakoon ‫ﻫـﹷﻜﻮﻥ‬
we will be ihna ‫ ﺍﹺﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬hankoon ‫ﻫـﹷﻨﻜﻮﻥ‬
you(m) will be 'inta ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬hatkoon ‫ﻫـﹷﺘﻜﻮﻥ‬
you(f) will be 'inti ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹺ‬hatkooni ‫ﻫـﹷﺘﻜﻮﻧﻲ‬
you(pl) will be 'intu ‫ ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬hatkoonu ‫ﻫـﹷﺘﻜﻮﻧﻮﺍ‬
he/it(m) will be huwa ‫ ﻫـﹹﻮﹶ‬haykoon ‫ﻫـﹷﻴﻜﻮﻥ‬
she/it will be(f) hiya ‫ ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬hatkoon ‫ﻫـﹷﺘﻜﻮﻥ‬
they will be humma ‫ ﻫـﹹﻤﹽﺎﹶ‬haykoonu ‫ﻫـﹷﻴﻜﻮﻧﻮﺍ‬
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Adverbs
A verb explains what is being done: adverbs can be used to specify how, when, where and in what
manner it is being done. There can be more than one adverb- they are placed after the verb. Here
are some examples.
Example
Ahmed is going up (stairs)
direction 'ahmad TaalaA foo'
‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﻃﺎ ﹶﻟـﹷﻊ ﻓﻮﻕ‬
Ahmed is coming here
position 'ahmad gayi hina
‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺟـﹷﻴﻲ ﻫـ ﹻﻨﺎ ﹶ‬
Ahmed will come tomorrow evening
time 'ahmad hayigi bukra biilleel
‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺣـﹷﻴـﹻﺠﻲ ﺑـ ﹹﻜﺮ ﹶﺓ ﺑـ ﹻﺎ ﹺﻟ ﹽﻴﻞ‬
Ahmed always walks
frequency 'ahmad biyimshi dayman
‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﻤﺸﻲ ﺩ ﹶﻳﻤﺎ ﹰ‬
Ahmed walks quickly
quality 'ahmad biyimshi bisuraAa
‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﻤﺸﻲ ﺑـ ﹻﺴـ ﹹﺮ ﹶﻋـ ﹷﺔ‬
Ahmed walks extremely quickly
degree 'ahmad biyimshi bisuraAa giddan
‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﻤﺸﻲ ﺑـﹻﺴـﹹﺮ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ ﺟـ ﹻﺪ ﹼﺍ ﹰ‬
Ahmed always walks slowly upstairs in the evening
'ahmad biyiTaalaA ilsalaalim dayman bishweesh fi illeel
‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﻄﺎ ﹶﻟـﹷﻊ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴـﹷﻼ ﹶﻟـﹻﻢ ﺩ ﹶﻳﻤﺎ ﹰ ﺑـﹻﺸﻮﻳﺶ ﻓﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻟ ﹽﻴﻞ‬
direction
Direction adverbs can be used with verbs like go
English Egyptian English example Egyptian example

'ana TaalaA foo'
up foo' ‫ ﻓﻮﻕ‬I am going upstairs
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻃﺎ ﹶﻟـﹷﻊ ﻓﻮﻕ‬
GiTis taht
down taht ‫ ﺗـﹷﺤﺖ‬he dived down ‫ﻏـﹻﻄـﹻﺲ ﺗـ ﹷﺤﺖ‬
Kushsh shamaal
left shamaal ‫ ﺷـﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻝ‬turn left! ‫ﺧـﹹﺶﹼ ﺷـ ﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻝ‬
buSS yimeen
right yimeen ‫ ﻳـﹻﻤﻴﻦ‬look right! ‫ﺑـﹹﺺﹼ ﻳـ ﹻﻤﻴﻦ‬
'imshi Aala Tool
straight ahead Aala Tool ‫ ﻋـﹷﻠﻰ ﻃﻮﻝ‬go(walk) straight ahead
‫ﺇﻣﺸﻲﻋـ ﹷﻠﻰ ﻃﻮﻝ‬
location
Location adverbs can be used with verbs like go
English Egyptian English example Egyptian example
Adverbs
hina taAala hina
here come here!
‫ﻫـﹻﻨﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﺗـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻟﻰ ﻫـ ﹻﻨﺎ ﹶ‬
hinaak laazim 'aruwh hinaak bukrah
there I have to go there tomorrow
‫ﻫـﹻﻨﺎ ﹶﻙ‬ ‫ﻻﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ ﺃﺭ ﹸﻭﺡ ﻫـ ﹻﻨﺎ ﹶﻙ ﺑـﹹﻜﺮ ﹶﻩ‬
time
Time adverbs are used to specify when you do something: they can be used with almost any verb.
English Egyptian Example

I will open it immediately
immediately haalan ‫ ﺣﺎﹶﻻﹰ‬haftahuh haalan
‫ﻫـﹷﻔﺘـﹷﺤـﹹﻪ ﺣﺎ ﹶﻻ ﹰ‬
we are ready now
now dilwa'ti ‫' ﺩﹺﻟﻮ ﹶﻗﺘﻲ‬ihna gahzeen dilwa'ti
‫ﺇﺣﻨﺎﹶ ﺟﺎ ﹶﻫـﹻﺰﻳﻦ ﺩ ﹺﻟﻮ ﹶﻗﺘﻲ‬
he (is) already here
already no equivalent huwwa mawgood
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﻣـﹷﻮﺟﻮﺩ‬
the party is this evening
today ilnaharda ‫ ﺍﹺﻟﻨـﹷﻬﺎ ﹶﺭﺩ ﹶﺓ‬ilhafla ilnaharda biilleel
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺤـﹷﻔﻠـﹷﺔ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻨـ ﹷﻬﺎ ﹶﺭﺩ ﹶﺓ ﺑـ ﹻﺎ ﹺﻟ ﹽﻴﻞ‬
I will go to Alexandria tomorrow
tomorrow bukrah ‫ ﺑـﹹﻜﺮ ﹶﻩ‬haruwh il'iskandiraaya bukrah
‫ﻫـﹷﺮ ﹸﻭﺡ ﺍ ﹺﻹﺳﻜـﹷﻨﺪ ﹺﺭﺍ ﹶﻳـﹷﺔ ﺑـ ﹹﻜﺮ ﹶﻩ‬
I will come back the day after tomorrow
the day after baAd
tomorrow bukrah ‫' ﺑـﹷﻌﺪ ﺑـﹹﻜﺮ ﹶﻩ‬ana hargaA baAd bukrah
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻫـﹷﺮﺟـﹷﻊ ﺑـ ﹷﻌﺪ ﺑـ ﹹﻜﺮ ﹶﻩ‬
she arrived yesterday
yesterday 'imbaarih ‫ ﺇﻣﺒﺎﹶﺭ ﹺﺡ‬waSalt 'imbaarih
‫ﻭﹶﺻـﹷﻠﺖ ﺇﻣﺒﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﺡ‬
I bought it the day before yesterday
day before 'awil
yesterday 'imbaarih ‫' ﺃﻭﹺﻝ ﺇﻣﺒﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﺡ‬ashtareetuh 'awil 'imbaarih
‫ﺃﺷﺘـﹷﺮﻳﺘـﹹﻪ ﺃﻭ ﹺﻝ ﺇﻣﺒﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﺡ‬
we will go home next week
next week
il'usbwaA ‫ ﺍﹺﻷ ﹸﺳﺒﻮ ﹶﻉ ﺍ‬hanrawwah il'usbwaA illigaai
illigaai ‫ﹺﻟﹽـﹻﺠﺎ ﹶﻱ‬ ‫ﻫـﹷﻨﺮ ﹶﻭﹼ ﹶﺡ ﺍ ﹺﻷ ﹸﺳﺒﻮ ﹶﻉ ﺍ ﹺﻟ ﹽـ ﹻﺠﺎ ﹶﻱ‬
we are on holiday this week
il'usbwaA
this week
dih ‫ ﺍﹺﻷ ﹸﺳﺒﻮ ﹶﻉ ﺩ ﹺﻩ‬ihna fi 'agaaza il'usbwaA dih
‫ﺍﹺﺣﻨﺎ ﹶ ﻓﻲ ﺃﺟﺎ ﹶﺯ ﹶﺓ ﺍ ﹺﻷ ﹸﺳﺒﻮ ﹶﻉ ﺩ ﹺﻩ‬
I saw her last week
last week
il'usbwaA ‫ ﺍﹺﻷ ﹸﺳﺒﻮ ﹶﻉ‬shuftaha il'usbwaA 'illi faat
'illi faat ‫ﺇﻟﹽﻲ ﻓﺎ ﹶﺕ‬ ‫ﺷـﹹﻔﺘـﹷﻬﺎ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻷ ﹸﺳﺒﻮ ﹶﻉ ﺇﻟ ﹽﻲ ﻓﺎ ﹶﺕ‬
we must get up early tomorrow
early badri ‫ ﺑـﹷﺪﺭﻱ‬laazim ni'oom badri bukrah
‫ﻻﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ ﻧـﹻﻘﻮﻡ ﺑـ ﹷﺪﺭﻱ ﺑـ ﹹﻜﺮ ﹶﻩ‬
there is a party this evening
evening biilleel ‫ ﺑـﹻﺎ ﹺﻟﹽﻴﻞ‬fi hafla biilleel
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‫ﻓﻲ ﺣـﹷﻔﻠـﹷﺔ ﺑـ ﹻﺎ ﹺﻟ ﹽﻴﻞ‬
see you later
later baAdeen ‫ ﺑـﹷﻌﺪﻳﻦ‬hashoofak baAdeen
‫ﺣـﹷﺸﻮﻓـﹷﻚ ﺑـ ﹷﻌﺪﻳﻦ‬
play that song again
kamaan
again
marrah ‫ ﻛـﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻣـﹷﺮﹼ ﹶﻩ‬Ganni il'aGniya dih kamaan marrah
‫ﻏـﹷﻨﹽﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻷﻏﻨـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ ﺩ ﹺﻩ ﻛـ ﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻣـ ﹷﺮﹼ ﹶﻩ‬
we will eat and afterwards we will sit in the
garden
afterwards baAd kida ‫ ﺑـﹷﻌﺪ ﻛـﹻﺪ ﹶﺓ‬hanaakul wa baAd kida hani'Aad fyilgineena
‫ﻫـﹷﻨﺎ ﹶﻛـﹹﻞ ﻭ ﹶ ﺑـ ﹷﻌﺪ ﻛـ ﹻﺪ ﹶﺓ ﻫـﹷﻨـﹻﻘﻌـﹷﺪ ﻓﻴﺎ ﹺﻟﺠـﹻﻨﻴﻨـﹷﺔ‬
I have lived here for a long time
(lit. since a long time ago
ago min ‫ ﻣـﹻﻦ‬sikint hina min zamaan
‫ﺳـﹻﻜـﹻﻨﺖ ﻫـﹻﻨﺎ ﹶ ﻣـ ﹻﻦ ﺯ ﹶﻣﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
frequency
This group of adverbs specifies how frequently you do something. Here are some examples:
<
I usually take a nap after lunch
usually Aaadatan ‫ ﻋﺎﹶﺩ ﹶﺗﺎﹰ‬baaKud Aadatan taAseella baAd ilGada'
‫ﺑﺎﹶﺧـﹹﺪ ﻋـ ﹷﺪ ﹶﺗﺎ ﹰ ﺗـﹷﻌﺴﻴﻠﹽـﹷﺔ ﺑـﹷﻌﺪ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻐـﹷﺪﺍ ﹶء‬
his office is always neat
always dayman ‫ ﺩﹶﻳﻤﺎﹰ‬maktabuh mitsattif dayman
‫ﻣـﹷﻜﺘـﹷﺒـﹹﻪ ﻣـﹻﺘﺴـﹷﺘﹽـﹻﻒ ﺩ ﹶﻳﻤﺎ ﹰ‬
I rarely see Ahmed
rarely nadran ‫' ﻧﺎﹶﺩ ﹺﺭﺍﹰ‬ana bashoof ahmad nadran
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺑﺎ ﹶﺷﻮﻑ ﺍ ﹶﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﻧﺎ ﹶﺩ ﹺﺭﺍ ﹰ‬
I go to the gym regularly
regularly bi'intiZaam ‫ ﺑـﹻﺈﻧﺘـﹻﻈﺎ ﹶﻡ‬barooh ilgeem bi'intiZaam
‫ﺑـﹷﺮﻭﺡ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺠﻴﻢ ﺑـ ﹻﺈﻧﺘـ ﹻﻈﺎ ﹶﻡ‬
somebody asked me about that recently
recently
min ‫ ﻣـﹻﻦ ﻗـﹹﺮ‬hadd s'aalni Aanuh dih min 'urayib
'urayib ‫ﹶﻳـﹻﺐ‬ ‫ﺣـﹷﺪﹼ ﺳﺄ ﹶﻟﻨﻲ ﻋـﹷﻨـﹹﻪ ﺩ ﹺﻩ ﻣـ ﹻﻦ ﻗـ ﹹﺮ ﹶﻳـ ﹻﺐ‬
I will never speak to him again
never 'abadan ‫' ﺃﺑـﹷﺪﺍﹰ‬abadan mish hakallimuh thaeni
‫ﺃﺑـ ﹷﺪﺍ ﹰ ﻣـﹻﺶ ﻫـﹷﻜـﹷﻠﹽـﹻﻤـﹹﻪ ﺛﺎ ﹶﻧﻲ‬
I would like to go there again
again thaani ‫ ﺛﺎﹶﻧﻲ‬Aaayiz 'arooh hinaak thaani
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﺃﺭﻭﺡ ﻫـﹻﻨﺎ ﹶﻙ ﺛﺎ ﹶﻧﻲ‬
she is often tired
often Galiban ‫ ﻏـﹷﻠـﹻﺒﺎﹰ‬hiya taAbaana Galiban
‫ﻫـﹻﻲ ﹶ ﺗـﹷﻌﺒﺎ ﹶﻧـﹷﺔ ﻏـ ﹷﻠـ ﹻﺒﺎ ﹰ‬
nobody lives for ever
forever lil'abad ‫ ﻟـﹻﻸﺑـﹷﺪ‬mahaddish biyiAish lil'abad
‫ﻣـﹷﺤـﹷﺪﹼ ﹺﺵ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﻌـﹻﺶ ﻟـ ﹻﻸﺑـ ﹷﺪ‬
Adverbs
it rained all day
Tool
all day
ilyoom ‫ ﻃﻮﻝ ﺍﹺﻟﻴﻮﻡ‬maTTar Tool ilyoom
‫ﻣـﹷﻄﹽـﹷﺮ ﻃﻮﻝ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻴﻮﻡ‬
he smoked cigarettes all his life
all (my/his/ Tool
her) life ilAumr ‫ ﻃﻮﻝ ﺍﹺﻟﻌـﹹﻤﺮ‬kaan biyishrib sagaayar Tool Aumruh
‫ﻛﺎﹶﻥ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﺸﺮ ﹺﺏ ﺳـﹷﺠﺎ ﹶﻳـﹷﺮ ﻃﻮﻝ ﻋـ ﹹﻤﺮ ﹸﻩ‬
firstly 'awilan ‫ﺃﻭﹺﻻﹰ‬
he finally visited london
finally 'aKeeran ‫ ﺃﺧﻴﺮﺍﹰ‬zaar lundun 'aKeeran
‫ﺯﺍﹶﺭ ﻟـﹹﻨﺪ ﹸﻥ ﺃﺧﻴﺮﺍ ﹰ‬
I go to the park occasionally
occasionally
min wa't ‫ ﻣـﹻﻦ ﻭ ﹶﻗﺖ‬barooh ilgineena min wa't lilthaani
lilthaani ‫ﻟـﹻﻠﺜﺎ ﹶﻧﻲ‬ ‫ﺑـﹷﺮﻭﺡ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺠـﹻﻨﻴﻨـﹷﺔ ﻣـ ﹻﻦ ﻭ ﹶﻗﺖ ﻟـ ﹻﻠﺜﺎ ﹶﻧﻲ‬
you must check hourly
hourly biilsaaAa
‫ ﺑـﹻﺎ ﹺﻟﺴﺎ‬laazim titammim biilsaaAa
‫ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ‬ ‫ﻻﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ ﺗـﹻﺘـﹷﻤﹽـﹻﻢ ﺑـ ﹻﺎ ﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﻋـ ﹷﺔ‬
we sometimes see sharks here
sometimes 'ahyaanan ‫ ﺃﺣﻴﺎﹶﻧﺎﹰ‬binishoof samak 'irsh 'ahyaanan hina
‫ﺑـﹻﻨـﹻﺸﻮﻑ ﺳـﹷﻤـﹷﻚ ﻗـﹻﺮﺵ ﺃﺣﻴﺎ ﹶﻧﺎ ﹰ ﻫـﹻﻨﺎﹶ‬
it sometimes rains in Egypt
'aoo'aat bitmaTTar fi maSr
sometimes 'aoo'aat ‫ﺃﻭﻗﺎﹶﺕ‬ ‫ﺃﻭﻗﺎ ﹶﺕ ﺑـﹻﺘﻤـﹷﻄﹽـﹷﺮ ﻓﻲ ﻣـﹷﺼﺮ‬
Note: always goes at beginning of sentence
Degree
The following adverbs can be placed after an adjective or another adverb to indicate the degree:
English Egyptian
slightly shuwaya ‫ﺷـﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـﹷﺔ‬
reasonably maA'oola ‫ﻣـﹷﻌﻘﻮﻟـﹷﺔ‬
very 'awi ‫ﻗـﹷﻮﻱ‬
extremely KaaliS ‫ﺧﺎﹶﻟـﹻﺺ‬
giddan ‫ﺟـﹻﺪﹼﺍﹰ‬
Aail'aKir ‫ﻋـﹷﺎ ﹺﻷﺧـﹻﺮ‬
too 'awi ‫ﻗـﹷﻮﻱ‬
You may have noticed that the word qawy has two meanings: very and too. This sometimes
causes confusion when Egyptians speak English: they say, for example, "I like you too much""
when they mean "I like you very much".
Derived adverbs
Most adjectives in English can be converted to an adverb by adding the letters -ly, for example
nice becomes nicely. In Egyptian, the adjective can be converted to an adverb by adding the
ending -an ‫ـﺎ ﹰ‬
English adjective adverb
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officially rasmi ‫ ﺭﹶﺳﻤﻲ‬rasmyan ‫ﺭﹶﺳﻤﻴﺎﹰ‬
theoretically naZari ‫ ﻧـﹷﻈـﹷﺮﻱ‬naZariyan ‫ﻧـﹷﻈـﹷﺮ ﹺﻳﺎﹰ‬
naturally TabeeAi ‫ ﻃـﹷﺒﻴﻌﻲ‬TabeeAyan ‫ﻃـﹷﺒﻴﻌﻴﺎﹰ‬
literally harfi ‫ ﺣـﹷﺮﻓﻲ‬harfyan ‫ﺣـﹷﺮﻓﻴﺎﹰ‬
generally Aumoomi ‫ ﻋـﹹﻤﻮﻣﻲ‬Aumooman ‫ﻋـﹹﻤﻮﻣﺎﹰ‬
normally Aaadi ‫ ﻋﺎﹶﺩﻱ‬Aadatan ‫ﻋـﹷﺪ ﹶﺗﺎﹰ‬
slightly 'ulayil ‫' ﻗـﹹﻠـﹷﻴـﹻﻞ‬alayalan ‫ﻗـﹷﻠـﹷﻴـﹷﻼﹰ‬
Similarly, a noun can be converted to an adverbal phrase by adding the word with, for example
with care. In Egyptian, the same can be achieved by adding bi- ‫ ﺑـ ﹺ‬at the start of the word.

he opened the box carefully
with care bihazar ‫ ﺑـﹻﺤـﹷﺬ ﹶﺭ‬fatah ilAalba bihazar
‫ﻓـﹷﺘـﹷﺢ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌـﹷﻠﺒـﹷﺔ ﺑـ ﹻﺤـ ﹷﺬ ﹶﺭ‬
Ahmed drives very fast
with speed bisurAa ‫' ﺑـﹻﺴـﹹﺮﻋـﹷﺔ‬ahmad biyisoo' bisurAa 'awi
‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﺴﻮﻕ ﺑـ ﹻﺴـ ﹹﺮﻋـ ﹷﺔ ﻗـﹷﻮﻱ‬
play (pl) quietly!
with calm biilraaha
‫' ﺑـﹻﺎ ﹺﻟﺮﺍ‬ilaAbu biilraaha
‫ﹶﺣـﹷﺔ‬ ‫ﺇﻟـﹷﻌﺒﻮ ﺍ ﺑـ ﹻﺎ ﹺﻟﺮﺍ ﹶﺣـ ﹷﺔ‬
the meeting took exactly one hour
with
precision
biilZabT ‫ ﺑـﹻﺎ ﹺﻟﻈـﹷﺒﻂ‬il'igtimaaA 'aKad saaAa biilZabT
‫ﺍﹺﻹﺟﺘـﹻﻤﺎ ﹶﻉ ﺃﺧـﹷﺪ ﺳﺎ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ ﺑـ ﹻﺎ ﹺﻟﻈـ ﹷﺒﻂ‬
eat moderately
with
bi'iAatidaal
‫ﺪﺍ‬ ‫ﹻ‬ ‫ﺘـ‬‫ﹷ‬‫ﺈﻋـ‬ ‫ﹻ‬ ‫ﺑـ‬ 'akul bi'iAatidaal
moderation ‫ﹶﻝ‬ ‫ﺃﻛـﹹﻞ ﺑـ ﹻﺈﻋـ ﹷﺘـ ﹻﺪﺍ ﹶﻝ‬
there is a party this evening
in the
evening
biilleel ‫ ﺑـﹻﺎ ﹺﻟﹽﻴﻞ‬fi hafla biilleel
‫ﻓﻲ ﺣـﹷﻔﻠـﹷﺔ ﺑـ ﹻﺎ ﹺﻟ ﹽﻴﻞ‬
Miscellaneous
we will travel together
together
(people)
sawa ‫' ﺳـﹷﻮﺍﹶ‬ihna misafreen sawa
‫ﺇﺣﻨﺎﹶ ﻣـﹻﺴﺎ ﹶﻓـﹻﺮﻳﻦ ﺳـ ﹷﻮﺍ ﹶ‬
we will travel together
together
(people and things)
maAa baAD ‫' ﻣـﹷﻊ ﹶ ﺑـﹷﻌﺾ‬ihna misafreen maAa baAD
‫ﺇﺣﻨﺎﹶ ﻣـﹻﺴﺎ ﹶﻓـﹻﺮﻳﻦ ﻣـ ﹷﻊ ﹶ ﺑـ ﹷﻌﺾ‬
I live alone
alone
(people)
liwahda ‫' ﻟـﹻﻮ ﹶﺣﺪ ﹶﺓ‬ana saakin liwahda
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺳﺎ ﹶﻛـﹻﻦ ﻟـ ﹻﻮ ﹶﺣﺪ ﹶﺓ‬
we will travel separately
separately
kul wahid ‫' ﻛـﹹﻞ ﻭ ﹶﺣـﹻﺪ‬ihna misafreen kul wahid liwahduh
liwahduh ‫ﻟـﹻﻮ ﹶﺣﺪ ﹸﻩ‬ ‫ﺇﺣﻨﺎﹶ ﻣـﹻﺴﺎ ﹶﻓـﹻﺮﻳﻦ ﻛـ ﹹﻞ ﻭ ﹶﺣـ ﹻﺪ ﻟـ ﹻﻮ ﹶﺣﺪ ﹸﻩ‬
Adverbs
he sings very well
well kuwayis ‫ ﻛـﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـﹻﺲ‬huwwa biyiGanni kuwayis 'awi
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﻐـﹷﻨﹽﻲ ﻛـ ﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـ ﹻﺲ ﻗـﹷﻮﻱ‬
Page 44
Prepositions
Prepositions define a relationship (in time, space,etc) between a noun and something else. In both
English and Egyptian, the preposition goes before the noun that it defines the relationship to. Here
are some examples:
Domain English Egyptian Example

she came after dinner
time after baAd ‫ ﺑـﹷﻌﺪ‬hiya gaat baAd ilAasha'
‫ﻫـﹻﻲ ﹶ ﺟﺎ ﹶﺕ ﺑـ ﹷﻌﺪ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌـﹷﺸﺎ ﹶء‬
the garden is behind the house
space behind wara ‫ ﻭﹶﺭﺍﹶ‬ilgineena wara ilbiyt
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺠـﹻﻨﻴﻨـﹷﺔ ﻭ ﹶﺭﺍ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺒـﹻﻴﺖ‬
I need another pen like this
quality like zayi ‫ ﺯﹶﻳﻲ‬mihtaag 'alam thaani zayi dah
‫ﻣـﹻﺤﺘﺎ ﹶﺝ ﻗـﹷﻠـﹷﻢ ﺛﺎ ﹶﻧﻲ ﺯ ﹶﻳﻲ ﺩ ﹶﻩ‬
according to the police, the riot started at 2am
according
reference hasab‫ ﺣـﹷﺴـﹷﺐ‬hasab kalaam ilboolees, ilshaGab 'ibtada ilsaaAa ithneen
to
‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺸـﹷﻐـﹷﺐ ﺇﺑﺘـﹷﺪﻯ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ ﺍ ﹺﺛﻨﻴﻦ‬،‫ﺣـ ﹷﺴـ ﹷﺐ ﻛـﹷﻼ ﹶﻡ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺒﻮﻟﻴﺲ‬
I have a house in Cairo
ownership have Aand ‫ ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ‬Aandi biyt fi il'ahra
‫ﻋـ ﹷﻨﺪﻱ ﺑـﹻﻴﺖ ﻓﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻘﺎ ﹶﻫـﹻﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
The noun can be one of the following:
Element Example Sentence

she is with Ahmed
proper noun Ahmed hiya maAa 'ahmad
‫ﻫـﹻﻲ ﹶ ﻣـﹷﻊ ﹶ ﺃﺣﻤـ ﹷﺪ‬
the cat is inside the house
simple noun the house il'uTTa guwwa ilbiyt
‫ﺍﹺﻟﻘـﹹﻄﹽـﹷﺔ ﺟـﹹﻮﹼﺍ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺒـ ﹻﻴﺖ‬
I don't want a plastic bag
compound a plastic aana mish Aaayiz kees blastik
noun bag
‫ﺍﹶﻧﺎ ﹶ ﻣـﹻﺶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﻛﻴﺲ ﺑﻠـ ﹷﺴﺘـ ﹻﻚ‬
I arrived after the man who delivered the carpet
the man waSalt baAd ilraagil illi waSal ilsigaada
noun phrase
who...
‫ﻭﹶﺻـﹷﻠﺖ ﺑـﹷﻌﺪ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺮﺍ ﹶﺟـ ﹻﻞ ﺍ ﹺﻟ ﹽﻲ ﻭ ﹶﺻـ ﹷﻞ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴـ ﹻﺠﺎ ﹶﺩ ﹶﺓ‬
I arrived after her
object pronoun her waSalt baAdaha
‫ﻭﹶﺻـﹷﻠﺖ ﺑـﹷﻌﺪ ﹶﻫـ ﹶ‬
I need another pen like this
demonstrative mihtaag 'alam thaani zayi dah
this
pronoun
‫ﻣـﹻﺤﺘﺎ ﹶﺝ ﻗـﹷﻠـﹷﻢ ﺛﺎ ﹶﻧﻲ ﺯ ﹶﻳﻲ ﺩ ﹶﻩ‬
Be careful! If it's not a noun, but a complete clause (ie it has a verb), you have to use a
conjunction. In English, it's confusing because the preposition and conjunction are often the same
word: in Egyptian it is necessary to insert the word ma ‫ ﻣﺎ ﹶ‬to convert a preposition ot a conjunction.
See more about this below.
Prepositions of time
Prepositions
we will start after the feast
after baAd ‫ ﺑـﹷﻌﺪ‬hanibtidi baAd ilAiyd
‫ﻫـﹷﻨـﹻﺒﺘـﹻﺪﻱ ﺑـ ﹷﻌﺪ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌـﹻﻴﺪ‬
I must paint the house before summer
before 'abl ‫ ﻗـﹷﺒﻞ‬laazim 'adhin ilbiyt 'abl ilSeef
‫ﻻﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ ﺃﺩﻫـﹻﻦ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺒـﹻﻴﺖ ﻗـ ﹷﺒﻞ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺼﻴﻒ‬
smoking is forbidden during dinner
during athna' ‫ ﺍﹶﺛﻨﺎ ﹶء‬iltadKeen mamnooA 'athna' ilAasha'
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺘـﹷﺪﺧﻴﻦ ﻣـﹷﻤﻨﻮﻉ ﺃﺛﻨﺎ ﹶء ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌـﹷﺸﺎ ﹶء‬
I will be here till dinner
till lihadd ‫' ﻟـﹻﺤـﹷﺪﹼ‬ana mawgood lihadd ilAasha'
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻣـﹷﻮﺟﻮﺩ ﻟـ ﹻﺤـ ﹷﺪ ﹼ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌـﹷﺸﺎ ﹶء‬
they are busy until 8pm
till liGaayit
‫ ﻟـﹻﻐﺎ‬humma mawgoodeen liGaayit saaAa tamanya
‫ﹶﻳـﹻﺔ‬ ‫ﻫـﹹﻢﹼ ﹶ ﻣـﹷﻮﺟﻮﺩﻳﻦ ﻟـ ﹻﻐﺎ ﹶﻳـ ﹻﺔ ﺳﺎ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ ﺗـﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻧﻴـﹷﺔ‬
Prepositions of space
he is from Cairo
from min ‫ ﻣـﹻﻦ‬huwwa min ilQahra
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﻣـ ﹻﻦ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻘﺎ ﹶﻫـﹻﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
the dog ran away from me
away from Aan ‫ ﻋـﹷﻦ‬ilkalb garri minni
‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹷﻠﺐ ﺟـﹷﺮﹼﻱ ﻣـ ﹻﻦﻧﻲ‬
that man is looking at us
at/toward Aala ‫ ﻋـﹷﻠﻰ‬ilraagil dah baSS Aaleena
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺮﺍ ﹶﺟـﹻﻞ ﺩ ﹶﻩ ﺑـﹷﺺﹼ ﻋـ ﹷﻠﻲﻧﺎﹶ‬
my husband is at home
at fi ‫ ﻓﻲ‬goozi fi ilbiyt
‫ﺟﻮﺯﻱﻓﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺒـﹻﻴﺖ‬
my apartment is above the laundry
above foo' ‫ ﻓﻮﻕ‬sha''ati foo' ilmaGsala
‫ﺷـﹷﻘﹽـﹷﺘﻲ ﻓﻮﻕ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـﹷﻐﺴـﹷﻠـﹷﺔ‬
there are many many fish under the water
below taht ‫ ﺗـﹷﺤﺖ‬fi samak kiteer taht ilmayaah
‫ﻓﻲ ﺳـﹷﻤـﹷﻚ ﻛـﹻﺘﻴﺮ ﺗـ ﹷﺤﺖ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـﹷﻴﺎ ﹶﻩ‬
the restaurant is opposite the railway station
opposite 'uSaad
‫ ﻗـﹹﺼﺎ‬ilmaTaAm 'uSaad mahaTTit il'aTaar
‫ﹶﺩ‬ ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻤـﹷﻄـﹷﻌﻢ ﻗـ ﹹﺼﺎ ﹶﺩ ﻣـﹷﺤـﹷﻄﹽـﹻﺔ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻘـﹷﻄﺎ ﹶﺭ‬
opposite 'ubaal ‫ﻗـﹹﺒﺎ ﹶﻝ‬
the house is facing the desert
fi ‫ ﻓﻲ ﻭ‬ilbiyt fi wishsh ilSahara'
facing
wishsh ‫ﹺﺵﹼ‬ ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺒـﹻﻴﺖ ﻓﻲ ﻭ ﹺﺵ ﹼ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺼـﹷﺤـﹷﺮﺍ ﹶء‬
the customs office is at the airport
at Aand ‫ ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ‬maktab ilgamaarik Aand ilmaTaar
‫ﻣـﹷﻜﺘـﹷﺐ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺠـﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻙ ﻋـ ﹷﻨﺪ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـﹷﻄﺎ ﹶﺭ‬
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turn right at the pharmacy
at Aand ‫ ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ‬Kushsh yimeen Aand ilSayidaliya
‫ﺧـﹹﺶﹼ ﻳـﹻﻤﻴﻦ ﻋـ ﹷﻨﺪ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺼـﹷﻴـﹻﺪ ﹶﻟـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬
the cat is behind you (f)
behind wara ‫ ﻭﹶﺭﺍﹶ‬il'uTTa waraaki
‫ﺍﹺﻟﻘـﹹﻄﹽـﹷﺔ ﻭ ﹶﺭﺍ ﹶﻛﻲ‬
there was an accident beside the mosque
beside gamb ‫ ﺟـﹷﻤﺐ‬kaan fi hadtha ganb ilgamAa
‫ﻛﺎﹶﻥ ﻓﻲ ﺣﺎ ﹶﺩﺛـﹷﺔ ﺟـ ﹷﻨﺐ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺠﺎ ﹶﻣﻊﹶ‬
the dog is in the garden
in fi ‫ ﻓﻲ‬ilkalb fi ilgineena
‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹷﻠﺐ ﻓﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺠـﹻﻨﻴﻨـﹷﺔ‬
we must stay inside the house
inside guwa ‫ ﺟـﹹﻮﺍﹶ‬laazim ni'Aud guwa ilbiyt
‫ﻻﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ ﻧـﹻﻘﻌـﹹﺪ ﺟـ ﹹﻮﺍ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺒـﹻﻴﺖ‬
do you want anything from outside?
outside bara ‫ ﺑـﹷﺮﺍﹶ‬Aaayiz haga min baraa?
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﺣـﹷﺠـﹷﺔ ﻣـﹻﻦ ﺑـ ﹷﺮﺍ ﹶ؟‬
the bread is on the table
on Aala ‫ ﻋـﹷﻠﻰ‬ilAeesh Aala iltarabeeza
‫ﺍﹺﻟﻌﻴﺶ ﻋـ ﹷﻠﻰ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘـﹷﺮ ﹶﺑﻴﺰ ﹶﺓ‬
Hurghada is between the desert and the sea
between been ‫ ﺑﻴﻦ‬ilGarda'a been ilSahara' wa ilbahr
‫ﺍﹺﻟﻐـﹷﺮﺩ ﹶﻗـﹷﺔ ﺑﻴﻦ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺼـﹷﺤـﹷﺮﺍ ﹶء ﻭ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺒـﹷﺤﺮ‬
there are lamp posts all along the street
along biilTool
‫ ﺑـﹻﺎ‬fi Aawameed noor biilTool ilshaariA
‫ﹺﻟﻄﻮﻝ‬ ‫ﻓﻲ ﻋـﹷﻮﺍ ﹶﻣﻴﺪ ﻧﻮﺭ ﺑـ ﹻﺎ ﹺﻟﻄﻮﻝ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺸﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻉ‬
The view surrounding the house is very beautiful
surrounding hawaleen
‫ ﺣـﹷﻮ‬ilmanZar hawaleen ilbiyt gameel 'awi
‫ﹶﻟﻴﻦ‬ ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻤـﹷﻨﻈـﹷﺮ ﺣـ ﹷﻮ ﹶﻟﻴﻦ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺒـﹻﻴﺖ ﺟـﹷﻤﻴﻞ ﻗـﹷﻮﻱ‬
Note that you don't need a prepositional to after words like raah ‫ ﺭﺍ ﹶﺡ‬- go.
I am going to Cairo
aacnaa raayiH iil-Qaahirao
Miscellaneous Prepositions
'amaa...
concerning ٫٫٫‫ ﻓـﹶ‬٫٫٫‫ﺃﻣﺎﹶ‬
fa...
do you have something like this?
like zayi ‫ ﺯﹶﻳﻲ‬Aandak haaga zayi dih?
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹶﻙ ﺣﺎ ﹶﺟـﹷﺔ ﺯ ﹶﻳﻲ ﺩ ﹺﻩ؟‬
there is a stain on this shirt
there is fi ‫ ﻓﻲ‬fi bu'Aa Aala il'ameeS dih
‫ﻓﻲ ﺑـﹹﻘﻌـﹷﺔ ﻋـﹷﻠﻰ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻘـﹷﻤﻴﺺ ﺩ ﹺﻩ‬
I am reading a book about the revolution
about Aan ‫ ﻋـﹷﻦ‬ba'ra kitaab Aan ilthoora
‫ﺑـﹷﻘﺮﺍ ﹶ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﻋـ ﹷﻦ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺜﻮﺭ ﹶﺓ‬
Prepositions
according to Ahmed, it will be windy tomorrow
according
to
hasab ‫ ﺣـﹷﺴـﹷﺐ‬hasab kalaam 'ahmad, haykoon fi hawa' kiteer bukrah
‫ ﺣـﹷﻴﻜﻮﻥ ﻓﻲ ﻫـﹷﻮﺍ ﹶء ﻛـﹻﺘﻴﺮ ﺑـﹹﻜﺮ ﹶﻩ‬،‫ﺣـ ﹷﺴـ ﹷﺐ ﻛـﹷﻼ ﹶﻡ ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ‬
my opinion is contrary to yours
contrary Aaks ‫ ﻋـﹷﻜﺲ‬r'ayi Aaks r'ayak
‫ﺭﺃﻳﻲﻋـ ﹷﻜﺲ ﺭﺃﻳـﹷﻚ‬
there is no food except this bread
except 'ila ‫ ﺇﻻﹶ‬mafish akl 'ila ilAayshsh dah
‫ﻣـﹷﻔـﹻﺶ ﺍ ﹶﻛﻞ ﺇﻻ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌـﹷﻴﺶﹼ ﺩ ﹶﻩ‬
except maAada ‫ﻣـﹷﻌـﹷﺪﺍﹶ‬
give us chicken instead of beef
instead of baddal ‫' ﺑـﹷﺪﹼ ﹶﻝ‬ideena firaaK baddal illahma
‫ﺇﺩﻳﻨﺎﹶ ﻓـﹻﺮﺍ ﹶﺥ ﺑـ ﹷﺪﹼ ﹶﻝ ﺍ ﹺﻟﹽـﹷﺤﻤـﹷﺔ‬
he succeeded despite his injuries
despite
biilraGm ‫ ﺑـﹻﺎ ﹺﻟﺮ ﹶﻏﻢ‬nigih biilraGm min ziraaAuh ilmaksoor
min ‫ﻣـﹻﻦ‬ ‫ﻧـﹻﺠـﹻﺢ ﺑـ ﹻﺎ ﹺﻟﺮ ﹶﻏﻢ ﻣـ ﹻﻦ ﺫ ﹺﺭﺍ ﹶﻋـﹹﻪ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـﹷﻜﺴﻮﺭ‬
there are ten guests plus two staff
plus zaa'id ‫ ﺯﺍﹶﺋـﹻﺪ‬fi Aashara Duyoof zaa'id 'ithneen muwaZafeen
‫ﻓﻲ ﻋـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ ﹶﺓ ﺿـﹹﻴﻮﻑ ﺯﺍ ﹶﺋـ ﹻﺪ ﺇﺛﻨﻴﻦ ﻣـﹹﻮ ﹶﻇـﹷﻔﻴﻦ‬
Prepositions of ownership
This important group is discussed in more detail in the section on ownership.

I own a car
own Aand ‫ ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ‬Aandi Aarabiya
‫ﻋـ ﹷﻨﺪﻱ ﻋـﹷﺮ ﹶﺑـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬
I have a cigarette lighter
have with you maAa ‫ ﻣـﹷﻊﹶ‬maAayah walaaAa
‫ﻣـ ﹷﻌـ ﹷﻴـ ﹷﻪ ﻭ ﹶﻻ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ‬
I have two legs
have got li ‫ ﻟﻲ‬li rigleen
‫ﻟﻲ ﺭ ﹺﺟﻠﻴﻦ‬
there was a phone call for you
for Aalashaen
‫ ﻋـﹷﻠـﹷﺸﺎ‬kaan fi mukalma Aalashaenak
‫ﹶﻥ‬ ‫ﻛﺎﹶﻥ ﻓﻲ ﻣـﹹﻜـﹷﻠﻤـﹷﺔ ﻋـ ﹷﻠـ ﹷﺸﺎ ﹶﻥ ﹶﻙ‬
Subordinate clauses: maa

A preposition connects a noun to a sentence. If you want to connect a clause (something with a
verb) to a sentence, you need to use a conjunction.
In English, many conjunctions are the same as prepositions: In Egyptian, some prepositions can
be converted to a conjunction by adding the word ma ‫ﻣﺎ ﹶ‬. Here are some examples:
Preposition Conjunction
wash your hands before dinner wash your hands before you eat
'iGsil ieedeek 'abl ilAasha' 'iGsil ieedeek 'abl ma taakul
‫ﺇﻏﺴـﹻﻞ ﺍ ﹺﻳﺪﻳﻚ ﻗـ ﹷﺒﻞ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌـﹷﺸﺎ ﹶء‬ ‫ﺇﻏﺴـﹻﻞ ﺍ ﹺﻳﺪﻳﻚ ﻗـ ﹷﺒﻞ ﻣﺎ ﹶ ﺗﺎ ﹶﻛـﹹﻞ‬
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she arrived after the bus she arrived after the bus had gone
hiya waSalit baAd ilmasarahiya hiya waSalit baAd ma ilmasrahiya 'ibtadit
‫ﻫـﹻﻲ ﹶ ﻭ ﹶﺻـﹷﻠـﹻﺖ ﺑـ ﹷﻌﺪ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـﹷﺴـﹷﺮ ﹶﺣـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬ ‫ﻫـﹻﻲ ﹶ ﻭ ﹶﺻـﹷﻠـﹻﺖ ﺑـ ﹷﻌﺪ ﻣﺎ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـﹷﺴﺮ ﹶﺣـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ ﺇﺑﺘـﹷﺪ ﹺﺕ‬
he acts like the owner he acts as if he owns the place
biyitSarraf zayi ilmaalik biyitSarraf zayi ma yikoon ilmakaan bitaaAuh
‫ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﺘﺼـﹷﺮﹼ ﹶﻑ ﺯ ﹶﻳﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤﺎ ﹶﻟـﹻﻚ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﺘﺼـﹷﺮﹼ ﹶﻑ ﺯ ﹶﻳﻲ ﻣﺎ ﹶ ﻳـﹻﻜﻮﻥ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـﹷﻜﺎ ﹶﻥ ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋـﹹﻪ‬
yikoon ‫ ﻳـ ﹻﻜﻮﻥ‬is added in the last example because it is something that is unlikely to happen. See
kaan for more details.
Conjunctions
Conjunctions
Conjunctions are the useful little words that join clauses together to make more complex
sentences.
I want to make bread but I don't have enough flour

Aaayiz aacAamil Aiysh lakin maAandysh diqyq kifaayao
Part English Egyptian

Aaayiz 'aAamil Aiysh
Main clause I want to make bread
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﺃﻋـﹷﻤـﹻﻞ ﻋـﹻﻴﺶ‬
lakin
Conjunction but
‫ﻟـﹷﻜـﹻﻦ‬
Subordinate maAandeesh di'ee' kifaaya
I don't have enough flour
clause ‫ﻣـﹷﻌـﹷﻨﺪﻳﺶ ﺩ ﹺﻗﻴﻖ ﻛـﹻﻔﺎ ﹶﻳـﹷﺔ‬
If you just want to attach a noun, you should use a preposition, but if you want to attach a clause
(ie, there is a verb in bit that you want to attach), then a conjunction is required. In English, the
same word is often used for both preposition and conjunction, but there are differences in
Egyptian: see prepositions and conjunctions for more details.
In both English and Egyptian, you can put the subordinate clause either before or after the main
clause. This doesn't change the meaning at all, just the emphasis.
You can go out when you have finished your homework

mumkin tuKrug lammaa hatiKlis iil-waegib
When you have finished your homework, you can go out.

lammaa hatiKlis iil-waegib, mumkin tuKrug
If there is a subject pronoun in the second clause, it becomes a pronoun suffix attached to the
conjunction. For example:
I feared that she was lost

aanaa Kuft iinnahaa tikwn taahit
The following table lists most of the common conjunctions, and gives examples how they can be
used.

that 'inn ‫ ﺇﻥﹼ‬aana Kuft 'innaha tikoon taahit
‫ﺍﹶﻧﺎ ﹶ ﺧـﹹﻔﺖ ﺇﻥ ﹼ ﹶﻫﺎ ﹶ ﺗـﹻﻜﻮﻥ ﺗﺎ ﹶﻫـﹻﺖ‬
as long as you water the garden, the plants will grow
as long as Tool ma ‫ ﻃﻮﻝ ﻣﺎﹶ‬Tool ma bitis'i ilgineena, ilzaraA hayikbar
‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺰ ﹶﺭ ﹶﻉ ﺣـﹷﻴـﹻﻜﺒـﹷﺮ‬،‫ﻃﻮﻝ ﻣﺎ ﹶ ﺑـﹻﺘـﹻﺴﻘﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺠـﹻﻨﻴﻨـﹷﺔ‬
I don't have a car because there is not enough money
‫ ﻋـﹷﻠـﹷﺸﺎ ﹶﻥ‬maAndeesh Aarabiya Aalashaan mafiysh filoos
because Aalashaan pronounced kifaaya
Aashaen
‫ﻣـﹷﻌﻨﺪﻳﺶ ﻋـﹷﺮ ﹶﺑـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ ﻋـ ﹷﻠـ ﹷﺸﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻣـﹷﻔـﹻﻴﺶ ﻓـﹻﻠﻮﺱ ﻛـﹻﻔﺎ ﹶﻳـﹷﺔ‬
I need money in order to buy food
in order to Aalashaan ‫ ﻋـﹷﻠـﹷﺸﺎ ﹶﻥ‬mihtaag filoos Aalashaan 'ashtiri 'akl
+imperfect
‫ﻣـﹻﺤﺘﺎ ﹶﺝ ﻓـﹻﻠﻮﺱ ﻋـ ﹷﻠـ ﹷﺸﺎ ﹶﻥ ﺃﺷﺘـﹻﺮﻱ ﺃﻛﻞ‬
baAd we will leave after the movie has finished
after ‫ ﺑـﹷﻌﺪ ﻣﺎﹶ‬hanimshi bAad ma ilfeelm yiKlaS
ma
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‫ﺣـﹷﻨـﹻﻤﺸﻲ ﺑﻌـ ﹷﺪ ﻣﺎ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻔﻴﻠﻢ ﻳـﹻﺨﻠـﹷﺺ‬
I went to the bank and it was closed
and wi ‫ ﻭﹺ‬raht ilbank wi kaan ma'fool
‫ﺭﹶﺣﺖ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺒـﹷﻨﻚ ﻭ ﹺ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻣـﹷﻘﻔﻮﻝ‬
Aala
as if ‫ﻋـﹷﻠﻰ ﺇﻥﹼ‬
'inn
he spends money as if he is rich
as if ka'inn ‫ ﻛﺎﹶﺇﻥﹼ‬biyuSrif filoos ka'innuh Gani
‫ﺑـﹻﻴـﹹﺼﺮ ﹺﻑ ﻓـﹻﻠﻮﺱ ﻛﺎ ﹶﺇﻥﻧـﹹﻪ ﻏـﹷﻨﻲ‬
he spends money as if he is rich
as if zayi ma ‫ ﺯﹶﻳﻲ ﻣﺎﹶ‬biyuSrif filoos zayi ma yikoon Gani
‫ﺑـﹻﻴـﹹﺼﺮ ﹺﻑ ﻓـﹻﻠﻮﺱ ﺯ ﹶﻳﻲ ﻣﺎ ﹶ ﻳـﹻﻜﻮﻥ ﻏـﹷﻨﻲ‬
before 'abl ma ‫ﻗـﹷﺒﻞ ﻣﺎﹶ‬
I would like to go but I don't have time
but bass ‫ ﺑـﹷﺲﹼ‬nifsi arooh bass maAandeesh wa't
‫ﻧـﹻﻔﺴﻲ ﺍ ﹶﺭﻭﺡ ﺑـ ﹷﺲ ﹼ ﻣـﹷﻌـﹷﻨﺪﻳﺶ ﻭ ﹶﻗﺖ‬
but lakin ‫ ﻟـﹷﻜـﹻﻦ‬ditto
If you go, you will get into a fight
if 'in ‫' ﺇﻥ‬inn rooht hinaak, haatit Kaani'
‫ ﺣﺎ ﹶﺗـﹻﺖ ﺧﺎ ﹶﻧـﹻﻖ‬،‫ﺇﻥ ﹼ ﺭﻭﺣﺖ ﻫـﹻﻨﺎ ﹶﻙ‬
if you have some money, lend me fifty pounds
if 'iza ‫' ﺇﺫﺍﹶ‬iza kaan maAaak filoos, salifni Kamseen ginya
‫ ﺳـﹷﻠـﹻﻔﻨﻲ ﺧـﹷﻤﺴﻴﻦ ﺟـﹻﻨﻴـﹷﺔ‬،‫ﺇﺫﺍ ﹶ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻣـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻙ ﻓـﹻﻠﻮﺱ‬
instead of going, call them
badal
instead of
ma ‫ ﺑـﹷﺪ ﹶﻝ ﻣﺎﹶ‬badal ma matrooh, kalimhum
‫ ﻛـﹷﻠـﹻﻤﻬـﹹﻢ‬،‫ﺑـ ﹷﺪ ﹶﻝ ﻣﺎ ﹶ ﻣـﹷﺘﺮﻭﺡ‬
as you did for him, he will do for you
like zai ma ‫ ﺯﹶﻱ ﻣﺎﹶ‬zayi ma Aamalt feeh hayitAamil feek
‫ﺯ ﹶﻳﻲ ﻣﺎ ﹶ ﻋـﹷﻤـﹷﻠﺖ ﻓﻴﻪ ﻫـﹷﻴـﹻﺘﻌـﹷﻤـﹻﻞ ﻓﻴﻚ‬
laa... neither this is working nor is this working
neither..
nor.. ٫٫‫ ﻭ ﹶﻻ ﹶﻩ‬٫٫٫‫ ﻻﹶ‬la dah naafaA walaah dah biyinfaA
walaah.. ‫ﻻ ﹶ ﺩ ﹶﻩ ﻧﺎ ﹶﻓـﹷﻊ ﻭ ﹶﻻ ﹶﻩ ﺩ ﹶﻩ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﻨﻔـﹷﻊ‬
we can eat fish or chicken
or 'aw ‫> ﺃﻭ‬mumkin naakul samak 'aw firaaK
‫ﻣـﹹﻤﻜـﹻﻦ ﻧﺎ ﹶﻛـﹹﻞ ﺳـﹷﻤـﹷﻚ ﺃﻭ ﻓـﹻﺮﺍ ﹶﺥ‬
would you like fish or chicken?
or (in
question)
wala ‫ ﻭﹶﻻﹶ‬Aaawiz taakul samak wala firaaK?
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻭ ﹺﺯ ﺗﺎ ﹶﻛـﹹﻞ ﺳـﹷﻤـﹷﻚ ﻭ ﹶﻻ ﹶ ﻓـﹻﺮﺍ ﹶﺥ؟‬
I would prefer to eat fish rather than chicken
rather
than
'ahsan ‫' ﺃﺣﺴـﹷﻦ‬akul ilsamak 'ahsan min ilfiraaK
‫ﺃﻛـﹹﻞ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴـﹷﻤـﹷﻚ ﺃﺣﺴـ ﹷﻦ ﻣـ ﹻﻦ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻔـﹻﺮﺍ ﹶﺥ‬
shut up otherwise we go home!
otherwise wa 'illa ‫' ﻭﹶ ﺇﻻﹼﹶ‬iKrassi wa 'illa haarawahik
‫ﺇﺧﺮﹶﺳﹽﻲ ﻭ ﹶ ﺇﻻﹼ ﹶ ﻫﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹶﻭ ﹶﺣـﹻﻚ‬
don't give him any money unless I allow you to
unless 'ila 'iza ‫ ﺇﻻﹶ ﺇﺫﺍﹶ‬matideehoosh filoos 'ila 'iza 'ana samahteelak
‫ﻣـﹷﺘـﹻﺪﻳﻬﻮﺵ ﻓـﹻﻠﻮﺱ ﺇﻻ ﹶ ﺇﺫﺍ ﹶ ﺃﻧﺎ ﹶ ﺳـﹷﻤـﹷﺤﺘﻴﻠـﹷﻚ‬
Conjunctions
Note that and wa ‫ ﻭ ﹶ‬is used a lot in narrative to replace conjunctions like next and then. It is also
often used in place of but.
Page 52
that-clauses
Verbs that deal with communication, opinion or emotions can be followed by a that-clause, which
specifies what you said or thought or felt. Note that, in English, the that is sometimes omitted, but
it's still a that-clause.
I think that you are wrong

I think you are wrong
In Egyptian, this is expressed using 'inn ‫ﺇﻥ ﹼ‬. Note that the subject pronoun of the that-clause can
be attached to 'inn ‫ ﺇﻥ ﹼ‬as a suffix.
I said that I was busy

'ana 'ultiluh 'inni kunt mashGool
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻗـﹹﻠﺘـﹻﻠـﹹﻪ ﺇﻧ ﹽﻲ ﻛـﹹﻨﺖ ﻣـﹷﺸﻐﻮﻝ‬
I think that you are wrong
'aftikir 'innak Galtan
‫ﺃﻓﺘـﹻﻜـﹻﺮ ﺇﻥ ﹼ ﹶﻙ ﻏـﹷﻠﺘﺎﹰ‬
I know that he is lying
'ana Aaarif 'innuh biyikdib
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﺇﻥ ﹼ ﹸﻩ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﻜﺪ ﹺﺏ‬
aana Kuft 'innaha tikoon taahit
‫ﺍﹶﻧﺎ ﹶ ﺧـﹹﻔﺖ ﺇﻥ ﹼ ﹶﻫﺎ ﹶ ﺗـﹻﻜﻮﻥ ﺗﺎ ﹶﻫـﹻﺖ‬
I think that we are ready
'aftikir 'inn 'ihna gahzeen
‫ﺃﻓﺘـﹻﻜـﹻﺮ ﺇﻥ ﹼ ﺇﺣﻨﺎ ﹶ ﺟﺎ ﹶﻫـﹻﺰﻳﻦ‬
Conditional clauses (if.. then...)
Conditional clauses (if.. then...)

There are two words meaning if: they are 'iza ‫ ﺇﺫﺍ ﹶ‬and law ‫ﻟـ ﹷﻮ‬. 'iza ‫ ﺇﺫﺍ ﹶ‬can be used under all
circumstances: law ‫ ﻟـ ﹷﻮ‬cannot be used with the imperfect form of a verb or a preposition.
In English, the word then is occasionally used to complement if. In Egyptian, there is no
equivalent word.
If I were rich...
If an event or situation is improbable or impossible, in English we use modals like 'would' and
'were', or backshift the tense of the verb (for example, present becomes past). In Egyptian, the
word kaan ‫ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬is used after law ‫ﻟـ ﹷﻮ‬. Compare these two sentences:
if I have time, I will read the book

iicdhaa Aandy waqt, haaqraac iil-kitaab
if I had time, I would read the book

law kaan Aandy waqt, kunt qaryt iil-kitaab
if I had money, I would buy a car

law maayaa filws, kunt aacshtiryt Aarabiyao
When conditional clause

past 'iza kaan ‫ ﺇﺫﺍ ﹶ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬+ perfect
present 'iza kaan ‫ ﺇﺫﺍ ﹶ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬+ imperfect
future 'iza kaan ‫ ﺇﺫﺍ ﹶ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬+ imperfect
Page 54
Determiners
A determiner introduces a noun. There are four types of determiner:
Type English Examples

article the, and
demonstrative this, that
quantifier some, any
possessive my, his
Articles
In English, there are two articles. The definite article the indicates that we are referring to
something we have already mentioned, or the listener will understand which one we are talking
about. The indefinite article a/an indicates that we are not talking about any particular instance of
something. In Egyptian, there is a definite article il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬but no indefinite article.
To talk about a particular man- the listener is expected to know which man we are referring to- we
say 'the man' in English. In arabic, we attach il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬to the front of the noun.
the man is reading his book

ilraagil biyi'r'a kitaabuh
‫ﺍ ﹺﻝﺭﺍ ﹶﺟـﹻﻞ ﺑـﹻﻴـﹻﻘﺮﺃ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺑـﹹﻪ‬
Note that adding il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬to a word affects the pronunciation if it begins with a sun letter.
For compound nouns, where we use a noun to describe another noun, the is used before the
compound noun. In Egyptian, it is used before each word in the compound noun:
the plastic bag

ilkees ilblastik
‫ﺍ ﹺﻝﻛﻴﺲ ﺍ ﹺﻝﺑﻼ ﹶﺳﺘـﹻﻚ‬
Note that, in Egyptian, il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬is used before nouns expressing abstract concepts. In English, it is
not unless you are referring to a particular kind of whatever the noun relates to.
English Egyptian
love is all you ilhubb huwwa kull illi 'inta
need mahtalKa ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺤـﹹﺐﹼ ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﻛـﹹﻞﹼ ﺍ ﹺﻟﹽﻲ ﺇﻧﺖ ﹶ ﻣـﹷﺤﺘـﹷﻠﺨـﹷﺔ‬
the love of God 'allah ilhubb ‫ﺃﻟﹽـﹷﻪ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺤـﹹﺐﹼ‬
give peace a
'iddi ilsalaam furSa ‫ﺇﺩﹼﻱ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴـﹷﻼ ﹶﻡ ﻓـﹹﺮﺻـﹷﺔ‬
chance
movement is
ilharaka baraka ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺤـﹷﺮ ﹶﻛـﹷﺔ ﺑـﹷﺮ ﹶﻛـﹷﺔ‬
blessed
Demonstratives
Demonstratives are words that you generally use when you are pointing at something. In English,
there are four demonstratives- this and that (singular) and these and those (plural). You
generally use this/these to refer to something nearer to you, and that/those for something further
away. They can be used either as pronouns (on their own) or as determiners (introducing a noun).
In Arabic, there is just one demonstrative, but there are three forms- masculine, feminine and
plural. It is used either as a pronoun (on its own) or as a demonstrative adjective (after a noun).
Let's see how that works:
Determiners
Usage English Egyptian
pronoun I like this (m) 'ana baahibb dah ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺑﺎ ﹶﺣـﹻﺐﹼ ﺩ ﹶﻩ‬
pronoun I like this (f) 'ana baahibb dih ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺑﺎ ﹶﺣـﹻﺐﹼ ﺩ ﹺﻩ‬
pronoun I like these (pl) 'ana baahibb dul ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺑﺎ ﹶﺣـﹻﺐﹼ ﺩ ﹸﻝ‬
determiner/adjective I like this book(m) 'ana bahibb ilkitab dah ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺑـﹷﺤـﹻﺐﹼ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘـﹷﺐ ﺩ ﹶﻩ‬
determiner/adjective I like this garden(m) 'ana bahibb ilgineena dih ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺑـﹷﺤـﹻﺐﹼ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺠـﹻﻨﻴﻨـﹷﺔ ﺩ ﹺﻩ‬
determiner/adjective I like these book(m) 'ana bahibb ilkutub dul ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺑـﹷﺤـﹻﺐﹼ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻜـﹹﺘـﹹﺐ ﺩ ﹸﻝ‬
Note that, when this is used as a demonstrative determiner, dah ‫ ﺩ ﹶﻩ‬is used as a demonstrative
adjective: it goes after the noun, and il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬is used as a determiner before then noun.
Quantifiers
Quantifiers specify how much or how many of something we are talking about. Numbers give
exact information, whereas quantifying determiners give an approximate idea. English examples
are some, enough, any, many, few. Most English quantifiers do not have an equivalent in
Egyptian: instead, quantifying adjectives (which follow the noun) are used. any does not have an
equivalent: it is simply omitted.
Usage English Egyptian

Aaayiz shuwayit laban
determiner I want some milk
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﺷـ ﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـ ﹻﺔ ﻟـﹷﺒـﹷﻦ‬
maAandeesh filoos kifaaya
adjective I don't have enough money
‫ﻣـﹷﻌـﹷﻨﺪﻳﺶ ﻓـﹻﻠﻮﺱ ﻛـ ﹻﻔﺎ ﹶﻳـ ﹷﺔ‬
maAanduhsh filoos
- he has any money
‫ﻣـﹷﻌـﹷﻨﺪ ﹸﻫﺶ ﻓـﹻﻠﻮﺱ‬
you have many friends Aandak 'aShaab kiteer
adjective
formal ‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹶﻙ ﺃﺻﺤﺎ ﹶﺏ ﻛـ ﹻﺘﻴﺮ‬
you have a lot of friends Aandak 'aShaab yaama
adjective
informal ‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹶﻙ ﺃﺻﺤﺎ ﹶﺏ ﻳﺎ ﹶﻣﺎ ﹶ‬
'ana zahQaaen min kutr ilkalaem
determiner I am tired of too much talk
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺯ ﹶﻫﻘﺎ ﹶۤ ﻥ ﻣـﹻﻦ ﻛـ ﹹﺘﺮ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻜـﹷﻼ ﹶﻡ‬
Possessive suffixes
Possessives indicate who owns something- in English, they are words like my, his and their. In
both English and Egyptian, they are similar to the corresponding possessive pronouns (mine, his,
theirs), but they introduce a noun rather than being used on their own. In Egyptian, they are
suffixes attached to the noun that they relate to, or to the ownership word bitaA ‫ ﺑـ ﹻﺘـ ﹷﻊ‬the latter is
used for most imported words.
what (is) your name?
'ismak 'ieeh?
‫ﺇﺳﻢ ﹶﻙ ﺇﻳﻪ؟‬
The posessive suffixes themselves are pretty easy to learn, but when they are attached to nouns,
the vowels do a little dance to make sure that you don't get three consonants in a row. Here are
examples for nouns that end with one or two consonants:
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Nouns ending in two consonants
after -C after -CC
English
suffix Saahib ‫ﺻﺎﹶﺣـﹻﺐ‬ suffix kalb ‫ﻛـﹷﻠﺐ‬
my -i ‫ ـﻲ‬Sahbi ‫ ﺻﺎﹶﺣـﹻﺒﻲ‬-i ‫ ـﻲ‬kalbi ‫ﻛـﹷﻠﺒﻲ‬
our -na ‫ ـﻨﺎﹶ‬Saahibna ‫ ﺻﺎﹶﺣـﹻﺒﻨﺎﹶ‬-ina ‫ ــﹻﻨﺎﹶ‬kalbina ‫ﻛـﹷﻠﺒـﹻﻨﺎﹶ‬
your(m) -ak ‫ ــﹷﻚ‬Sahbak ‫ ﺻﺎﹶﺣـﹻﺒـﹷﻚ‬-ak ‫ ــﹷﻚ‬kalbak ‫ﻛـﹷﻠﺒـﹷﻚ‬
your(f) -ik ‫ ــﹻﻚ‬Sahbik ‫ ﺻﺎﹶﺣـﹻﺒـﹻﻚ‬-ik ‫ ــﹻﻚ‬kalbik ‫ﻛـﹷﻠﺒـﹻﻚ‬
-
your(pl) Saahibkum ‫ ﺻﺎﹶﺣـﹻﺒﻜـﹹﻢ‬-ukum‫ ــﹹﻜـﹹﻢ‬kalbukum‫ﻛـﹷﻠﺒـﹹﻜـﹹﻢ‬
his/its(m) -uh ‫ ــﹹﻪ‬Sahbuh ‫ ﺻﺎﹶﺣـﹻﺒـﹹﻪ‬-uh ‫ ــﹹﻪ‬kalbuh ‫ﻛـﹷﻠﺒـﹹﻪ‬
her/its(f) -ha ‫ ـﻬﺎﹶ‬Saahibha ‫ ﺻﺎﹶﺣـﹻﺒﻬﺎﹶ‬-aha ‫ ــﹷﻬﺎﹶ‬kalbaha ‫ﻛـﹷﻠﺒـﹷﻬﺎﹶ‬
-
their Saahibhum ‫ ﺻﺎﹶﺣـﹻﺒﻬـﹹﻢ‬-uhum ‫ ــﹹﻬـﹹﻢ‬kalbuhum‫ﻛـﹷﻠﺒـﹹﻬـﹹﻢ‬
For nouns ending in -a ‫ــ ﹷﺔ‬, the -a ‫ ــ ﹷﺔ‬is replaced by -t ‫ ـﺖ‬or -it ‫ ــ ﹻﺖ‬and then the ending is added.
Nouns ending in -a ‫ــ ﹷﺔ‬

after -C after -CC
English
suffix koora ‫ﻛﻮﺭﹶﺓ‬ suffix shanTa ‫ﺷـﹷﻨﻄـﹷﺔ‬
my -ti ‫ ـﺘﻲ‬koorti ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﺗﻲ‬-iti ‫ ــﹻﺘﻲ‬shanTiti ‫ﺷـﹷﻨﻄـﹻﺘﻲ‬
our -itna ‫ ــﹻﺘﻨﺎﹶ‬kooritna ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﹺﺗﻨﺎﹶ‬-itna ‫ ــﹻﺘﻨﺎﹶ‬shanTitna ‫ﺷـﹷﻨﻄـﹻﺘﻨﺎﹶ‬
your(m) -tak ‫ ـﺘـﹷﻚ‬koortak ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﺗـﹷﻚ‬-itak ‫ ــﹻﺘـﹷﻚ‬shanTitak ‫ﺷـﹷﻨﻄـﹻﺘـﹷﻚ‬
your(f) -tik ‫ ـﺘـﹻﻚ‬koortik ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﺗـﹻﻚ‬-itik ‫ ــﹻﺘـﹻﻚ‬shanTitik ‫ﺷـﹷﻨﻄـﹻﺘـﹻﻚ‬
your(pl) -itkum‫ ــﹻﺘﻜـﹹﻢ‬kooritkum ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﹺﺗﻜـﹹﻢ‬-itkum‫ ــﹻﺘﻜـﹹﻢ‬shanTitkum

‫ﺷـ‬
‫ﹷﻨﻄـﹻﺘﻜـﹹﻢ‬
his/its(m) -tuh ‫ ـﺘـﹹﻪ‬koortuh ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﺗـﹹﻪ‬-ituh ‫ ــﹻﺘـﹹﻪ‬shanTituh ‫ﺷـﹷﻨﻄـﹻﺘـﹹﻪ‬
her/its(f) -itha ‫ ــﹻﺘﻬﺎﹶ‬kooritha ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﹺﺗﻬﺎﹶ‬-itha ‫ ــﹻﺘﻬﺎﹶ‬shanTitha ‫ﺷـﹷﻨﻄـﹻﺘﻬﺎﹶ‬
‫ﺷـ‬
their -ithum ‫ ــﹻﺘﻬـﹹﻢ‬koorithum ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﹺﺗﻬـﹹﻢ‬-ithum ‫ ــﹻﺘﻬـﹹﻢ‬shanTithum
‫ﹷﻨﻄـﹻﺘﻬـﹹﻢ‬
Nouns that end in alif -a ‫ ـﺎ ﹶ‬are treated almost like feminine nouns, ie the alif is replaced by -it ‫ـﺎ ﹺﺕ‬
and then the ending is added.
Nouns ending in -i ‫ ـﻲ‬or -w ‫ ـﻮ‬are listed below.
Note that for most words ending in -w ‫ـﻮ‬, for example baltw ‫ﺑـ ﹷﻠﺘﻮ‬, one would normally use bitaA
‫ ﺑـ ﹻﺘـ ﹷﻊ‬rather than a posessive suffix.
Nouns ending in a vowel

-a ‫ـﺎﹶ‬ -i ‫ـﻲ‬ -w ‫ـﻮ‬
English
suffix veela ‫ڤﻴﻼﹶ‬ koorsi ‫ﻛﻮﺭﺳﻲ‬ Aadw ‫ﻋـﹷﺪﻭ‬
my -ya ‫ ـﻲﹶ‬veeliti ‫ ڤﻴﻼﹺﺗﻲ‬koorsya ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﺳﻴﺎﹶ‬Aadwi ‫ﻋـﹷﺪﻭﻱ‬
Determiners
our -na ‫ ـﻨﺎﹶ‬veelitna ‫ ڤﻴﻼﹺﺗﻨﺎﹶ‬koorseena ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﺳﻴﻨﺎﹶ‬Aadoona ‫ﻋـﹷﺪﻭﻧﺎﹶ‬
your(m) -k ‫ ـﻚ‬veelitak ‫ ڤﻴﻼﹺﺗـﹷﻚ‬koorseek ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﺳﻴﻚ‬Aadook ‫ﻋـﹷﺪﻭﻙ‬
your(f) -ki ‫ ـﻚﹺ‬veelitik ‫ ڤﻴﻼﹺﺗـﹻﻚ‬koorseeki ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﺳﻴﻜﻲ‬Aadwik ‫ﻋـﹷﺪﻭ ﹺﻙ‬
‫ـﻜـ‬
your(pl) -kum veelitkum ‫ ڤﻴﻼﹺﺗﻜـﹹﻢ‬koorseekum ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﺳﻴﻜـﹹﻢ‬Aadookum‫ﻋـﹷﺪﻭﻛـﹹﻢ‬
‫ﹹﻢ‬
his/its(m) -h ‫ ـﻪ‬veelituh ‫ ڤﻴﻼﹺﺗـﹹﻪ‬koorseeh ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﺳﻴﻪ‬Aadooh ‫ﻋـﹷﺪﻭﻩ‬
her/its(f) -ha ‫ ـﻬﺎﹶ‬veelitha ‫ ڤﻴﻼﹺﺗﻬﺎﹶ‬koorseeha ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﺳﻴﻬﺎﹶ‬Aadooha ‫ﻋـﹷﺪﻭﻫﺎﹶ‬
‫ـﻬـ‬
their -hum veelithum ‫ ڤﻴﻼﹺﺗﻬـﹹﻢ‬koorseehum ‫ ﻛﻮﺭﺳﻴﻬـﹹﻢ‬Aadoohum‫ﻋـﹷﺪﻭﻫـﹹﻢ‬
‫ﹹﻢ‬
Father and brother 'abb ‫ ﺃﺏ ﹼ‬and brother 'aKK ‫ ﺃﺥ ﹼ‬become 'abw- ‫ ﺃﺑﻮـ‬and brother 'aKw- ‫ ﺃﺧﻮـ‬when a
possessive is added.
father brother
English
'abb ‫ﺃﺏﹼ‬ 'aKK ‫ﺃﺥﹼ‬
my 'abwya ‫' ﺃﺑﻮﻳﺎﹶ‬aKwya ‫ﺃﺧﻮﻳﺎﹶ‬
our 'aboona ‫' ﺃﺑﻮﻧﺎﹶ‬aKoona ‫ﺃﺧﻮﻧﺎﹶ‬
your(m) 'abook ‫' ﺃﺑﻮﻙ‬aKook ‫ﺃﺧﻮﻙ‬
your(f) 'abooki ‫' ﺃﺑﻮﻛﻲ‬aKooki ‫ﺃﺧﻮﻛﻲ‬
your(pl) 'abookum ‫' ﺃﺑﻮﻛـﹹﻢ‬aKookum ‫ﺃﺧﻮﻛـﹹﻢ‬
his/its(m) 'abooh ‫' ﺃﺑﻮﻩ‬aKooh ‫ﺃﺧﻮﻩ‬

her/its(f) 'abooha ‫' ﺃﺑﻮﻫﺎﹶ‬aKooha ‫ﺃﺧﻮﻫﺎﹶ‬
their 'aboohum ‫' ﺃﺑﻮﻫـﹹﻢ‬aKoohum ‫ﺃﺧﻮﻫـﹹﻢ‬
Page 58
Courtesies
This section summarises the expressions that are used daily to greet and say goodbye to people,
ask for things and thank people on a day to day basis.
Religion
Religion is very important in Egypt. There are several phrases that you will hear regularly in any
conversation.
Egyptian English
ilhamdu lillah ‫ ﺍﹺﻟﺤـﹷﻤﺪ ﹸ ﻟـﹻﻠﹽـﹷﻪ‬thanks to Allah
'allah yisalaamak ‫ ﺃﻟﹽـﹷﻪ ﻳـﹻﺴـﹷﻼ ﹶﻣـﹷﻚ‬may god protect you m
'allah yisalaamik ‫ ﺃﻟﹽـﹷﻪ ﻳـﹻﺴـﹷﻼ ﹶﻣـﹻﻚ‬may god protect you f
'inn sha' 'allah ‫ ﺇﻥﹼ ﺷﺎ ﹶء ﺃﻟﹽـﹷﻪ‬god willing
ya rab ‫ ﻳﺎﹶ ﺭ ﹶﺏ‬Oh god!
rabbina ‫ ﺭﹶﺑﹽـﹻﻨﺎﹶ‬our god!
greeting ilsalaam Aaleekum ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺴـﹷﻼ ﹶﻡ ﻋـﹷﻠﻴﻜـﹹﻢ‬
peace be with you m/f
response Aaleekum ilsalaam ‫ﻋـﹷﻠﻴﻜـﹹﻢ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴـﹷﻼ ﹶﻡ‬
Addressing somebody
ya ‫ ﻳﺎ ﹶ‬is often used before somebody's name or title as a greeting
Egyptian English
ya 'ahmad ‫ ﻳﺎﹶ ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ‬hey, Ahmad!
ya rayis ‫ ﻳﺎﹶ ﺭ ﹶﻳـﹻﺲ‬hey, boss!
ya 'usTah ‫ ﻳﺎﹶ ﺃ ﹸﺳﻄـﹷﻪ‬driver!
hey mister(teacher)!
ya 'ustaaz ‫ ﻳﺎﹶ ﺃ ﹸﺳﺘﺎ ﹶﺫ‬to a respectable person
ya 'ustaaza ‫ ﻳﺎﹶ ﺃ ﹸﺳﺘﺎ ﹶﺫ ﹶﺓ‬hey madam!
baasha ‫ ﺑﺎﹶﺷﺎﹶ‬pasha m/f
In addition to the standard pronouns for you, there are some more formal versions:
Egyptian English
'inta ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬you m
informal 'inti ‫ ﺇﻧﺖﹺ‬you f
'intu ‫ ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬you pl
haDritak
‫ ﺣـﹷﻀﺮ‬sir
‫ﹺﺗـﹷﻚ‬
formal
haDritik
‫ ﺣـﹷﻀﺮ‬madam
‫ﹺﺗـﹻﻚ‬
Courtesies
siyadtak ‫ ﺳـﹻﻴـﹷﺪﺗـﹷﻚ‬sir
siyadtik ‫ ﺳـﹻﻴـﹷﺪﺗـﹻﻚ‬madam
'afandim ‫ ﺃﻓـﹷﻨﺪ ﹺﻡ‬Sir/Madam
Greetings
To welcome somebody, you can use one of these phrases...
Egyptian English
greeting 'ahlan wa sahlan ‫ ﺃﻫﻼﹰ ﻭ ﹶ ﺳـﹷﻬﻼﹰ‬welcome and ease
response 'ahlan wa sahlan ‫ ﺃﻫﻼﹰ ﻭ ﹶ ﺳـﹷﻬﻼﹰ‬welcome and ease
response 'ahlan beek ‫ ﺃﻫﻼﹰ ﺑﻴﻚ‬welcome to you m
response 'ahlan beeki ‫ ﺃﻫﻼﹰ ﺑﻴﻜﻲ‬welcome to you f
greeting hamd illah Aala salamtak ‫ ﺣـﹷﻤﺪ ﹺﻟﹽـﹷﻪ ﻋـﹷﻠﻰ ﺳـﹷﻼ ﹶﻣﺘـﹷﻚ‬thank god for protecting you m
greeting hamd illah Aala salamtik ‫ ﺣـﹷﻤﺪ ﹺﻟﹽـﹷﻪ ﻋـﹷﻠﻰ ﺳـﹷﻼ ﹶﻣﺘـﹻﻚ‬thank god for protecting you f
Whenever you meet somebody that you already know, you should shake hands (very gently) and
use one of the following greetings.
Before sunset, the following informal greetings are used:
Egyptian English
greeting Sabaah ilKeer ‫ ﺻـﹷﺒﺎ ﹶﺡ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺨﻴﺮ‬a day of wellbeing
response Sabaah ilnoor ‫ ﺻـﹷﺒﺎ ﹶﺡ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻨﻮﺭ‬a day of light
response Sabaah il'ishTa
‫ ﺻـﹷﺒﺎ ﹶﺡ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻘـﹻﺸﻄـﹷﺔ‬a day of cream
response Sabaah ilful ‫ ﺻـﹷﺒﺎ ﹶﺡ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻔـﹹﻞ‬a day of jasmine
After sunset, the following informal greetings may be used: I have heard them very rarely, though.
Egyptian English
greeting misa' ilKeer ‫ ﻣـﹻﺴﺎ ﹶء ﺍ ﹺﻟﺨﻴﺮ‬an evening of wellbeing
response misa' ilKeer ‫ ﻣـﹻﺴﺎ ﹶء ﺍ ﹺﻟﺨﻴﺮ‬an evening of wellbeing
response misa' ilful

‫ ﻣـﹻﺴﺎ ﹶء ﺍ‬an evening of jasmine
‫ﹺﻟﻔـﹹﻞ‬
Next, you should ask how they are:
Egyptian English
question Aaamil 'ieeh? ‫ ﻋﺎﹶﻣـﹻﻞ ﺇﻳﻪ؟‬what are you m doing?
question Aamla 'ieeh? ‫ ﻋﺎﹶﻣـﹻﻠـﹷﺔ ﺇﻳﻪ؟‬what are you f doing?
question 'izayak? ‫ ﺇﺯﹶﻳـﹷﻚ؟‬how are you m
question 'izayik? ‫ ﺇﺯﹶﻳـﹻﻚ؟‬how are you f
question il'aKbaar 'ieeh? ‫ ﺍﹺﻷﺧﺒﺎ ﹶﺭ ﺇﻳﻪ؟‬what's new?
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response kuluh tamaam, ilhamdu lillah ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺤـﹷﻤﺪ ﹸ ﻟـﹻﻠﹽـﹷﻪ‬،‫ ﻛـﹹﻠـﹹﻪ ﺗـﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻡ‬all ok, thank god
response miya miya, ilhamdu lillah ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺤـﹷﻤﺪ ﹸ ﻟـﹻﻠﹽـﹷﻪ‬،‫ ﻣـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ ﻣـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬100% thank god
response kuwayis, ilhamdu lillah ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺤـﹷﻤﺪ ﹸ ﻟـﹻﻠﹽـﹷﻪ‬،‫ ﻛـﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـﹻﺲ‬I m am good, thank god
response kuwayisa, ilhamdu lillah ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺤـﹷﻤﺪ ﹸ ﻟـﹻﻠﹽـﹷﻪ‬،‫ ﻛـﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـﹻﺴـﹷﺔ‬I fgood, thank god
response nuS nuS ‫ ﻧـﹹﺺ ﻧـﹹﺺ‬half and half
response mish baTTaal ‫ ﻣـﹻﺶ ﺑـﹷﻄﹽﺎ ﹶﻝ‬not bad
question wa 'inta? ‫ ﻭﹶ ﺇﻧﺖ ﹶ؟‬and you m?
question wa 'inti? ‫ ﻭﹶ ﺇﻧﺖ ﹺ؟‬and you f?
If you know them well, you should ask how their wives, children, etc...
Introductions
Egyptian English
'ismak 'ieeh? ‫ ﺇﺳﻤـﹷﻚ ﺇﻳﻪ؟‬what is your m name?
'ismik 'ieeh? ‫ ﺇﺳﻤـﹻﻚ ﺇﻳﻪ؟‬what is your f name?
'ismi ... ٫٫٫‫ ﺇﺳﻤﻲ‬my name is ...
tisharrafna
‫ ﺗـﹻﺸـﹷﺮﹼ‬pleased to meet you
‫ﹶﻓﻨﺎﹶ‬
Making you comfortable

Egyptian English
'istirayah ‫ ﺇﺳﺘـﹻﺮ ﹶﻳـﹷﺢ‬make yourself m comfortable
'istirayahi ‫ ﺇﺳﺘـﹻﺮ ﹶﻳـﹷﺤﻲ‬make yourself f comfortable
tishrab 'ieeh? ‫ ﺗـﹻﺸﺮ ﹶﺏ ﺇﻳﻪ؟‬what will you m drink?
tishrabi 'ieeh? ‫ ﺗـﹻﺸﺮ ﹶﺑﻲ ﺇﻳﻪ؟‬what will you f drink?
Meal time
Egyptians normally have two big meals a day, plus a snack before bedtime.
English Time Types of food Egyptian
breakfast 11-12am
bread with salads, dips, luncheon meats,
fiTaar
‫ﻓـﹻﻄﺎ‬
omelette with bastirma, tamiyya ‫ﹶﺭ‬
breakfast cooked meat, rice and vegetables,
sunset 'ifTaar ‫ﺇﻓﻄﺎﹶﺭ‬
(Ramadan) juice, sweet things
lunch 5-8pm cooked meat or fish, rice and vegetables Gada ‫ﻏـﹷﺪﺍﹶ‬
before
dinner yogurt, fruit Aasha ‫ﻋـﹷﺸﺎﹶ‬
sleeping
Here are some expressions that are often used around meal times
Courtesies
Egyptian When to say it
remark biilhanna wa ilshiffa‫ ﺑـﹻﺎ ﹺﻟﻬـﹷﻨﹽﺎ ﹶ ﻭ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺸـﹻﻔﹽﺎﹶ‬before or after eating
say to host
remark sufrah dayman ‫ ﺳـﹹﻔﺮ ﹶﻩ ﺩﺍ ﹶﻳﻤﺎﹰ‬before leaving table
like "thanks for the meal"
response biilhanna wa ilshiffa‫ﺑـﹻﺎ ﹺﻟﻬـﹷﻨﹽﺎ ﹶ ﻭ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺸـﹻﻔﹽﺎﹶ‬
Please
Egyptian English
to m Aan 'iznak ‫ ﻋـﹷﻦ ﺇﺫﻧـﹷﻚ‬excuse me
to f Aan 'iznik to get past someone
‫ﻋـﹷﻦ ﺇﺫﻧـﹻﻚ‬
to m law samaht ‫ﻟـﹷﻮ ﺳـﹷﻤـﹷﺤﺖ‬
please
to f law samahti‫ﻟـﹷﻮ ﺳـﹷﻤـﹷﺤﺘﻲ‬
to m min faDlak ‫ﻣـﹻﻦ ﻓـﹷﻀﻠـﹷﻚ‬

please
to f min faDlik ‫ﻣـﹻﻦ ﻓـﹷﻀﻠـﹻﻚ‬
request mumkin... ٫٫٫‫ ﻣـﹹﻤﻜـﹻﻦ‬Please could you/I.....
response mumkin ‫ ﻣـﹹﻤﻜـﹻﻦ‬Yes (it's possible)
Thank you
Egyptian English
remark shukran ‫ﺷـﹹﻜﺮﺍﹰ‬
remark 'alf shukr ‫ﺃﻟﻒ ﺷـﹹﻜﺮ‬
remark mutshakir aaw'i ‫ﻣـﹹﺘﺸـﹷﻜـﹻﺮ ﺍ ﹶٶﻱ‬
don't mention it
reply Aafwan ‫ ﻋـﹷﻔﻮﺍﹰ‬you are welcome
reply ilAafw ‫ ﺍﹺﻟﻌـﹷﻔﻮ‬you are welcome
Goodbyes
Egyptian English
remark maAa ilsalaama ‫ ﻣـﹷﻊ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴـﹷﻼ ﹶﻣـﹷﺔ‬with safety
reply maAa ilsalaama ‫ ﻣـﹷﻊ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴـﹷﻼ ﹶﻣـﹷﺔ‬with safety
hashoofak 'imtaa? ‫ ﻫـﹷﺸﻮﻓـﹷﻚ ﺇﻣﺘﺎ ﹶ؟‬When will I see you f?
hashoofik 'imtaa? ‫ ﻫـﹷﺸﻮﻓـﹻﻚ ﺇﻣﺘﺎ ﹶ؟‬When will I see you f?
hashoofak baAdeen ‫ ﻫـﹷﺸﻮﻓـﹷﻚ ﺑـﹷﻌﺪﻳﻦ‬See you m later
hashoofik baAdeen ‫ ﻫـﹷﺸﻮﻓـﹻﻚ ﺑـﹷﻌﺪﻳﻦ‬See you f later
Achievement
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Egyptian English
haZZ saAeed ‫ ﺣـﹷﻆﹼ ﺳـﹷﻌﻴﺪ‬good luck!
remark mabrook ‫ ﻣـﹷﺒﺮﻭﻙ‬congratulations
god bless you
response 'allah yibaarak feek ‫ ﺃﻟﹽـﹷﻪ ﻳـﹻﺒﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹶﻙ ﻓﻴﻚ‬m
response 'allah yibaarik feeki ‫ ﺃﻟﹽـﹷﻪ ﻳـﹻﺒﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻙ ﻓﻴﻜﻲ‬god bless you f
Occasions
Egyptian English
kul sana wa 'inta ‫ ﻛـﹹﻞ ﺳـﹷﻨـﹷﺔ ﻭ ﹶ ﺇﻧﺖ ﹶ‬every year and you are happy
Tayib ‫ ﻃـﹷﻴـﹻﺐ‬birthdays, new year, feasts
remark ramaDaan kareem ‫ ﺭﹶﻣـﹷﻀﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻛـﹷﺮﻳﻢ‬during ramadan
response 'allah 'akram ‫ ﺃﻟﹽـﹷﻪ ﺃﻛﺮ ﹶﻡ‬during ramadan
Opinions
Egyptian English
question 'ieeh r'ayak? ‫ ﺇﻳﻪ ﺭﺃﻳـﹷﻚ؟‬what do you m think?
question 'ieeh r'ayik? ‫ ﺇﻳﻪ ﺭﺃﻳـﹻﻚ؟‬what do you f think?
question tamaam? ‫ ﺗـﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬OK?
question tamaam kidah? ‫ ﺗـﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻡ ﻛـﹻﺪ ﹶﻩ؟‬Ok like this?
response 'aeewa ‫ ﺃﻳﻮﺍﹶ‬yes
It goes
response maashi ‫ ﻣﺎﹶﺷﻲ‬ok
response tamaam ‫ ﺗـﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻡ‬good
response Tayib ‫ ﻃـﹷﻴـﹻﺐ‬fine
response haaDir ‫ ﺣﺎﹶﺿـﹻﺮ‬right away
response mayinfaAsh ‫ ﻣـﹷﻴـﹻﻨﻔـﹷﻌﺶ‬it's no use
response mish mumkin ‫ ﻣـﹻﺶ ﻣـﹹﻤﻜـﹻﻦ‬not possible
response la' ‫ ﻻﹶء‬no
response la' 'abadan ‫ ﻻﹶء ﺃﺑـﹷﺪﺍﹰ‬never!
response 'aha ‫ ﺃﺣﺎﹶ‬offensive way of disagreeing
Pardon?
response Aafwaan? ‫ ﻋـﹷﻔﻮﺍﹰ؟‬if you didn't hear
response 'ana mish 'akeed ‫ ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻣـﹻﺶ ﺃﻛﻴﺪ‬I m/f am not sure
response 'ana mish Aaarif ‫ ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻣـﹻﺶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ‬I m don't know
response 'ana mish Aarfa ‫ ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻣـﹻﺶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻓـﹷﺔ‬I f don't know
Courtesies
response 'ana mish faahim ‫ ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻣـﹻﺶ ﻓﺎ ﹶﻫـﹻﻢ‬I m don't understand
response 'ana mish fahma ‫ ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻣـﹻﺶ ﻓﺎ ﹶﻫـﹻﻤـﹷﺔ‬I f don't understand
Hassle
'imshi ‫ ﺇﻣﺸﻲ‬go away!
KalaaS kidah ‫ ﺧـﹷﻼ ﹶﺹ ﻛـﹻﺪ ﹶﻩ‬stop this
haraam Aaleek ‫ ﺣـﹷﺮﺍ ﹶﻡ ﻋـﹷﻠﻴﻚ‬shame on you m!
haraam Aaleeki ‫ ﺣـﹷﺮﺍ ﹶﻡ ﻋـﹷﻠﻴﻜﻲ‬shame on you f!
Kaleek muhtaram ‫ ﺧـﹷﻠﻴﻚ ﻣـﹹﺤﺘـﹷﺮ ﹶﻡ‬be respectful!
if a man gets
'ihtirim nafsak ‫ ﺇﺣﺘـﹻﺮ ﹺﻡ ﻧـﹷﻔﺴـﹷﻚ‬over-friendly to a woman
Insults
donkey
remark humaar ‫ ﺣـﹹﻤﺎ ﹶﺭ‬offensive
your father is a woman
remark 'ibn marah ‫ ﺇﺑﻦ ﻣـﹷﺮ ﹶﻩ‬very offensive
son of a whore/bitch
remark 'ibn sharmooTa ‫ﺇﺑﻦ ﺷـﹷﺮﻣﻮﻃـﹷﺔ‬
very offensive
response 'ifandim??? ‫ ﺇﻓـﹷﻨﺪ ﹺﻡ؟؟؟‬pardon????
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Orders, suggestions and requests
There are several ways of telling somebody to do things- orders, strong recommendations,
suggestions and polite requests....
• an order - do it!
• must - you must do it
• need to, have to - you need to do it
• should - you should do this
• could - you could do this
• would you like to... - you could do this
• are you going to to... - you could do this
• why don't you... - you could do this
• can, could, would - would you please do this?
Order
When you want to order somebody to do something, you use an imperative. This is only
appropriate if you have some kind of control over somebody- for example, in the army or to a
reluctant employee.
In English, we simply say the verb without a subject, for example Bring me the money!. In
Egyptian, there are is a special form or the verb for the imperative- or rather three forms-
masculine, feminine and plural. Here are some examples.
Imperative
Masculine Feminine Plural
English Imperfect
-i -u
‫ـﻲ‬ ‫ـﻮﺍ‬
look! yibuSS ‫ ﻳـﹻﺒـﹹﺺﹼ‬buSS ‫ ﺑـﹹﺺﹼ‬buSSi ‫ ﺑـﹹﺼﹽﻲ‬buSSu ‫ﺑـﹹﺼﹽﻮﺍ‬
go! yirooh ‫ ﻳـﹻﺮﻭﺡ‬ruwh ‫ ﺭﹸﻭﺡ‬ruwhi ‫ ﺭﹸﻭﺣﻲ‬ruwhu ‫ﺭﹸﻭﺣﻮﺍ‬

eat! yaakul ‫ ﻳﺎﹶﻛـﹹﻞ‬kul ‫ ﻛـﹹﻞ‬kuli ‫ ﻛـﹹﻠﻲ‬kulu ‫ﻛـﹹﻠﻮﺍ‬
shut up! yuskut ‫' ﻳـﹹﺴﻜـﹹﺖ‬iskut ‫' ﺇﺳﻜـﹹﺖ‬iskuti ‫' ﺇﺳﻜـﹹﺘﻲ‬iskutu ‫ﺇﺳﻜـﹹﺘﻮﺍ‬
calm down! yihda ‫' ﻳـﹻﻬﺪﻯ‬ihda ‫' ﺇﻫﺪﻯ‬ihdi ‫' ﺇﻫﺪﻱ‬ihdu ‫ﺇﻫﺪﻭﺍ‬
walk!
(go away)
yimshi ‫' ﻳـﹻﻤﺸﻲ‬imshi ‫' ﺇﻣﺸﻲ‬imshi ‫' ﺇﻣﺸﻲ‬imshu ‫ﺇﻣﺸﻮﺍ‬
There are a couple of verbs have irregular imperatives.
Imperative
English Imperfect Masculine Feminine Plural
-i ‫ـﻲ‬ -u ‫ـﻮﺍ‬
bring! yiddi ‫ ﻳـﹻﺪﹼﻱ‬haet ‫ ﻫﺎﹶﺕ‬haeti ‫ ﻫﺎﹶﺗﻲ‬hatu ‫ﻫﺎﹶﺗﻮﺍ‬
come! yiygi ‫ ﻳـﹻﻴﺠﻲ‬taAaala ‫ ﺗـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻝﹶ‬taAaali ‫ ﺗـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻟﻲ‬taAalu ‫ﺗـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻟﻮﺍ‬
You cannot negate an imperative: instead, you use mish ‫ ﻣـ ﹻﺶ‬wrapped around the imperfect. For
example:
Negative Imperative
English Imperfect
Masculine Feminine Plural
Orders, suggestions and requests
-i ‫ـﻲ‬ -u ‫ـﻮﺍ‬
don't
yibuSS ‫ ﻳـﹻﺒـﹹﺺﹼ‬matbuSSish
‫ ﻣـﹷﺘﺒـﹹﺼﹽـﹻﺶ‬matbuSSeesh
‫ ﻣـﹷﺘﺒـﹹﺼﹽﻴﺶ‬matbuSSoosh
‫ﻣـﹷﺘﺒـﹹﺼﹽﻮﺵ‬
look!
don't
yirooh
‫ ﻣـﹷﺘﺮ‬matroohoosh
go! ‫ ﻳـﹻﺮﻭﺡ‬matruwhsh ‫ ﻣـﹷﺘﺮ ﹸﻭﺣﺶ‬matruwheesh ‫ﻣـﹷﺘﺮﻭﺣﻮﺵ‬
‫ﹸﻭﺣﻴﺶ‬
obligation
With an imperative, you are imposing your own authority: you can be slightly more polite by
suggesting some that there is some external obligation or reason that it should be done. In
English, you can use modals like must, need to, have to.
In Egyptian, modals are followed by the simple imperfect. Most proper modals are invariable-
there is no I/you/he form. Here are some examples:
Modal Example Meaning

laazim ‫ ﻻﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ‬laazim yiktib ‫ ﻻ ﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ ﻳـﹻﻜﺘـﹻﺐ‬he must write
mihtaag ‫ ﻣـﹻﺤﺘﺎ ﹶﺝ‬mihtaag yiktib ‫ ﻣـ ﹻﺤﺘﺎ ﹶﺝ ﻳـﹻﻜﺘـﹻﺐ‬he needs to write
ilmafrooD
‫ ﺍ‬ilmafrooD yiktib
‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـ ﹷﻔﺮﻭﺽ ﻳـﹻﻜﺘـﹻﺐ‬he should write
‫ﹺﻟﻤـﹷﻔﺮﻭﺽ‬
it is essential
Daroori ‫ ﺿـﹷﺮﻭﺭﻱ‬Daroori yiktib ‫ ﺿـ ﹷﺮﻭﺭﻱ ﻳـﹻﻜﺘـﹻﺐ‬that he should write
Suggestion
You can make a suggestion in several ways:
English Egyptian
mumkin tis'al 'abook
You could ask your father
‫ﻣـ ﹹﻤﻜـ ﹻﻦ ﺗـﹻﺴﺄﻝ ﺃﺑﻮﻙ‬
mumkin niAamil keeka
We could make a cake
‫ﻣـ ﹹﻤﻜـ ﹻﻦ ﻧـﹻﻌـﹷﻤـﹻﻞ ﻛﻴﻜـﹷﺔ‬
yalla nirooh ilseeneema
Let's go to the cinema
‫ﻳـ ﹷﻼﹼ ﹶ ﻧـﹻﺮﻭﺡ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴﻴﻨﻴﻤﺎﹶ‬
teegi nirooh nitGadda sawa
Would you like to go and have lunch together
‫ﺗﻴﺠﻲ ﻧـﹻﺮﻭﺡ ﻧـﹻﺘﻐـﹷﺪﹼﻯ ﺳـﹷﻮﺍﹶ‬
tihibb tirooh?
Would you like to go out?
‫ﺗـ ﹻﺤـ ﹻﺐ ﹼ ﺗـﹻﺮﻭﺡ؟‬
Aaeyiz teegy?
Do you want to come?
‫ﻋﺎ ﹶﻳـ ﹻﺰ ﺗﻴﺠﻲ؟‬
Requests
When you want to ask somebody politely to do something, or for something, there are several
ways of expressing this in English. In Egyptian, there are just two possiblities: using mumkin
‫ ﻣـ ﹹﻤﻜـ ﹻﻦ‬and a modal, or less formally, putting the prefix mi- ‫ ﻣـ ﹺ‬before the perfect.
English Egyptian
mumkin AaSeer burtu'aal, law samaht?
Could I have an orange juice, please?
‫ ﻟـﹷﻮ ﺳـﹷﻤـﹷﺤﺖ؟‬،‫ﻣـ ﹹﻤﻜـ ﹻﻦ ﻋـﹷﺼﻴﺮ ﺑـﹹﺮﺗـﹹﻘﺎ ﹶﻝ‬
Page 66
mumkin tiftah ilbaeb, law samaht?
Could you open the door, please?
‫ ﻟـﹷﻮ ﺳـﹷﻤـﹷﺤﺖ؟‬،‫ﻣـ ﹹﻤﻜـ ﹻﻦ ﺗـﹻﻔﺘـﹷﺢ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺒﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
misalleeni
Why don't you entertain me?
‫ﻣـ ﹺﺳـﹷﻠﹽﻴﻨﻲ‬
Questions
Questions
There are four main groups of questions.
• Direct- what, when, why

• Indirect- courteous question, whether
• Confirmation - isn't it so?
• Suggestions - Why don't you...?
• Rhetorical- you are making a point and don't expect an answer
English quirks
In English, it is possible to ask a question in many different ways. some of these translate easily
into Egyptian: others require a little thought. The ones you need to watch out for are:
• sentences with 'do' where you are not doing anything

• sentences with 'got' where you are not getting anything
• sentences with how followed by an adverb or adjective (see adverbal question)
For all English verbs except is and have, you can turn a statement into a question by putting do in
front of it.
you know John

do you know John?
.
In Egyptian, you can either add huwwa ‫ ﻫـ ﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ‬at the start of the sentence or use inflection you
know john?
The word have is somewhat overused in English, and British English speakers often reduce the
risk of confusion by saying have you got rather than the older form, still used by many Americans,
do you have...?. There is no equivalent in Egyptian, so inflection is used.
Direct questions
It is possible to frame a direct question in several ways:
• using a query word at the end of the sentence

• preceding a sentence with huwwa ‫ﻫـ ﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ‬
• by inflection
Query words
In English, a query word normally start the sentence: in Egyptian it is normally at the end of the
sentence. For example
where are you going?

raayiH fyn?
The following query words can be used:
English Egyptian
what 'ieeh ‫ﺇﻳﻪ‬
when 'imta ‫ﺇﻣﺘﻰ‬
where feen ‫ﻓﻴﻦ‬
where from mineen ‫ﻣـﹻﻨﻴﻦ‬
how 'izzai ‫ﺇﺯﹼ ﹶﻱ‬
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which 'anhw ‫ﺃﻧﻬﻮ‬
how many kaam ‫ﻛﺎﹶﻡ‬

followed by singular noun
what (number) kaam ‫ﻛﺎﹶﻡ‬
how much (of something) 'add ieeh ‫ﻗـﹷﺪﹼ ﺍ ﹺﻳﻪ‬
how much (money) bikaam ‫ﺑـﹻﻜﺎ ﹶﻡ‬
why leeh ‫ﻟﻴﻪ‬
The simple imperfect ('aAamil, tiAooz, yirooh ‫ ﻳـ ﹻﺮﻭﻩ‬،‫ ﺗـ ﹻﻌﻮﺯ‬،‫ )ﺃﻋـ ﹷﻤـ ﹻﻞ‬is often used in questions.
English Egyptian
'izzayak?
how are you?
‫ﺇﺯﹼ ﹶﻱ ﹶﻙ؟‬
how are you? 'aAamil 'ieeh?
lit. what are you doing? ‫ﺃﻋـﹷﻤـﹻﻞ ﺇﻳﻪ؟‬
bitaAamil 'ieeh?
what are you doing?
‫ﺑـﹻﺘـﹷﻌـﹷﻤـﹻﻞ ﺇﻳﻪ؟‬
'ashoofak 'imta?
when will I see you?
‫ﺃﺷﻮﻓـﹷﻚ ﺇﻣﺘﻰ؟‬
ilmahaTTa feen?
where is the station?
‫ﺍﹺﻟﻤـﹷﺤـﹷﻄﹽـﹷﺔ ﻓﻴﻦ؟‬
mumkin 'ashtiri ward min feen?
where can I buy flowers from?
‫ﻣـﹹﻤﻜـﹻﻦ ﺃﺷﺘـﹻﺮﻱ ﻭ ﹶﺭﺩ ﻣـﹻﻦ ﻓﻴﻦ؟‬
mineen mumkin 'ashtiri ward?
‫ﻣـ ﹻﻨﻴﻦ ﻣـﹹﻤﻜـﹻﻦ ﺃﺷﺘـﹻﺮﻱ ﻭ ﹶﺭﺩ؟‬
'inta mineen?
where are you from?
‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ ﻣـ ﹻﻨﻴﻦ؟‬
'ashhan iltileefoon dah 'izzay?
how do I charge this phone?
‫ﺃﺷﺤـﹷﻦ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘـﹻﻠﻴﻔﻮﻥ ﺩ ﹶﻩ ﺇﺯﹼ ﹶﻱ؟‬
Aaawiz ilkitaab 'anhw?
which book (m) do you(m) want?
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻭ ﹺﺯ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺃﻧﻬﻮ؟‬
'anhw ilkubaaya bitaAitak?
which glass (f) is yours(m)?
‫ﺃﻧﻬﻮ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻜـﹹﺒﺎ ﹶﻳـﹷﺔ ﺑـﹻﺘـﹷﻌـﹻﺘـﹷﻚ؟‬
Aaawiz laban 'add ieeh?
how much milk would you like?
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻭ ﹺﺯ ﻟـﹷﺒـﹷﻦ ﻗـ ﹷﺪ ﹼ ﺍ ﹺﻳﻪ؟‬
ilshanTa di bikaam?
how much is this bag?
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺸـﹷﻨﻄـﹷﺔ ﺩﻱ ﺑـ ﹻﻜﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
huwwa raayih leeh?
why is he going?
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺭﺍ ﹶﻳـﹻﺢ ﻟﻴﻪ؟‬
Here are some common answers to questions
Questions
English Egyptian
'add ieeh? 'add kidah
How much? This much
‫ﻗـﹷﺪﹼ ﺍ ﹺﻳﻪ؟ ﻗـﹷﺪﹼ ﻛـﹻﺪ ﹶﻩ‬
leeh? Aalashaan
Why? Because.
‫ﻟﻴﻪ؟ ﻋـﹷﻠـﹷﺸﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
leeh? kidah
Why? It's like that
‫ﻟﻴﻪ؟ ﻛـﹻﺪ ﹶﻩ‬
leeh? 'ahsan kidah
Why? Better like this
‫ﻟﻴﻪ؟ ﺃﺣﺴـﹷﻦ ﻛـﹻﺪ ﹶﻩ‬
leeh? leeh laa'?
Why? Why not?
‫ﻟﻴﻪ؟ ﻟﻴﻪ ﻻﹶء؟‬
To ask how many people or things, you should use kaam ‫ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ‬before the noun. To ask for a
sequence or reference number (what or which, you put the kaam ‫ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ‬after the noun. In all of
these cases, the noun is singular.
English Egyptian
Aandak kaam walad?
How many children do you have?
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹶﻙ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ ﻭ ﹶﻟـﹷﺪ؟‬
hatinizil kaam yoom?
How many days will you stay?
‫ﻫـﹷﺘـﹻﻨـﹻﺰ ﹺﻝ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ ﻳﻮﻡ؟‬
kaam ziboon bukrah?
How many guests tomorrow?
‫ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ ﺯ ﹺﺑﻮﻥ ﺑـﹹﻜﺮ ﹶﻩ؟‬
nimritak kaam?
What is your telephone number?
‫ﻧـﹻﻤﺮ ﹺﺗـﹷﻚ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
ilsaaAa kaam?
What time is it?
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
il'igtimaaA ilsaaAa kaam?
What time is the meeting?
‫ﺍﹺﻹﺟﺘـﹻﻤﺎ ﹶﻉ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
sha''itak ra'am kaam?
What is your apartment number?
‫ﺷـﹷﻘﹽـﹻﺘـﹷﻚ ﺭ ﹶﻗـﹷﻢ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
sha''itak 'anhw?
Which is your apartment?
‫ﺷـﹷﻘﹽـﹻﺘـﹷﻚ ﺃﻧﻬﻮ؟‬
Aaayiz door kaam?
Which floor do you want?
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﺩﻭﺭ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
Pronoun questions
In English, it is possible to make a question by swapping the subject and verb. For example,
he is English
is he English?
The equivalent in Egyptian arabic is to put the query pronoun huwwa ‫ ﻫـ ﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ‬or, less frequently, hall
‫ ﻫـ ﹷﻞ ﹼ‬at the start of the sentence. You should think of this as "Is it so that..."
huwwa 'inta gaai maAanaa?

‫ﻫـ ﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺇﻧﺖ ﹶ ﺟﺎ ﹶﻱ ﻣـﹷﻌـﹷﻨﺎ ﹶ؟‬
Is it so, that you are coming with us?
Page 70
hall 'inta raaDi Aan 'afaAelak?
‫ﻫـ ﹷﻞ ﹼ ﺇﻧﺖ ﹶ ﺭﺍ ﹶﺿﻲ ﻋـﹷﻦ ﺃﻓـﹷﻌۤـﻟـﹷﻚ؟‬
Are you satisfied with your actions?
Inflection
In English, you can make a statement by saying she is coming. or turn it into a question, she is
coming? just by the tone of your voice: the pitch rises a little at the end of the sentence to indicate
a question. You can do exactly the same thing in Arabic. hiya gayya ‫ ﻫـ ﹻﻲ ﹶ ﺟـ ﹷﻴﻴـ ﹷﺔ‬is a statement
and hiya gayya? ‫ﻫـ ﹻﻲ ﹶ ﺟـ ﹷﻴﻴـ ﹷﺔ؟‬, with a rising pitch on the last syllable, is a question.
Indirect questions (whether)

An indirect question is made up of two clauses: the first clause is often a courtesy clause "Could
you possibly..." and the second clause is the real question. Here are some examples of direct and
indirect questions.
Direct Indirect
where is the station? Can you tell me where the station is?
what is the time? Do you know what the time is?
is he coming? Do you know whether he is coming?
The query-word whether is used only in indirect questions: in Egyptian, 'iza ‫ ﺇﺫﺍ ﹶ‬is used for this.
English Egyptian
mumkin Aaseer laymoon?
Could I have a lemon juice?
‫ﻣـﹹﻤﻜـﹻﻦ ﻋـﹷﺴﻴﺮ ﻟـﹷﻴﻤﻮﻥ؟‬
mumkin ti'uli feen ilmahaTTa?
Can you tell me where the station is? ‫ﻣـﹹﻤﻜـﹻﻦ ﺗـﹻﻘـﹹﻠﻲ ﻓﻴﻦ ﺍ‬
‫ﹺﻟﻤـﹷﺤـﹷﻄﹽـﹷﺔ؟‬
'inta Aaarif ilsaaAa kaam?
Do you know what the time is?
‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
'inta Aaarif 'iza huwwa gayy?
Do you know whether he is coming?
‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﺇﺫﺍ ﹶ ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺟـﹷﻴﻲ؟‬
Confirmation questions
If you are pretty sure about something but want to check, you can use one of the following
methods:
English Arabic
huwwa mish gaay?
he's coming, isn't he?
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﻣـ ﹻﺶ ﺟﺎ ﹶﻱ؟‬
huwwa gaay, mish kidah?
he's coming, isn't that so?
‫ ﻣـ ﹻﺶ ﻛـ ﹻﺪ ﹶﻩ؟‬،‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺟﺎ ﹶﻱ‬
huwwa gaay, Sahh?
he's coming, right?
‫ ﺻـ ﹷﺢ ﹼ؟‬،‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺟﺎ ﹶﻱ‬
Suggestions
Questions
In English, you can suggest something by saying "Why don't you..." in Egyptian, you can get the
same effect by putting mi- ‫ ﻣـ ﹺ‬on the front of a verb. For example:
ma__tsally-ny shuwayao
Why don't you entertain me for a while?
Rhetorical questions
A rhetorical question is used to make a point: you don't expect an answer. Any of the above
methods can be used to ask rhetorical questions.
English Arabic
mish tiskut 'ahsan?
wouldn't it be better if you(m) shut up?
‫ﻣـ ﹻﺶ ﺗـﹻﺴﻜـﹹﺖ ﺃﺣﺴـﹷﻦ؟‬
bithazzar, mish kidah?
you(m) must be kidding!
‫ ﻣـ ﹻﺶ ﻛـ ﹻﺪ ﹶﻩ؟‬،‫ﺑـﹻﺘﻬـﹷﺰﹼ ﹶﺭ‬
'inta 'ahbal, Sahh?
you(m) are an idiot, right?
‫ ﺻـ ﹷﺢ ﹼ؟‬،‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ ﺃﻫﺒـﹷﻞ‬
Adverbal and adjectival questions

In English, it is possible to ask a question using how followed by an adjective or adverb. There is
no similar construction in Egyptian, so it is necessary to re-phrase the question, usually so that
you are asking for a number. Here are some examples:
English re-phrased Egyptian

kaam keeloomitr fi ilsaaAa
How fast were you driving? how many kilometers an hour..
‫ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ ﻛﻴﻠﻮﻣـﹻﺘﺮ ﻓﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ‬
How often do you go to the kaam marra fi il'usbwaA...
how many times a week...
gym? ٫٫٫‫ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ ﻣـﹷﺮﹼ ﹶﺓ ﻓﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻷ ﹸﺳﺒﻮ ﹶﻉ‬
ilharraara kaam
How hot is the oven? what is the temperature?
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺤـﹷﺮﹼﺍ ﹶﺭ ﹶﺓ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ‬
huwwa il'imtihaan kaan SaAb
?
How difficult was the exam? was the exam difficult
‫ﻫـ ﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻹﻣﺘـﹻﺤﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
‫ﺻـﹷﻌﺐ؟‬
Page 72
Negation
The word mish ‫ ﻣـ ﹻﺶ‬is used to negate a phrase. It is either placed in front of the verb or
preposition, or wrapped around it.
Structure English Arabic

Aandi sagaayar
I have cigarettes
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪﻱ ﺳـﹷﺠﺎ ﹶﻳـﹷﺮ‬
maAandeesh sagaayar
I don't have any cigarettes
‫ﻣـ ﹶﻋـﹷﻨﺪﻱﺵ ﺳـﹷﺠﺎ ﹶﻳـﹷﺮ‬
Preposition
fi mayaah
There is water
‫ﻓﻲ ﻣـﹷﻴﺎ ﹶﻩ‬
mafeesh mayaah
There is no water
‫ﻣـ ﹶﻓﻲﺵ ﻣـﹷﻴﺎ ﹶﻩ‬
'ana kunt hinaak
I was there
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻛـﹹﻨﺖ ﻫـﹻﻨﺎ ﹶﻙ‬
kaan
'ana makuntish hinaak
I was not there
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻣـ ﹶﻛـﹹﻨﺖ ﹺﺵ ﻫـﹻﻨﺎ ﹶﻙ‬
'ana shuft 'ahmad
I saw Ahmed
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺷـﹹﻔﺖ ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ‬
perfect
'ana mashuftish 'ahmad
I did not see Ahmed
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻣـ ﹶﺷـﹹﻔﺖ ﹺﺵ ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ‬
'ana Aaarif
I know
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ‬
participle 'ana mish Aaarif
I do not know ‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻣـ ﹻﺶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ‬
aacnaa maAaarifsh
Aaayiz yaakul
He wants to eat
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﻳﺎ ﹶﻛـﹹﻞ‬
mish Aaayiz yaakul
imperfect He does not want to eat
‫ﻣـ ﹻﺶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﻳﺎ ﹶﻛـﹹﻞ‬
mayaakulsh
he must not eat
‫ﻣـ ﹶﻳﺎ ﹶﻛـﹹﻞﺵ‬
bahibb ilkitaab dah
I like this book
‫ﺑـﹷﺤـﹻﺐﹼ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺩ ﹶﻩ‬
mabahibbsh ilkitaab dah
‫ﻣـ ﹶﺑـﹷﺤـﹻﺐﹼﺵ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺩ ﹶﻩ‬
bi-imperfect
I do not like this book less common...
mish bahibb ilkitaab dah
‫ﻣـ ﹻﺶ ﺑـﹷﺤـﹻﺐﹼ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺩ ﹶﻩ‬
]
hashtiri ilkitaab
I will buy the book
Ha-imperfect ‫ﻫﺎﹶﺷﺘـﹻﺮﻱ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
I will not buy the book mish hashtiri ilkitaab
Negation
‫ﻣـ ﹻﺶ ﻫﺎ ﹶﺷﺘـﹻﺮﻱ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬

go away! iimshy!
imperative use mish+you-imperfect

don't go! matimsheesh
‫ﻣـ ﹶﺗـﹻﻤﺸﻲﺵ‬
Sometimes ma- is used on it own- the -sh does not appear after the word. There are no rules
about when this can happen.
Page 74
Numbers
Arabic digits are not the same as European digits, but unlike the letters they go in the same order-
the least significant digit goes last, so the digits in a three digit number would be hundreds, tens
and units. The digits are:
Digit English Egyptian

0
٠
zero Sifr ‫ﺻـﹻﻔﺮ‬
1
one waahid ‫ﻭﺍﹶﺣـﹻﺪ‬
١
2
٢
two 'itneen ‫ﺇﺗﻨﻴﻦ‬
3
three talaata ‫ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﺗـﹷﺔ‬
٣
4
four 'arbaAa ‫ﺃﺭﺑـﹷﻌـﹷﺔ‬
٤
5
five Kamsa ‫ﺧـﹷﻤﺴـﹷﺔ‬
٥
6
six sitta ‫ﺳـﹻﺘﹽـﹷﺔ‬
٦
7
seven sabAa ‫ﺳـﹷﺒﻌـﹷﺔ‬
٧
8
eight tamanya ‫ﺗـﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻧﻴـﹷﺔ‬
٨
9
nine tisAa ‫ﺗـﹻﺴﻌـﹷﺔ‬
٩
10
ten Aashara ‫ﻋـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
١٠
Cardinals and Ordinals

In both English and Egyptian, there are two forms of number- cardinals and ordinals. Cardinals are
used to count things (one, two, three), Ordinals are used to describe sequence (first, second, etc).
Example Function
Cardinal five used to count things
Ordinal fifth used to describe the order, or position in sequence, of something
Cardinals
Cardinals are used for counting and specifying how many of something. Usage of the first few
numbers is complicated, but it gets easier after that :-). There are special rules for:
• People of a particular nationality (eg one Englishman)

• Quantities- weight, money, and when you are ordering something (eg teas)
• People in general (men, women etc)
• Things - everything else
The following table gives an overview of the situation:
Numbers
Quantities Things
People
Nationals weight books
Number Form men
Egyptians money chairs
women
tea minutes
Sifr
‫ﺻـﹻﻔﺮ‬
wazn kutoob
mafeesh
‫ ﻭﹶﺯﻥ‬rigaala ‫ﻛـﹹﺘﻮﺏ‬
zero ‫ ﺭﹺﺟﺎ ﹶﻻﹶ‬karaasi
‫ ﻣـﹷﻔﻴﺶ‬maSriyyin filoos
+plural
‫ﻦ‬ ‫ﹻ‬ ‫ﻳﻴـ‬‫ﹺ‬ ‫ﺼﺮ‬ ‫ﹷ‬‫ﻣـ‬ ‫ ﻓـﹻﻠﻮﺱ‬sittaat ‫ﻛـﹷﺮﺍ ﹶﺳﻲ‬
noun ‫ ﺳـﹻﺘﹽﺎ ﹶﺕ‬da'aayi'
shaai
‫ﺷﺎﹶﻱ‬ ‫ﺩﹶﻗﺎ ﹶﻳـﹻﻖ‬
keelw
‫ﻛﻴﻠﻮ‬
waahid
‫ ﻭﺍﹶﺣـﹻﺪ‬maSri gineeh
‫ﻣـﹷﺼﺮﻱ‬ ‫ﺟـﹻﻨﻴﻪ‬
+sing
noun shaai
‫ﺷﺎﹶﻱ‬
wahda
‫ ﻭﺍﹶﺣﺪ ﹶﺓ‬maSriya
one
‫ﻣـﹷﺼﺮ ﹺﻳـﹷﺔ‬
+sing
noun
kitaab
raagil ‫ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
ns ‫ ﺭﺍﹶﺟـﹻﻞ‬kursi
on its
own sitt ‫ﻛـﹹﺮﺳﻲ‬
‫ ﺳـﹻﺖﹼ‬di'ee'a
‫ﺩﹺﻗﻴﻘـﹷﺔ‬
'itneen rigaala
‫ ﺇﺗﻨﻴﻦ‬maSriyyin ‫ﺭﹺﺟﺎ ﹶﻻﹶ‬
+plural ‫ﻣـﹷﺼﺮ ﹺﻳﻴـﹻﻦ‬ sittaat
noun ‫ﺳـﹻﺘﹽﺎ ﹶﺕ‬
keelw
‫ﻛﻴﻠﻮ‬
'itneen
‫ﺇﺗﻨﻴﻦ‬ geeneeh
two
‫ﺟﻴﻨﻴﻪ‬
+sing
noun shaai
‫ﺷﺎﹶﻱ‬
kitabeen
‫ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺑﻴﻦ‬
noun-yn
kursiyyin
‫ﻛـﹹﺮﺳـﹻﻴﻴـﹻﻦ‬
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di'i'teen
‫ﺩﹺﻗـﹻﻘﺘﻴﻦ‬
keelw
talaata maSri ‫ﻛﻴﻠﻮ‬
‫ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﺗـﹷﺔ‬ ‫ ﻣـﹷﺼﺮﻱ‬geeneeh
maSrya
‫ﺟﻴﻨﻴﻪ‬
+sing
noun ‫ ﻣـﹷﺼﺮﻳـﹷﺔ‬shaai
‫ﺷﺎﹶﻱ‬
three
kutoob
talat rigaala ‫ﻛـﹹﺘﻮﺏ‬

‫ﺗـﹷﻠـﹷﺖ‬ ‫ ﺭﹺﺟﺎ ﹶﻻﹶ‬karaasi
+plural sittaat ‫ﻛـﹷﺮﺍ ﹶﺳﻲ‬

noun ‫ ﺳـﹻﺘﹽﺎ ﹶﺕ‬da'aayi'
‫ﺩﹶﻗﺎ ﹶﻳـﹻﻖ‬
four thru nine, same as 3
Zero
For zero, there is no equivalent of no as in no books. Instead, the verb or preposition is negated
with mish ‫ﻣـ ﹻﺶ‬. For example, fi ‫ ﻓﻲ‬means there is..., and so mafeesh ‫ ﻣـ ﹷﻔﻴﺶ‬means there is no....
As in English, the noun is a plural. Alternatively, you can use or without- min Geer ‫ﻣـ ﹻﻦ ﻏﻴﺮ‬.
English Egyptian
zero Sifr ‫ﺻـﹻﻔﺮ‬
no Egyptians (m/f) mafeesh maSriyyin ‫ﻣـﹷﻔﻴﺶ ﻣـﹷﺼﺮ ﹺﻳﻴـﹻﻦ‬
no weight mafeesh wazn ‫ﻣـﹷﻔﻴﺶ ﻭ ﹶﺯﻥ‬

no money mafeesh filoos ‫ﻣـﹷﻔﻴﺶ ﻓـﹻﻠﻮﺱ‬
no tea mafeesh shaai ‫ﻣـﹷﻔﻴﺶ ﺷﺎ ﹶﻱ‬
no men mafeesh ragaala ‫ﻣـﹷﻔﻴﺶ ﺭﺍ ﹶﺟﺎ ﹶﻻﹶ‬
no women mafeesh sittaat ‫ﻣـﹷﻔﻴﺶ ﺳـﹻﺘﹽﺎ ﹶﺕ‬
no books mafeesh kutoob ‫ﻣـﹷﻔﻴﺶ ﻛـﹹﺘﻮﺏ‬
no chairs mafeesh karaasi ‫ﻣـﹷﻔﻴﺶ ﻛـﹷﺮﺍ ﹶﺳﻲ‬
no seconds mafeesh da'aayi' ‫ﻣـﹷﻔﻴﺶ ﺩ ﹶﻗﺎ ﹶﻳـﹻﻖ‬
One
The number one has a masculine and feminine form. Both forms are used for people of a
particular nationality eg an Englishman.
For weights, money and when ordering things, the masculine form only is used.
In English, we would usually say a book rather than one book: the same is true in Egyptian, but
there is no word for a - the noun is simply used on its own.
English Egyptian
Numbers
one waahid ‫ﻭﺍﹶﺣـﹻﺪ‬
one Egyptian (m) waahid maSri ‫ﻭﺍﹶﺣـﹻﺪ ﻣـﹷﺼﺮﻱ‬
one Egyptian (f) wahda maSriya ‫ﻭﹶﺣﺪ ﹶﺓ ﻣـﹷﺼﺮ ﹺﻳـﹷﺔ‬
a kilo waahid keelw ‫ﻭﺍﹶﺣـﹻﺪ ﻛﻴﻠﻮ‬

a guinea waahid gineeh ‫ﻭﺍﹶﺣـﹻﺪ ﺟـﹻﻨﻴﻪ‬
one tea waahid shaai ‫ﻭﺍﹶﺣـﹻﺪ ﺷﺎ ﹶﻱ‬
a man raagil ‫ﺭﺍﹶﺟـﹻﻞ‬
a woman sitt ‫ﺳـﹻﺖﹼ‬
a book kitaab ‫ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
a chair kursi ‫ﻛـﹹﺮﺳﻲ‬
Two
For people of a particular nationality, eg two Englishmen or two Egyptians, use the number 'itneen
‫ ﺇﺗﻨﻴﻦ‬followed by a plural noun.
For weights, money and orders, use the number 'itneen ‫ ﺇﺗﻨﻴﻦ‬followed by a singular noun.
For things, you should use the suffix -yn ‫ ـﻴﻦ‬for masculine nouns and -teen ‫ ـﺘﻴﻦ‬for feminine nouns.
Nouns ending in -i ‫ ـﻲ‬take the ending -iyyin ‫ــ ﹻﻴﻴـ ﹻﻦ‬. This is equivalent to a couple which can mean
exactly two, or approximately two.
English
two 'itneen ‫ﺇﺗﻨﻴﻦ‬
two Egyptians (m/f) 'itneen maSryyin ‫ﺇﺗﻨﻴﻦ ﻣـﹷﺼﺮﻳﻴـﹻﻦ‬
two kilos 'itneen keelw ‫ﺇﺗﻨﻴﻦ ﻛﻴﻠﻮ‬

two guineas 'itneen gineeh ‫ﺇﺗﻨﻴﻦ ﺟـﹻﻨﻴﻪ‬
two teas 'itneen shaai ‫ﺇﺗﻨﻴﻦ ﺷﺎﹶﻱ‬
two men 'itneen ragaala ‫ﺇﺗﻨﻴﻦ ﺭﹶﺟﺎ ﹶﻻﹶ‬
two women 'itneen sittaat ‫ﺇﺗﻨﻴﻦ ﺳـﹻﺘﹽﺎ ﹶﺕ‬
two books kitabeen ‫ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺑﻴﻦ‬
two chair kursiyyin ‫ﻛـﹹﺮﺳـﹻﻴﻴـﹻﻦ‬
two minutes di'i'teen ‫ﺩﹺﻗـﹻﻘﺘﻴﻦ‬
Three to Ten
For People of nationalities, use the number followed by a plural noun.
For weights, money and when ordering things, use the number followed by a singular noun.
For people and things, use the short form listed below followed by a plural noun:
Digit English Egyptian English Egyptian

3 three talaata three books talat kutub
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٣ ‫ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﺗـﹷﺔ‬ ‫ﺗـﹷﻠـﹷﺖ ﻛـﹹﺘـﹹﺐ‬
4 'arbaAa 'arbaAa kutub
four four books
٤ ‫ﺃﺭﺑـﹷﻌـﹷﺔ‬ ‫ﺃﺭﺑـﹷﻊ ﹶ ﻛـﹹﺘـﹹﺐ‬
5 Kamsa Kamas kutub
five five books
٥ ‫ﺧـﹷﻤﺴـﹷﺔ‬ ‫ﺧـﹷﻤـﹷﺲ ﻛـﹹﺘـﹹﺐ‬
6 sitta sitt kutub
six six books
٦ ‫ﺳـﹻﺘﹽـﹷﺔ‬ ‫ﺳـﹻﺖﹼ ﻛـﹹﺘـﹹﺐ‬
7 sabAa sabaA kutub
seven seven books
٧ ‫ﺳـﹷﺒﻌـﹷﺔ‬ ‫ﺳـﹷﺒـﹷﻊ ﻛـﹹﺘـﹹﺐ‬
8 tamanya taman kutub
eight eight books
٨ ‫ﺗـﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻧﻴـﹷﺔ‬ ‫ﺗـﹷﻤـﹷﻦ ﻛـﹹﺘـﹹﺐ‬
9 tisAa tisAa kutub
nine nine books
٩ ‫ﺗـﹻﺴﻌـﹷﺔ‬ ‫ﺗـﹻﺴﻊ ﹶ ﻛـﹹﺘـﹹﺐ‬
10 Aashara Aashara kutub
ten ten books
١٠ ‫ﻋـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ ﹶﺓ‬ ‫ﻋـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ ﹶﺓ ﻛـﹹﺘـﹹﺐ‬
A very small number of nouns have a different plural when you are talking about between 3 and
10 of them. These are:

day yoom ‫ ﻳﻮﻡ‬tiyaem ‫ﺗـﹻﻴﺎ ﹶﻡ‬
mont shahr ‫ ﺷـﹷﻬﺮ‬tushhoor ‫ﺗـﹹﺸﻬﻮﺭ‬
person nafar ‫ ﻧـﹷﻔـﹷﺮ‬tinfaar ‫ﺗـﹻﻨﻔﺎ ﹶﺭ‬
plate Taba' ‫ ﻃـﹷﺒـﹷﻖ‬tiTbaa' ‫ﺗـﹻﻄﺒﺎ ﹶﻕ‬
thousand 'alf ‫ ﺃﻟﻒ‬talaaf ‫ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﻑ‬
Eleven to Ninety Nine

From 11 onwards, if the number is followed by a noun, the noun must be singular:

hidaashar hidaashar kitaab
eleven eleven books
‫ﺣـﹻﺪﺍ ﹶﺷـﹷﺮ‬ ‫ﺣـﹻﺪﺍ ﹶﺷـﹷﺮ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
'itnaashar 'itnaashar kitaab
twelve twelve books
‫ﺇﺗﻨﺎﹶﺷـﹷﺮ‬ ‫ﺇﺗﻨﺎﹶﺷـﹷﺮ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
talatshar talatshar kitaab
thirteen thirteen books
‫ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﺗﺸـﹷﺮ‬ ‫ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﺗﺸـﹷﺮ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
'arbaAtashar 'arbatAshar kitaab
fourteen fourteen books
‫ﺃﺭﺑـﹷﻌﺘـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ‬ ‫ﺃﺭﺑـﹷﺘﻌﺸـﹷﺮ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
Kamastashar Kamastashar kitaab
fifteen fifteen books
‫ﺧـﹷﻤـﹷﺴﺘـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ‬ ‫ﺧـﹷﻤـﹷﺴﺘـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
sittashar sittashar kitaab
sixteen sixteen books
‫ﺳـﹻﺘﹽـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ‬ ‫ﺳـﹻﺘﹽـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
seventeen sabaAtashar seventeen books sabaAtashar kitaab
Numbers
‫ﺳـﹷﺒـﹷﻌﺘـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ‬ ‫ﺳـﹷﺒـﹷﻌﺘـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬

tamantashar tamantashar kitaab
eighteen eighteen books
‫ﺗـﹷﻤـﹷﻨﺘـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ‬ ‫ﺗـﹷﻤـﹷﻨﺘـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
tisAatashar tisAatashar kitaab
nineteen nineteen books
‫ﺗـﹻﺴﻌـﹷﺘـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ‬ ‫ﺗـﹻﺴﻌـﹷﺘـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
The digits in Egyptian numbers are written in the same order as in European numbers. When
expressed as words, however, the two digits are stated as units and tens, as in German not
English, with wa ‫ ﻭ ﹶ‬in between:
35 thirty five
‫ ﺧـﹷﻤﺴـﹷﺔ ﻭ ﹶ ﺗـﹷﻠـﹷﺘﻴﻦ‬٣٥
Here are the numbers from 20 to 90:
English Egyptian
‫ﻋـ‬
twenty Aashareen
‫ﹷﺸـﹷﺮﻳﻦ‬
thirty talateen ‫ﺗـﹷﻠـﹷﺘﻴﻦ‬
forty 'arbaAeen ‫ﺃﺭﺑـﹷﻌﻴﻦ‬
fifty Kamseen ‫ﺧـﹷﻤﺴﻴﻦ‬
sixty sitteen ‫ﺳـﹻﺘﹽﻴﻦ‬
seventy sabaAeen ‫ﺳـﹷﺒـﹷﻌﻴﻦ‬
eighty tamaneen ‫ﺗـﹷﻤـﹷﻨﻴﻦ‬

ninety tisAeen ‫ﺗـﹻﺴﻌﻴﻦ‬
Hundreds
Here are the numbers from one to nine hundred. Note that the short form meet ‫ ﻣﻴﺖ‬is used when
hundreds are followed by a noun (which must be singular):
short form
English Egyptian
+ singular noun
one hundred miya ‫ ﻣـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬meet kitaab ‫ﻣﻴﺖ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
two hundred miteen ‫ ﻣـﹻﺘﻴﻦ‬miteen kitaab ‫ﻣـﹻﺘﻴﻦ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
three hundred tultumiya ‫ ﺗـﹹﻠﺘـﹹﻤـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬tultumeet kitaab ‫ﺗـﹹﻠﺘـﹹﻤﻴﺖ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
four hundred rubAumiya ‫ ﺭﹸﺑﻌـﹹﻤـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬rubAumeet kitaab ‫ﺭﹸﺑﻌـﹹﻤﻴﺖ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
five hundred Kamsumiya‫ ﺧـﹷﻤﺴـﹹﻤـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬Kamsameet kitaab ‫ﺧـﹷﻤﺴـﹷﻤﻴﺖ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
six hundred suttumiya ‫ ﺳـﹹﺘﹽـﹹﻤـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬suttumeet kitaab ‫ﺳـﹹﺘﹽـﹹﻤﻴﺖ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
seven hundred subuAmiya ‫ ﺳـﹹﺒـﹹﻌﻤـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬subuAameet kitaab ‫ﺳـﹹﺒـﹹﻌـﹷﻤﻴﺖ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
eight hundred tumunumiya‫ ﺗـﹹﻤـﹹﻨـﹹﻤـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬tumunumeet kitaab ‫ﺗـﹹﻤـﹹﻨـﹹﻤﻴﺖ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬

tusAumeet kitaab
nine hundred tusAumiya ‫ﺗـﹹﺴﻌـﹹﻤـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬
‫ﺗـﹹﺴﻌـﹹﻤﻴﺖ ﻛـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ‬
Page 80
Thousands
Here are the numbers from one to nine thousand. Five thousand should really be Kamsaat 'alf
‫ﺧـ ﹷﻤﺴﺎ ﹶﺕ ﺃﻟﻒ‬, but it is pronounced as below.
English Egyptian
one thousand alf ‫ﺍﹶﻟﻒ‬
two thousand alfeen ‫ﺍﹶﻟﻔﻴﻦ‬
three thousand talat talaaf ‫ﺗـﹷﻠـﹷﺖ ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﻑ‬
four thousand 'arbaA talaaf ‫ﺃﺭﺑـﹷﻊ ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﻑ‬
five thousand Kamas talaaf ‫ﺧـﹷﻤـﹷﺲ ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﻑ‬
six thousand sit talaaf ‫ﺳـﹻﺖ ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﻑ‬

seven thousand sabaA talaaf ‫ﺳـﹷﺒـﹷﻊ ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﻑ‬
eight thousand taman talaaf ‫ﺗـﹷﻤـﹷﻦ ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﻑ‬
nine thousand tisaA talaaf ‫ﺗـﹻﺴـﹷﻊ ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﻑ‬
ten thousand Aashar talaaf ‫ﻋـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﻑ‬
Ordinals
To explain the sequence of things (first, second, third), you use the ordinal. It can be either as an
adjective or as a noun in the genitive form: As an adjective, the ordinal be preceded by il ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻝ‬and,
for 1 to 9, must agree with the gender of the noun. From 11 onwards, the cardinal numbers are the
same as ordinals, and are used as adjectives only.
English Egyptian
the third day ilyoom iltaalit ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻴﻮﻡ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘﺎ ﹶﻟـﹻﺖ‬
third day taalit yoom ‫ﺗﺎﹶﻟـﹻﺖ ﻳﻮﻡ‬
the third time ilmarra iltalta ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻤـﹷﺮﹼ ﹶﺓ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘﺎ ﹶﻟﺘـﹷﺔ‬
third time taalit marra ‫ﺗﺎﹶﻟـﹻﺖ ﻣـﹷﺮﹼ ﹶﺓ‬
the tenth day ilyoom ilAaashir ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻴﻮﻡ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌﺎ ﹶﺷـﹻﺮ‬
tenth day Aaashir yoom ‫ﻋﺎﹶﺷـﹻﺮ ﻳﻮﻡ‬
the tenth time ilmarra ilAashra ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻤـﹷﺮﹼ ﹶﺓ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌﺎ ﹶﺷـﹻﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
tenth time Aaashir marra ‫ﻋﺎﹶﺷـﹻﺮ ﻣـﹷﺮﹼ ﹶﺓ‬
the eleventh day ilyoom ilhidaashar ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻴﻮﻡ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺤـﹻﺪﺍ ﹶﺷـﹷﺮ‬
eleventh time ilmarra ilhidaashar ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻤـﹷﺮﹼ ﹶﺓ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺤـﹻﺪﺍ ﹶﺷـﹷﺮ‬
the twentieth day ilyoom ilAashareen ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻴﻮﻡ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌـﹷﺸـﹷﺮﻳﻦ‬
twentieh time ilmarra ilAashareen ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻤـﹷﺮﹼ ﹶﺓ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌـﹷﺸـﹷﺮﻳﻦ‬
Here are the first ten ordinals:
Numbers
first awwil ‫ ﺍﹶﻭﹼ ﹺﻝ‬the first book ilkitaab il'awwil ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻷﻭﹼ ﹺﻝ‬
'uoola ‫ ﺃﹸﻭﻻﹶ‬the first cat il'uTTa il'uoola ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻘـﹹﻄﹽـﹷﺔ ﺍ ﹺﻷ ﹸﻭﻻﹶ‬
second taani ‫ ﺗﺎﹶﻧﻲ‬the second book ilkitaab iltaani ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘﺎ ﹶﻧﻲ‬
tanya ‫ ﺗﺎﹶﻧﻴـﹷﺔ‬the second cat il'uTTa iltanya ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻘـﹹﻄﹽـﹷﺔ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘﺎ ﹶﻧﻴـﹷﺔ‬
third taalit ‫ ﺗﺎﹶﻟـﹻﺖ‬the third book ilkitaab iltaalit ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘﺎ ﹶﻟـﹻﺖ‬
talta ‫ ﺗﺎﹶﻟﺘـﹷﺔ‬the third cat il'uTTa iltalta ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻘـﹹﻄﹽـﹷﺔ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘﺎ ﹶﻟﺘـﹷﺔ‬
fourth rabAa ‫ ﺭﺍﹶﺑﻊﹶ‬the fourth book ilkitaab ilrabAa ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺮﺍ ﹶﺑﻊﹶ‬
rabAa ‫ ﺭﹶﺑﻌـﹷﺔ‬the fourth cat il'uTTa ilrabAa ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻘـﹹﻄﹽـﹷﺔ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺮ ﹶﺑﻌـﹷﺔ‬
fifth Kams ‫ ﺧﺎﹶﻣﺲ‬the fifth book ilkitaab ilKaamis ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺨﺎ ﹶﻣـﹻﺲ‬
Kamsa ‫ ﺧـﹷﻤﺴـﹷﺔ‬the fifth cat il'uTTa ilKamsa ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻘـﹹﻄﹽـﹷﺔ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺨـﹷﻤﺴـﹷﺔ‬
sixth saadis ‫ ﺳﺎﹶﺩ ﹺﺱ‬the sixth book ilkitaab ilsaadis ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﺩ ﹺﺱ‬
saatit ‫ ﺳﺎﹶﺗـﹻﺔ‬the sixth cat il'uTTa ilsaatit ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻘـﹹﻄﹽـﹷﺔ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﺗـﹻﺔ‬
seventh saabiA ‫ ﺳﺎﹶﺑـﹻﻊ‬the seventh book ilkitaab ilsaabiA ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﺑـﹻﻊ‬
seventh sabAa ‫ ﺳﺎﹶﺑـﹻﻌـﹷﺔ‬the seventh cat il'uTTa ilsabAa ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻘـﹹﻄﹽـﹷﺔ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﺑـﹻﻌـﹷﺔ‬
eighth taamin ‫ ﺗﺎﹶﻣـﹻﻦ‬the eighth book ilkitaab iltaamin ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘﺎ ﹶﻣـﹻﻦ‬
eighth tamna ‫ ﺗـﹷﻤﻨـﹷﺔ‬the eighth cat il'uTTa iltamna ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻘـﹹﻄﹽـﹷﺔ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘـﹷﻤﻨـﹷﺔ‬
ninth taasiA ‫ ﺗﺎﹶﺳـﹻﻊ‬the ninth book ilkitaab iltaasiA ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘﺎ ﹶﺳـﹻﻊ‬
ninth tasAa ‫ ﺗﺎﹶﺳﻌـﹷﺔ‬the ninth cat il'uTTa iltasAa ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻘـﹹﻄﹽـﹷﺔ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘﺎ ﹶﺳـﹻﻌـﹷﺔ‬
tenth Aaashir ‫ ﻋﺎﹶﺷـﹻﺮ‬the tenth book ilkitaab ilAaashir ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌﺎ ﹶﺷـﹻﺮ‬
il'uTTa ilAashra
tenth Aashra ‫ ﻋﺎﹶﺷـﹻﺮ ﹶﺓ‬the tenth cat ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻘـﹹﻄﹽـﹷﺔ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌﺎ ﹶﺷـﹻﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
From the eleventh onwards, the cardinal and ordinal are the same. Here are some examples:
Number Ordinal English Egyptian

ilkitaab
eleven hidaashar ‫ ﺣـﹻﺪﺍ ﹶﺷـﹷﺮ‬the eleventh book ilhidaashar ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺤـﹻﺪﺍ ﹶﺷـﹷﺮ‬
twelve 'itnaashar ‫ ﺇﺗﻨﺎﹶﺷـﹷﺮ‬the twelfth book ilkitaab il'itnashar ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻹﺗﻨـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ‬
thirteen talaatashar
‫ ﺗـﹷﻼ‬the thirteenth ilkitaab ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘـﹷﻼ‬
‫ ﹶﺗـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ‬book iltalaatashar ‫ﹶﺗـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ‬
ilkitaab
twenty Aashareen ‫ ﻋـﹷﺸـﹷﺮﻳﻦ‬the twentieth book ilAashareen ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌـﹷﺸـﹷﺮﻳﻦ‬
thirty thalateen ‫ ﺛـﹷﻠـﹷﺘﻴﻦ‬the thirtieth book ilkitaab iltalateen ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘـﹷﻠـﹷﺘﻴﻦ‬
ilkitaab
forty 'arbaAeen ‫ ﺃﺭﺑـﹷﻌﻴﻦ‬the fortieth book ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻷﺭﺑـﹷﻌﻴﻦ‬
il'arbaAeen
one the hundredth
miya ‫ ﻣـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬book ilkitaab ilmiya ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬
hundred
two the two hundredth
miteen ‫ ﻣـﹻﺘﻴﻦ‬book ilkitaab ilmiteen ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـﹻﺘﻴﻦ‬
hundred
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three the three
tultumiya ‫ﺗـﹹﻠﺘـﹹﻤـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬ ilkitaab iltultumiya ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘـﹹﻠﺘـﹹﻤـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬
hundred hundredth book
one the thousandth
thousand
'alf ‫ ﺃﻟﻒ‬book ilkitaab il'alf ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻷﻟﻒ‬
Fractions
The following fractions are widely used:
English Egyptian
half nooS ‫ﻧﻮﺹ‬
a third tilt ‫ﺗـﹻﻠﺖ‬
a quarter rubaA ‫ﺭﹸﺑـﹷﻊ‬
three quarters talaat 'arbaAa ‫ﺗـﹷﻼ ﹶﺕ ﺃﺭﺑـﹷﻊﹶ‬
Questions
To ask how many people or things, you should use kam ‫ ﻛـ ﹷﻢ‬before the noun. To ask for a
sequence or reference number (what or which, you put the kam ‫ ﻛـ ﹷﻢ‬after the noun. In all of these
cases, the noun is singular.
Type English Egyptian

count How many children do you have? Aandak kam walad? ‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹶﻙ ﻛـﹷﻢ ﻭ ﹶﻟـﹷﺪ؟‬
count How many days will you stay? kam yoom hatinizil? ‫ﻛـﹷﻢ ﻳﻮﻡ ﻫـﹷﺘـﹻﻨـﹻﺰ ﹺﻝ؟‬
count How many guests tomorrow? kam ziboon bukrah? ‫ﻛـﹷﻢ ﺯ ﹺﺑﻮﻥ ﺑـﹹﻜﺮ ﹶﻩ؟‬
what What is your telephone number? nimritak kaam? ‫ﻧـﹻﻤﺮ ﹺﺗـﹷﻚ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
what What time is it? ilsaaAa kaam? ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
what What time is the meeting? il'igtimaaA ilsaaAa kaam? ‫ﺍﹺﻹﺟﺘـﹻﻤﺎ ﹶﻉ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
what What is your apartment number? sha''eetak raQam kaam? ‫ﺷـﹷﻘﹽﻴﺘـﹷﻚ ﺭ ﹶﻗـﹷﻢ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
which Which floor do you want? Aaayiz door kaam? ‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﺩﻭﺭ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
Ownership
Ownership
There are several different ways to indicate ownership and belonging. These are:
Egyptian Meaning Egyptian English

possessive 'ismuh
my/your/his his name
pronoun ‫ﺇﺳﻢ ﹸﻩ‬
simple ism ilwalad
of the name of the boy
genitive ‫ﺍﹺﺳﻢ ﺍ ﹺﻝﻭ ﹶﻟـﹷﺪ‬
bitaaA ilbasboor bitaaAi
belonging my passport
‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻉ‬ ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺒـﹷﺴﺒﻮﺭ ﺑـ ﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋﻲ‬
Aand Aandi biyt
ownership I have a house
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ‬ ‫ﻋـ ﹷﻨﺪﻱ ﺑـﹻﻴﺖ‬
maAa maAaak kabreet? Do you have matches (on
have with you
‫ﻣـﹷﻊﹶ‬ ‫ ﻣـ ﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻙ ﻛـﹷﺒﺮﻳﺖ؟‬you)?
li having for a purpose fi boosTa leek
intended for there is some post for you
‫ ﻟﻲ‬attached ‫ﻓﻲ ﺑﻮﺳﻄـﹷﺔ ﻟﻴﻚ‬
milk ilbiyt dah milkuh
(my/your/his) property that house is his property
‫ﻣـﹻﻠﻚ‬ ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺒـﹻﻴﺖ ﺩ ﹶﻩ ﻣـﹻﻠﻜـﹹﻪ‬
possessive pronoun
In both English and Egyptian, the most common way of expressing ownership is with a posessive
pronoun (my, your... etc). In Egyptian, this is a suffix attached to the noun. Here are some
examples:
English Arabic
'ismi
my name
‫ﺇﺳﻢﻱ‬
'ismak
your(m) name
‫ﺇﺳﻢ ﹶﻙ‬
'ismik
your(f) name
‫ﺇﺳﻢ ﹺﻙ‬
biyti
my house
‫ﺑـﹻﻴﺖﻱ‬
biytuh
his house
‫ﺑـﹻﻴﺖ ﹸﻩ‬
'abwya
my father
‫ﺃﺑﻮﻳﺎ ﹶ‬
'abooha
your(f) father
‫ﺃﺑﻮﻫﺎ ﹶ‬
'abooh
his father
‫ﺃﺑﻮﻩ‬
rabbina
our god
‫ﺭﹶﺏﹼ ﹺﻧﺎ ﹶ‬
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The posessive pronouns themselves are pretty easy to learn, but when the pronouns are attached
to nouns, the vowels do a little dance to make sure that you don't get three consonants in a row.
See pronouns for more information.
simple genitive
In English, the simple genitive can take two forms: both are expressed in the same way in arabic.
English Egyptian
'ism ilraagil
the man's name
‫ﺇﺳﻢ ﺍﹺﻟﺮﺍ ﹶﺟـﹻﻞ‬
'ism ilraagil
the name of the man
‫ﺇﺳﻢ ﺍﹺﻟﺮﺍ ﹶﺟـﹻﻞ‬
il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬can be attached to the second noun if required, but must never be attached to the first noun.
If the first noun is feminine, the -a ‫ ــ ﹷﺔ‬ending changes to -it ‫ــ ﹻﺖ‬. Nothing must be placed between
the two nouns. Adjectives go after the second noun, but must agree in gender and number with
the first noun. If a possessive suffix is required, it must go on the second word (or use bitaaA ‫ﺑـ ﹻﺘﺎ‬
‫) ﹶﻉ‬. Here are some examples:
English Egyptian
'ism ilwalad Gareeb
the boy's name is strange
‫ﺇﺳﻢ ﺍﹺﻟﻮ ﹶﻟـﹷﺪ ﻏـﹷﺮﻳﺐ‬
Aandi nimrit tileefoonha
I have her telephone number
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪﻱ ﻧـﹻﻤﺮ ﹺﺓ ﺗـﹻﻠﻴﻔﻮﻥﻫﺎ ﹶ‬
mahaTit il'aTr feen?
Where is the railway station?
‫ﻣـﹷﺤـﹷﻄـﹻﺔ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻘـﹷﻄﺮ ﻓﻴﻦ؟‬
'inta Aaarif 'ibn Aammy?
Do you know my cousin? (uncle's son)
‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﺇﺑﻦ ﻋـﹷﻢﹼﻱ؟‬
tiAarif 'ibn Aammy?
Do you know my cousin? (uncle's son)
‫ﺗـﹻﻌـﹷﺮ ﹺﻑ ﺇﺑﻦ ﻋـﹷﻢﹼﻱ؟‬
'inta shooft Aarabiyit ilmudeer ilgideeda?
Have you seen the boss's new car?
‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ ﺷﻮﻓﺖ ﻋـﹷﺮ ﹶﺑـﹻﻲ ﹺﺓ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـﹹﺪﻳﺮ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺠـﹻﺪﻳﺪ ﹶﺓ؟‬
'inta shooft ilAarabiya 'illi maAa ilmudeer ilgideed?
Have you seen the new boss's car?
‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ ﺷﻮﻓﺖ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻌـﹷﺮ ﹶﺑـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ ﺇﻟﹽﻲ ﻣـ ﹷﻌـ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـﹹﺪﻳﺮ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺠـﹻﺪﻳﺪ؟‬
Aaayiz 'izzaazit mayaah
I want a bottle of water
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﺇﺯﹼﺍ ﹶﺯ ﹺﺓ ﻣـﹷﻴﺎ ﹶﻩ‬
iddeeni 'izzaazit ilmayaah
give me this bottle of water ‫ﺍﹺﺩﹼﻳﻨﻲ ﺇﺯﹼﺍ ﹶﺯ ﹺﺓ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـﹷﻴﺎ ﹶﻩ‬
dyh
Belonging- bitaA ‫ﺑـ ﹻﺘـ ﹷﻊ‬

bitaA ‫ ﺑـ ﹻﺘـ ﹷﻊ‬is used in several ways:
• noun + bitaA + possessive suffix, to indicate ownership

• noun + bitaA + possessive suffix, as an alternative to a genitive
• bitaA + product (milk, onions, tyres etc), to indicate somebody who sells the product
• bitaA + possessive suffix, to refer to a man's or woman's private parts
bitaA ‫ ﺑـ ﹻﺘـ ﹷﻊ‬is always used for ownership when the noun ends in -yn ‫ ـﻴﻦ‬and for imported words
(my villa). It is not used for parts of the body (my leg).
Ownership
English Egyptian
'ana DayAt ilbasboor bitaaAi
I have lost my passport
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﺿﺎ ﹶﻳﻌﺖ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺒـﹷﺴﺒﻮﺭ ﺑـ ﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋﻲ‬
Aandak kam 'uooDa fi ilveela bitaAtak?
how many rooms does your villa have? ‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹶﻙ ﻛـﹷﻢ ﺃ ﹸﻭﺿـﹷﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻟڤﻴﻼ ﹶ ﺑـ ﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋﺘـﹷﻚ‬
‫؟‬
feen ilmudarriseen bitwaAak?
Where are your teachers?
‫ﻓﻴﻦ ﺍﹺﻟﻤـﹹﺪ ﹶﺭﹼ ﹺﺳﻴﻦ ﺑـ ﹻﺘﻮ ﹶﻋـ ﹷﻚ؟‬
huwwa bitaaA KuDaar
He is a vegetable seller
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺑـ ﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻉ ﺧـﹹﻀﺎ ﹶﺭ‬
He is a milk seller huwwa bitaaA laban
means he's a ladies' man ‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺑـ ﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻉ ﻟـﹷﺒـﹷﻦ‬
baTTal tuhrush fi bitaaAak
Stop scratching yourself!
‫ﺑـﹷﻄﹽـﹷﻞ ﺗـﹹﻬﺮ ﹸﺵ ﻓﻲ ﺑـ ﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋـ ﹷﻚ‬
bitaaA ‫ ﺑـ ﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻉ‬is like a participle, so it has to agree in gender and number with the noun. Here are
all of the possible endings:
English m f pl
the book the bag the books
ilkitaab bitaaA- ilshanTa bitaAt- ilkutoob bitooA-
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺸـﹷﻨﻄـﹷﺔ ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋﺘـ ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋـ‬ ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹹﺘﻮﺏ ﺑـﹻﺘﻮﻋـ‬
bitaaAi bitaAti bitooAi
belonging to me
‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋﻲ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋﺘﻲ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﻮﻋﻲ‬
bitaAna bitaaAitna bitooAna
belonging to us
‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋﻨﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋـﹻﺘﻨﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﻮﻋﻨﺎﹶ‬
bitaaAak bitaAtak bitooAak
belonging to you(m)
‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋـﹷﻚ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋﺘـﹷﻚ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﻮﻋـﹷﻚ‬
bitaaAik bitaAtik bitooAik
belonging to you(f)
‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋـﹻﻚ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋﺘـﹻﻚ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﻮﻋـﹻﻚ‬
bitaAkum bitaaAitkum bitooAkum
belonging to you(pl)
‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋﻜـﹹﻢ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋـﹻﺘﻜـﹹﻢ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﻮﻋﻜـﹹﻢ‬
bitaaAuh bitaAtuh bitooAuh
belonging to him
‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋـﹹﻪ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋﺘـﹹﻪ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﻮﻋـﹹﻪ‬
bitaAha bitaaAitha bitooAha
belonging to her
‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋﻬﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋـﹻﺘﻬﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﻮﻋﻬﺎﹶ‬
bitaAhum bitaaAithum bitooAhum
belonging to them
‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋﻬـﹹﻢ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﻋـﹻﺘﻬـﹹﻢ‬ ‫ﺑـﹻﺘﻮﻋﻬـﹹﻢ‬
Ownership - Aand ‫ﻋـ ﹷﻨﺪ‬

Aand ‫ ﻋـ ﹷﻨﺪ‬means that you own something but don't necessarily have with you. It can also be used
about members of your family. An object pronoun can be added to indicate who owns something.
English Egyptian
I have a car Aandi Aarabiya
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‫ﻋـ ﹷﻨﺪﻱ ﻋـﹷﺮ ﹶﺑـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ‬
Aanduh waladeen
he has two children
‫ﻋـ ﹷﻨﺪ ﹸﻩ ﻭ ﹶﻟـﹷﺪﻳﻦ‬
Aandak kutub?
do you have any books?
‫ﻋـ ﹷﻨﺪ ﹶﻙ ﻛـﹹﺘـﹹﺐ؟‬
Here are all of the possible forms.
English Arabic
Aandi
I have
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪﻱ‬
Aandina
we have
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹺﻧﺎﹶ‬
Aandak
you(m) have
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹶﻙ‬
Aandik
you(f) have
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹺﻙ‬
Aandukum
you(pl) have
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹸﻛـﹹﻢ‬
Aanduh
he has
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹸﻩ‬
Aandaha
she has
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹶﻫﺎﹶ‬
Aanduhum
they have
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹸﻫـﹹﻢ‬
Having with you maAa ‫ﻣـ ﹷﻊ ﹶ‬

maAa ‫ ﻣـ ﹷﻊ ﹶ‬means that you have something or somebody with you. It takes an object suffix to say
who it is with.
English Egyptian
maAak ilmafateeh?
Do you have the keys?
‫ﻣـ ﹷﻌـ ﹷﻚ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـﹷﻔﺎ ﹶﺗﻴﺢ؟‬
'ana harooh maAaak
I will go with you
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ ﻫﺎ ﹶﺭﻭﺡ ﻣـ ﹷﻌـ ﹷـ ﹷﻚ‬
maAak fakka?
Do you have any change?
‫ﻣـ ﹷﻌـ ﹷﻚ ﻓـﹷﻜﹽـﹷﺔ؟‬
<
Here are all of the possible forms:
English Egyptian
maAaaya
I have
‫ﻣـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻳﺎﹶ‬
maAaana
we have
‫ﻣـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻧﺎﹶ‬
Ownership
maAaak
you(m) have
‫ﻣـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻙ‬
maAaaki
you(f) have
‫ﻣـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻛﻲ‬
maAaakum
you(pl) have
‫ﻣـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻛـﹹﻢ‬
maAaah
he has
‫ﻣـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻩ‬
maAaaha
she has
‫ﻣـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻫﺎﹶ‬
maAaahum
they have
‫ﻣـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻫـﹹﻢ‬
intended for - ly- ‫ﻟﻴـ‬

li ‫ ﻟﻲ‬can be used for parts of the body, members of your family, for something that is attached, and
for something that is intended for somebody or something. It is also used when an inanimate
object has something. Here are some examples:
English Egyptian
leeh rigl wahda bas
he has only one leg
‫ﻟﻴﻪ ﺭ ﹺﺟﻞ ﻭﺍ ﹶﺣﺪ ﹶﺓ ﺑـﹷﺲ‬
leeha waladeen
she has two children
‫ﻟﻴﻬﺎ ﹶ ﻭ ﹶﻟـﹷﺪﻳﻦ‬
fi boosTa leeki
there is mail for you (f)
‫ﻓﻲ ﺑﻮﺳﻄـﹷﺔ ﻟﻴﻜﻲ‬
I owe you five pounds Aandi Kamsa gineet leek
Lit: I have five founds for you(m) ‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪﻱ ﺧـﹷﻤﺴـﹷﺔ ﺟـﹻﻨﻴﺔ ﻟﻴﻚ‬
ilhidaya di leekum
this present is for (all of) you(pl)
‫ﺍﹺﻟﻬـﹻﺪ ﹶﻳـﹷﺔ ﺩﻱ ﻟﻴﻜـ ﹹﻢ‬
I want a garden seat Aaayiz kursi lilginiyna
A seat intended for the garden ‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﻛـﹹﺮﺳﻲ ﻟـ ﹺﻟﺠـﹻﻨـﹻﻴﻨـﹷﺔ‬
ilsha''a leeha garaaj
the flat has a garage
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺸـﹷﻘﹽـﹷﺔ ﻟﻴﻬﺎ ﹶ ﺟـﹷﺮﺍ ﹶچ‬
the flat has two bedrooms ilsha''a feeha'uooDteen
use fi ‫ ﻓﻲ‬because rooms are inside ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺸـﹷﻘﹽـﹷﺔ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﹶﺃ ﹸﻭﺿﺘﻴﻦ‬
Here are all of the possible forms:
English m
liya
I have
‫ﻟـﹻﻲﹶ‬
leena
we have
‫ﻟﻴﻨﺎﹶ‬
leek
you(m) have
‫ﻟﻴﻚ‬
you(f) have leeki
Page 88
‫ﻟﻴﻜﻲ‬
leekum
you(pl) have
‫ﻟﻴﻜـﹹﻢ‬
leeh
he has
‫ﻟﻴﻪ‬
leeha
she has
‫ﻟﻴﻬﺎﹶ‬
leehum
they have
‫ﻟﻴﻬـﹹﻢ‬
Possession property milk ‫ﻣـ ﹻﻠﻚ‬

Ownership of real estate - houses, land etc, can be expressed with milk- ‫ ﻣـ ﹻﻠﻜـ‬plus a suffix.
English Egyptian
Aanduh biyt milkuh
He has his own house
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹸﻩ ﺑـﹻﻴﺖ ﻣـ ﹻﻠﻜـ ﹹﻪ‬
Aandi 'arD milk fi ilGarda'a
I own land in Hurghada
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪﻱ ﺃﺭﺽ ﻣـ ﹻﻠﻚ ﻓﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻐـﹷﺮﺩ ﹶﻗـﹷﺔ‬
Quantities
Quantities
You can specify a quantity in several ways:
• measures - metres, kilos etc

• numbers
• containers - packs, bottles etc
• approximate amounts - a little, a lot etc
Measures
For weights, lengths and other measurements, you use a number followed by a singular noun.
'ahmad Toolooh mitr 1 wa 90 santi

Ahmed is 1m90 tall
‫ ﺳـ ﹷﻨﺘﻲ‬٩٠ ‫ ﻭ ﹶ‬١ ‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ ﻃﻮﻟﻮﻩ ﻣـ ﹻﺘﺮ‬
ilshanTa dih bi Aishreen gineeh
this bag is 20 pounds
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺸـﹷﻨﻄـﹷﺔ ﺩ ﹺﻩ ﺏ ﹺ ﻋـ ﹻﺸﺮﻳﻦ ﺟـ ﹻﻨﻴﻪ‬
'itneen keelw baTaaTis, law samaht
2 kilos of potatoes, please
‫ ﻟـﹷﻮ ﺳـﹷﻤـﹷﺤﺖ‬،‫ﺇﺗﻨﻴﻦ ﻛﻴﻠﻮ ﺑـﹷﻄﺎ ﹶﻃـﹻﺲ‬
Aaayiz meet garam salaami
I want a hundred grams of salami
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﻣﻴﺖ ﺟـ ﹷﺮ ﹶﻡ ﺳـﹷﻼ ﹶﻣﻲ‬
mihtaag rubaA keelw zibda
I need a quarter kilo of butter
‫ﻣـﹻﺤﺘﺎ ﹶﺝ ﺭ ﹸﺑـ ﹷﻊ ﻛﻴﻠﻮ ﺯ ﹺﺑﺪ ﹶﺓ‬
ilAarabiya gaabit tamanya Tun mayaat
the truck brought eight tonnes of water
‫ﺍﹺﻟﻌـﹷﺮ ﹶﺑـﹻﻴـﹷﺔ ﺟﺎ ﹶﺑـﹻﺖ ﺗـ ﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻧﻴـ ﹷﺔ ﻃـ ﹹﻦ ﻣـﹷﻴﺎ ﹶﺓ‬
Numbers
See the section in numbers for more information about this.
Containers
If you want something in a container of some sort: carton, bottle, etc, you use the genitive of the
container. The main effect of this is that words ending in tee-marbuta -a ‫ ــ ﹷﺔ‬are pronounced -it ‫ــ ﹻﺖ‬.
laazim taKuz maAla'it dawa'

you must take one spoonful of medicine
‫ﻻﹶﺯ ﹺﻡ ﺗـﹷﺨـﹹﺬ ﻣـ ﹷﻌﻠـ ﹷﻘـ ﹻﺔ ﺩ ﹶﻭﺍ ﹶء‬
Aaayiz Aalbit sagaayar
I want a pack of cigarettes
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﻋـ ﹷﻠﺒـ ﹻﺔ ﺳـﹷﺠﺎ ﹶﻳـﹷﺮ‬
'izzaazit maaya, law samaht
a bottle of water, please
‫ ﻟـﹷﻮ ﺳـﹷﻤـﹷﺤﺖ‬،‫ﺇﺯ ﹼﺍ ﹶﺯ ﹺﺓ ﻣﺎ ﹶﻳـﹷﺔ‬
A/an and Some

In English, if you are talk about one non-specific instance that is countable you would use the
indefinite article a or an, for example a book or an apple. There is no equivalent of a/an or some
in Egyptian arabic.
Likewise, when you are talking about an unspecified amount something that is not countable, you
say some sugar. Again, there is no equivalent in Egyptian Arabic. You can specify a quantity, for
example shuwayit
‫ﺷـﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـﹻﺔ‬
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(a little) but there is no word for an unspecified quantity.
Approximate measures
shaai meen Geer sukkar
tea without sugar
‫ﺷﺎﹶﻱ ﻣﻴﻦ ﻏﻴﺮ ﺳـﹹﻜﹽـﹷﺮ‬
normal tea shaai mazbooT
(with three sugar) ‫ﺷﺎﹶﻱ ﻣـ ﹷﺰﺑﻮﻁ‬
shaai Kafeef
weak tea
‫ﺷﺎﹶﻱ ﺧـ ﹷﻔﻴﻒ‬
shaai ti'eel
strong tea
‫ﺷﺎﹶﻱ ﺗـ ﹻﻘﻴﻞ‬
shuwayit laban
a little milk
‫ﺷـ ﹹﻮ ﹶﻳـ ﹻﺔ ﻟـﹷﺒـﹷﻦ‬
maAandeesh filoos kifaaya
I don't have enough money
‫ﻣـﹷﻌـﹷﻨﺪﻳﺶ ﻓـﹻﻠﻮﺱ ﻛـ ﹻﻔﺎ ﹶﻳـ ﹷﺔ‬
Aanduh filoos kiteer
he has a lot of money
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹸﻩ ﻓـﹻﻠﻮﺱ ﻛـ ﹻﺘﻴﺮ‬
you have a lot of friends Aandak 'aShaab yaama
informal ‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹶﻙ ﺃﺻﺤﺎ ﹶﺏ ﻳﺎ ﹶﻣﺎ ﹶ‬
Questions
Questions
There are four main groups of questions.
• Direct- what, when, why

• Indirect- courteous question, whether
• Confirmation - isn't it so?
• Suggestions - Why don't you...?
• Rhetorical- you are making a point and don't expect an answer
English quirks
In English, it is possible to ask a question in many different ways. some of these translate easily
into Egyptian: others require a little thought. The ones you need to watch out for are:
• sentences with 'do' where you are not doing anything

• sentences with 'got' where you are not getting anything
• sentences with how followed by an adverb or adjective (see adverbal question)
For all English verbs except is and have, you can turn a statement into a question by putting do in
front of it.
you know John

do you know John?
.
In Egyptian, you can either add huwwa ‫ ﻫـ ﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ‬at the start of the sentence or use inflection you
know john?
The word have is somewhat overused in English, and British English speakers often reduce the
risk of confusion by saying have you got rather than the older form, still used by many Americans,
do you have...?. There is no equivalent in Egyptian, so inflection is used.
Direct questions
It is possible to frame a direct question in several ways:
• using a query word at the end of the sentence

• preceding a sentence with huwwa ‫ﻫـ ﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ‬
• by inflection
Query words
In English, a query word normally start the sentence: in Egyptian it is normally at the end of the
sentence. For example
where are you going?

raayiH fyn?
The following query words can be used:
English Egyptian
what 'ieeh ‫ﺇﻳﻪ‬
when 'imta ‫ﺇﻣﺘﻰ‬
where feen ‫ﻓﻴﻦ‬
where from mineen ‫ﻣـﹻﻨﻴﻦ‬
how 'izzai ‫ﺇﺯﹼ ﹶﻱ‬
Page 92
which 'anhw ‫ﺃﻧﻬﻮ‬
how many kaam ‫ﻛﺎﹶﻡ‬

followed by singular noun
what (number) kaam ‫ﻛﺎﹶﻡ‬
how much (of something) 'add ieeh ‫ﻗـﹷﺪﹼ ﺍ ﹺﻳﻪ‬
how much (money) bikaam ‫ﺑـﹻﻜﺎ ﹶﻡ‬
why leeh ‫ﻟﻴﻪ‬
The simple imperfect ('aAamil, tiAooz, yirooh ‫ ﻳـ ﹻﺮﻭﻩ‬،‫ ﺗـ ﹻﻌﻮﺯ‬،‫ )ﺃﻋـ ﹷﻤـ ﹻﻞ‬is often used in questions.
English Egyptian
'izzayak?
how are you?
‫ﺇﺯﹼ ﹶﻱ ﹶﻙ؟‬
how are you? 'aAamil 'ieeh?
lit. what are you doing? ‫ﺃﻋـﹷﻤـﹻﻞ ﺇﻳﻪ؟‬
bitaAamil 'ieeh?
what are you doing?
‫ﺑـﹻﺘـﹷﻌـﹷﻤـﹻﻞ ﺇﻳﻪ؟‬
'ashoofak 'imta?
when will I see you?
‫ﺃﺷﻮﻓـﹷﻚ ﺇﻣﺘﻰ؟‬
ilmahaTTa feen?
where is the station?
‫ﺍﹺﻟﻤـﹷﺤـﹷﻄﹽـﹷﺔ ﻓﻴﻦ؟‬
mumkin 'ashtiri ward min feen?
‫ﻣـﹹﻤﻜـﹻﻦ ﺃﺷﺘـﹻﺮﻱ ﻭ ﹶﺭﺩ ﻣـﹻﻦ ﻓﻴﻦ؟‬
mineen mumkin 'ashtiri ward?
‫ﻣـ ﹻﻨﻴﻦ ﻣـﹹﻤﻜـﹻﻦ ﺃﺷﺘـﹻﺮﻱ ﻭ ﹶﺭﺩ؟‬
'inta mineen?
where are you from?
‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ ﻣـ ﹻﻨﻴﻦ؟‬
'ashhan iltileefoon dah 'izzay?
how do I charge this phone?
‫ﺃﺷﺤـﹷﻦ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺘـﹻﻠﻴﻔﻮﻥ ﺩ ﹶﻩ ﺇﺯﹼ ﹶﻱ؟‬
Aaawiz ilkitaab 'anhw?
which book (m) do you(m) want?
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻭ ﹺﺯ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺃﻧﻬﻮ؟‬
'anhw ilkubaaya bitaAitak?
which glass (f) is yours(m)?
‫ﺃﻧﻬﻮ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻜـﹹﺒﺎ ﹶﻳـﹷﺔ ﺑـﹻﺘـﹷﻌـﹻﺘـﹷﻚ؟‬
Aaawiz laban 'add ieeh?
how much milk would you like?
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻭ ﹺﺯ ﻟـﹷﺒـﹷﻦ ﻗـ ﹷﺪ ﹼ ﺍ ﹺﻳﻪ؟‬
ilshanTa di bikaam?
how much is this bag?
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺸـﹷﻨﻄـﹷﺔ ﺩﻱ ﺑـ ﹻﻜﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
huwwa raayih leeh?
why is he going?
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺭﺍ ﹶﻳـﹻﺢ ﻟﻴﻪ؟‬
Here are some common answers to questions
Questions
English Egyptian
'add ieeh? 'add kidah
How much? This much
‫ﻗـﹷﺪﹼ ﺍ ﹺﻳﻪ؟ ﻗـﹷﺪﹼ ﻛـﹻﺪ ﹶﻩ‬
leeh? Aalashaan
Why? Because.
‫ﻟﻴﻪ؟ ﻋـﹷﻠـﹷﺸﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
leeh? kidah
Why? It's like that
‫ﻟﻴﻪ؟ ﻛـﹻﺪ ﹶﻩ‬
leeh? 'ahsan kidah
Why? Better like this
‫ﻟﻴﻪ؟ ﺃﺣﺴـﹷﻦ ﻛـﹻﺪ ﹶﻩ‬
leeh? leeh laa'?
Why? Why not?
‫ﻟﻴﻪ؟ ﻟﻴﻪ ﻻﹶء؟‬
To ask how many people or things, you should use kaam ‫ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ‬before the noun. To ask for a
sequence or reference number (what or which, you put the kaam ‫ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ‬after the noun. In all of
these cases, the noun is singular.
English Egyptian
Aandak kaam walad?
How many children do you have?
‫ﻋـﹷﻨﺪ ﹶﻙ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ ﻭ ﹶﻟـﹷﺪ؟‬
hatinizil kaam yoom?
How many days will you stay?
‫ﻫـﹷﺘـﹻﻨـﹻﺰ ﹺﻝ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ ﻳﻮﻡ؟‬
kaam ziboon bukrah?
How many guests tomorrow?
‫ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ ﺯ ﹺﺑﻮﻥ ﺑـﹹﻜﺮ ﹶﻩ؟‬
nimritak kaam?
What is your telephone number?
‫ﻧـﹻﻤﺮ ﹺﺗـﹷﻚ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
ilsaaAa kaam?
What time is it?
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
il'igtimaaA ilsaaAa kaam?
What time is the meeting?
‫ﺍﹺﻹﺟﺘـﹻﻤﺎ ﹶﻉ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
sha''itak ra'am kaam?
What is your apartment number?
‫ﺷـﹷﻘﹽـﹻﺘـﹷﻚ ﺭ ﹶﻗـﹷﻢ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
sha''itak 'anhw?
Which is your apartment?
‫ﺷـﹷﻘﹽـﹻﺘـﹷﻚ ﺃﻧﻬﻮ؟‬
Aaayiz door kaam?
Which floor do you want?
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﺩﻭﺭ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
Pronoun questions
In English, it is possible to make a question by swapping the subject and verb. For example,
he is English
is he English?
The equivalent in Egyptian arabic is to put the query pronoun huwwa ‫ ﻫـ ﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ‬or, less frequently, hall
‫ ﻫـ ﹷﻞ ﹼ‬at the start of the sentence. You should think of this as "Is it so that..."
huwwa 'inta gaai maAanaa?

‫ﻫـ ﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺇﻧﺖ ﹶ ﺟﺎ ﹶﻱ ﻣـﹷﻌـﹷﻨﺎ ﹶ؟‬
Is it so, that you are coming with us?
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hall 'inta raaDi Aan 'afaAelak?
‫ﻫـ ﹷﻞ ﹼ ﺇﻧﺖ ﹶ ﺭﺍ ﹶﺿﻲ ﻋـﹷﻦ ﺃﻓـﹷﻌۤـﻟـﹷﻚ؟‬
Are you satisfied with your actions?
Inflection
In English, you can make a statement by saying she is coming. or turn it into a question, she is
coming? just by the tone of your voice: the pitch rises a little at the end of the sentence to indicate
a question. You can do exactly the same thing in Arabic. hiya gayya ‫ ﻫـ ﹻﻲ ﹶ ﺟـ ﹷﻴﻴـ ﹷﺔ‬is a statement
and hiya gayya? ‫ﻫـ ﹻﻲ ﹶ ﺟـ ﹷﻴﻴـ ﹷﺔ؟‬, with a rising pitch on the last syllable, is a question.
Indirect questions (whether)

An indirect question is made up of two clauses: the first clause is often a courtesy clause "Could
you possibly..." and the second clause is the real question. Here are some examples of direct and
indirect questions.
Direct Indirect
where is the station? Can you tell me where the station is?
what is the time? Do you know what the time is?
is he coming? Do you know whether he is coming?
The query-word whether is used only in indirect questions: in Egyptian, 'iza ‫ ﺇﺫﺍ ﹶ‬is used for this.
English Egyptian
mumkin Aaseer laymoon?
Could I have a lemon juice?
‫ﻣـﹹﻤﻜـﹻﻦ ﻋـﹷﺴﻴﺮ ﻟـﹷﻴﻤﻮﻥ؟‬
mumkin ti'uli feen ilmahaTTa?
Can you tell me where the station is? ‫ﻣـﹹﻤﻜـﹻﻦ ﺗـﹻﻘـﹹﻠﻲ ﻓﻴﻦ ﺍ‬
‫ﹺﻟﻤـﹷﺤـﹷﻄﹽـﹷﺔ؟‬
'inta Aaarif ilsaaAa kaam?
Do you know what the time is?
‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ؟‬
'inta Aaarif 'iza huwwa gayy?
Do you know whether he is coming?
‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ ﻋﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﻑ ﺇﺫﺍ ﹶ ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺟـﹷﻴﻲ؟‬
Confirmation questions
If you are pretty sure about something but want to check, you can use one of the following
methods:
English Arabic
huwwa mish gaay?
he's coming, isn't he?
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﻣـ ﹻﺶ ﺟﺎ ﹶﻱ؟‬
huwwa gaay, mish kidah?
he's coming, isn't that so?
‫ ﻣـ ﹻﺶ ﻛـ ﹻﺪ ﹶﻩ؟‬،‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺟﺎ ﹶﻱ‬
huwwa gaay, Sahh?
he's coming, right?
‫ ﺻـ ﹷﺢ ﹼ؟‬،‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺟﺎ ﹶﻱ‬
Suggestions
Questions
In English, you can suggest something by saying "Why don't you..." in Egyptian, you can get the
same effect by putting mi- ‫ ﻣـ ﹺ‬on the front of a verb. For example:
ma__tsally-ny shuwayao
Why don't you entertain me for a while?
Rhetorical questions
A rhetorical question is used to make a point: you don't expect an answer. Any of the above
methods can be used to ask rhetorical questions.
English Arabic
mish tiskut 'ahsan?
wouldn't it be better if you(m) shut up?
‫ﻣـ ﹻﺶ ﺗـﹻﺴﻜـﹹﺖ ﺃﺣﺴـﹷﻦ؟‬
bithazzar, mish kidah?
you(m) must be kidding!
‫ ﻣـ ﹻﺶ ﻛـ ﹻﺪ ﹶﻩ؟‬،‫ﺑـﹻﺘﻬـﹷﺰﹼ ﹶﺭ‬
'inta 'ahbal, Sahh?
you(m) are an idiot, right?
‫ ﺻـ ﹷﺢ ﹼ؟‬،‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ ﺃﻫﺒـﹷﻞ‬
Adverbal and adjectival questions

In English, it is possible to ask a question using how followed by an adjective or adverb. There is
no similar construction in Egyptian, so it is necessary to re-phrase the question, usually so that
you are asking for a number. Here are some examples:
English re-phrased Egyptian

kaam keeloomitr fi ilsaaAa
How fast were you driving? how many kilometers an hour..
‫ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ ﻛﻴﻠﻮﻣـﹻﺘﺮ ﻓﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻟﺴﺎ ﹶﻋـﹷﺔ‬
How often do you go to the kaam marra fi il'usbwaA...
how many times a week...
gym? ٫٫٫‫ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ ﻣـﹷﺮﹼ ﹶﺓ ﻓﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻷ ﹸﺳﺒﻮ ﹶﻉ‬
ilharraara kaam
How hot is the oven? what is the temperature?
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺤـﹷﺮﹼﺍ ﹶﺭ ﹶﺓ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻡ‬
huwwa il'imtihaan kaan SaAb
?
How difficult was the exam? was the exam difficult
‫ﻫـ ﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺍ ﹺﻹﻣﺘـﹻﺤﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬
‫ﺻـﹷﻌﺐ؟‬
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Which one?
This section explains how to specify which of several things we are interested in, or talking about.
Definite article
To talk about a particular man, we say 'the man' in English. In arabic, we attach il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬to the front
of the noun.
the man is reading his book

iil-raagil biyiqraac kitaab-uh
See articles for more information.
Indefinite article
If we don't want to refer to any man in particular, we say 'a man' in English. There is no equivalent
of a in arabic, you just use the noun on its own.
I want a dog
aacnaa Aaayiz kalb
If you want to make it clear that you are talking about just one, you can use the word waaHid- one.
When used for emphasis like this, you place it after the noun.
I want (just) one dog
aacnaa Aaayiz kalb waaHid
You also use it with nationalities to indicate that you are talking about a person, rather than (for
example) the language.
an English man (or woman)

waaHid iingilyzy
waaHdao iingilyziyao
Adjectives
In both English an Egyptian, you can use an adjective to specify which one you are interested in:
you simply put the - il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬in front of the adjective. Note that, in Egyptian, the noun still retains its
il- ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬prefix.
English Egyptian
Aaayiz koora hamra
describe I want a red ball
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﻛﻮﺭ ﹶﺓ ﺣـﹷﻤﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
Aaayiz ilkoora ilhamra
specify I want the red ball
‫ﻋﺎﹶﻳـﹻﺰ ﺍ ﹺﻝﻛﻮﺭ ﹶﺓ ﺍ ﹺﻝﺣـﹷﻤﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
'ara't ilkitab ilkibeer
specify I have read the big book
‫ﻗـﹷﺮﺍ ﹶءﺕ ﺍ ﹺﻝﻛـﹻﺘـﹷﺐ ﺍ ﹺﻝﻛـﹻﺒﻴﺮ‬
Demonstrative adjectives
One particular type of adjective is a demonstrative adjective. These are almost the same as the
demonstrative pronouns.
Which one?
this man
iil-raagil dah
The demonstrative adjectives are:
English Arabic
ilraagil dah
this (man)
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺮﺍ ﹶﺟـﹻﻞ ﺩ ﹶﻩ‬
ilkitaab dah
this (thing, m)
‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹻﺘﺎ ﹶﺏ ﺩ ﹶﻩ‬
ilhaga dah
this (thing, f)
‫ﺍﹺﻟﻬـﹷﺠـﹷﺔ ﺩ ﹶﻩ‬
ilsitt di
this (woman)
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺴـﹻﺖﹼ ﺩﻱ‬
ilragaala dool
these (men)
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺮ ﹶﺟﺎ ﹶﻻ ﹶ ﺩﻭﻝ‬
ilragaala di
these (men) nearer
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺮ ﹶﺟﺎ ﹶﻻ ﹶ ﺩﻱ‬
ilsittaat dool
these (women)
‫ﺍﹺﻟﺴـﹻﺘﹽﺎ ﹶﺕ ﺩﻭﻝ‬
ilkutoob di
these (things,m)
‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜـﹹﺘﻮﺏ ﺩﻱ‬
ilhagaat di
these (things,f)
‫ﺍﹺﻟﻬـﹷﺠﺎ ﹶﺕ ﺩﻱ‬
'ahw
over there (m)
‫ﺃﻫﻮ‬
'ahi
over there [f]
‫ﺃﻫﻲ‬
'ahoom
over there (pl)
‫ﺃﻫﻮﻡ‬
Comparatives
You can use a comparative in the same was as an adjective to specify which one you mean:
English Egyptian
muhammad 'aTwal Taalib
mohammed is the tallest student
‫ﻣـﹹﺤـﹷﻤﹽـﹷﺪ ﺃﻃﻮ ﹶﻝ ﻃﺎ ﹶﻟـﹻﺐ‬
huwwa 'aSGar walad
he is the youngest boy
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼ ﹶ ﺃﺻﻐـ ﹷﺮ ﻭ ﹶﻟـﹷﺪ‬
ilTaalib il'aTwal Toolooh mitr 1 wa 90 santi
the tallest student is 1m90
‫ ﺳـﹷﻨﺘﻲ‬٩٠ ‫ ﻭ ﹶ‬١ ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻄﺎ ﹶﻟـﹻﺐ ﺍ ﹺﻷﻃﻮ ﹶﻝ ﻃﻮﻟﻮﻩ ﻣـﹻﺘﺮ‬
ilmashrab il'aGla 20 gineeh
the most expensive drink is 20 pounds
‫ ﺟـﹻﻨﻴﻪ‬٢٠ ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻤـﹷﺸﺮ ﹶﺏ ﺍ ﹺﻷﻏﻠﻰ‬
this is the prettiest dress in the shop dih 'ahla fustaan fi ilmahal
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‫ﺩﹺﻩ ﺃﺣﻠﻰ ﻓـﹹﺴﺘﺎ ﹶﻥ ﻓﻲ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻤـﹷﺤـﹷﻞ‬
kaan 'ahsan yoom fi hayaati
it was the best day in my life
‫ﻛﺎﹶﻥ ﺃﺣﺴـ ﹷﻦ ﻳﻮﻡ ﻓﻲ ﺣـﹷﻴﺎ ﹶﺗﻲ‬
Time
Time
Time can be expressed in several different ways:
• units of time - days, weeks etc

• parts of the day - morning/afternoon
• time of day - 6.30
• relative time (before/after) - today/yesterday etc
• days of the week
• dates
Units of time
English Egyptian Plural
moment lahZa ‫ ﻟـﹷﺤﻈـﹷﺔ‬lahZaat ‫ﻟـﹷﺤﻈﺎ ﹶﺕ‬
second thanya ‫ ﺛﺎﹶﻧﻴـﹷﺔ‬thawaani ‫ﺛـﹷﻮﺍ ﹶﻧﻲ‬
minute di'ee'a ‫ ﺩﹺﻗﻴﻘـﹷﺔ‬da'aayi' ‫ﺩﹶﻗﺎ ﹶﻳـﹻﻖ‬
hour saaAa ‫ ﺳﺎﹶﻋـﹷﺔ‬saAaat ‫ﺳﺎﹶﻋﺎ ﹶﺕ‬
day yoom ‫' ﻳﻮﻡ‬ayaam ‫ﺃﻳﺎﹶﻡ‬
week 'usbooA ‫' ﺃﹸﺳﺒﻮﻉ‬asaabiyA ‫ﺃﺳﺎﹶﺑـﹻﻴﻊ‬
month shahr ‫ ﺷـﹷﻬﺮ‬shuhoor ‫ﺷـﹹﻬﻮﺭ‬
year sana ‫ ﺳـﹷﻨـﹷﺔ‬sineen ‫ﺳـﹻﻨﻴﻦ‬
lifetime Aumr ‫' ﻋـﹹﻤﺮ‬aAmaar ‫ﺃﻋﻤﺎﹶﺭ‬
Parts of the day

The main events in the day are sunrise and sunset. Midnight, noon and the six prayer times can
also be used to specify an approximate time.
English Egyptian
last prayers till dawn illeel ‫ﺍﹺﻟﹽﻴﻞ‬
dawn until sunset ilSubh ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺼـﹹﺒﺢ‬
after sunset masa' ‫ﻣـﹷﺴﺎ ﹶء‬
dawn fagr ‫ﻓـﹷﺠﺮ‬
noon ilDuhr ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻀـﹹﻬﺮ‬
after noon baAd ilDuhr ‫ﺑـﹷﻌﺪ ﺍ ﹺﻟﻀـﹹﻬﺮ‬
sunset ilmaGrib ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻤـﹷﻐﺮ ﹺﺏ‬

midnight nuS illeel ‫ﻧـﹹﺺ ﺍ ﹺﻟﹽﻴﻞ‬
Time of day
In English, it is normal to use half and quarter hours to describe time. In addition, in Egyptian,
thirds are used. Here is a list of the words that can be used:
English Egyptian
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half nuS ‫ﻧـﹹﺺ‬
a third tilt ‫ﺗـﹻﻠﺖ‬

a quarter rubA ‫ﺭﹸﺑﻊ‬
and wa ‫ﻭﹶ‬
less 'ila ‫ﺇﻻﹶ‬
Here are all the times at five minute intervals:
English Egyptian
seven o'clock sabAa ‫ﺳـﹷﺒﻌـﹷﺔ‬
five past seven past sabAa wa Kamsa ‫ﺳـﹷﺒﻌـﹷﺔ ﻭ ﹶ ﺧـﹷﻤﺴـﹷﺔ‬
ten past seven sabAa wa Aashara ‫ﺳـﹷﺒﻌـﹷﺔ ﻭ ﹶ ﻋـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
quarter past seven sabAa wa rubA ‫ﺳـﹷﺒﻌـﹷﺔ ﻭ ﹶ ﺭ ﹸﺑﻊ‬
twenty past seven sabAa wa tilt ‫ﺳـﹷﺒﻌـﹷﺔ ﻭ ﹶ ﺗـﹻﻠﺖ‬
twenty five past seven sabAa wa nuS 'ila Kamsa‫ﺳـﹷﺒﻌـﹷﺔ ﻭ ﹶ ﻧـﹹﺺ ﺇﻻ ﹶ ﺧـﹷﻤﺴـﹷﺔ‬
half past seven sabAa wa nuS ‫ﺳـﹷﺒﻌـﹷﺔ ﻭ ﹶ ﻧـﹹﺺ‬

twenty-five to eight sabAa wa nuS wa Kamsa ‫ﺳـﹷﺒﻌـﹷﺔ ﻭ ﹶ ﻧـﹹﺺ ﻭ ﹶ ﺧـﹷﻤﺴـﹷﺔ‬
twenty to eight tamanya 'ila tilt ‫ﺗـﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻧﻴـﹷﺔ ﺇﻻ ﹶ ﺗـﹻﻠﺖ‬

quarter to eight tamanya 'ila rubaA ‫ﺗـﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻧﻴـﹷﺔ ﺇﻻ ﹶ ﺭ ﹸﺑـﹷﻊ‬
ten to eight tamanya 'ila Aashara ‫ﺗـﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻧﻴـﹷﺔ ﺇﻻ ﹶ ﻋـﹷﺸـﹷﺮ ﹶﺓ‬
five to eight tamanya 'ila Kamsa ‫ﺗـﹷﻤﺎ ﹶﻧﻴـﹷﺔ ﺇﻻ ﹶ ﺧـﹷﻤﺴـﹷﺔ‬
Relative time
English Arabic
the day before yesterday 'awil 'imbaarih ‫ﺃﻭﹺﻝ ﺇﻣﺒﺎ ﹶﺭ ﹺﺡ‬
yesterday 'imbaarih ‫ﺇﻣﺒﺎﹶﺭ ﹺﺡ‬

today ilnaharda ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻨـﹷﻬﺎ ﹶﺭﺩ ﹶﺓ‬
tomorrow bukrah ‫ﺑـﹹﻜﺮ ﹶﻩ‬
the day after tomorrow baAd bukrah ‫ﺑـﹷﻌﺪ ﺑـﹹﻜﺮ ﹶﻩ‬
English Arabic
last week iloosbwaA 'ili faat ‫ﺍﹺﻻ ﹸﺳﺒﻮ ﹶﻉ ﺇﻟﻲ ﻓﺎ ﹶﺕ‬
this week iloosbwaA dih ‫ﺍﹺﻻ ﹸﺳﺒﻮ ﹶﻉ ﺩ ﹺﻩ‬
next week iloosbwaA 'ili gaai ‫ﺍﹺﻻ ﹸﺳﺒﻮ ﹶﻉ ﺇﻟﻲ ﺟﺎ ﹶﻱ‬
English Arabic
now dilwa'ti ‫ﺩﹺﻟﻮ ﹶﻗﺘﻲ‬

Time
soon baAd shuwayao
later baAdeen ‫ﺑـﹷﻌﺪﻳﻦ‬
not yet lissah ‫ﻟـﹻﺴﹽـﹷﻪ‬
early badri ‫ﺑـﹷﺪﺭﻱ‬
late (at night) waKri ‫ﻭﹶﺧﺮﻱ‬
Days of week
English Arabic
Sunday yoom ilaaahad ‫ﻳﻮﻡ ﺍﹺﻻ ﹶ ﹶﺣـﹷﺪ‬
Monday yoom il'ithneen ‫ﻳﻮﻡ ﺍﹺﻹﺛﻨﻴﻦ‬
Tuesday yoom iltalaat ‫ﻳﻮﻡ ﺍﹺﻟﺘـﹷﻼ ﹶﺕ‬
Wednesday yoom il'arbaAa ‫ﻳﻮﻡ ﺍﹺﻷﺭﺑـﹷﻊﹶ‬
Thursday yoom ilKamees ‫ﻳﻮﻡ ﺍﹺﻟﺨـﹷﻤﻴﺲ‬
Friday yoom ilgumaAa‫ﻳﻮﻡ ﺍﹺﻟﺠـﹹﻤـﹷﻌـﹷﺔ‬
Saturday yoom ilsabt ‫ﻳﻮﻡ ﺍﹺﻟﺴـﹷﺒﺖ‬
Dates
Dates are normally written with day as a number, month as a word and year as a number, for
example:
25th January 2011

25 yanaeyir 2011
٢٠١١ ‫ ﻳﺎ ﹶﻧﺎ ﹶﻳـﹻﺮ‬٢٥
The month names are:
English Arabic
January yanaeyir ‫ﻳﺎﹶﻧﺎ ﹶﻳـﹻﺮ‬
February fibraayir ‫ﻓـﹻﺒﺮﺍ ﹶﻳـﹻﺮ‬
March maeris ‫ﻣﺎﹶﺭ ﹺﺱ‬
April 'abreel ‫ﺃﺑﺮﻳﻞ‬
May mayw ‫ﻣﺎﹶﻳﻮ‬
June yooneew ‫ﻳﻮﻧﻴﻮ‬
July yooleew ‫ﻳﻮﻟﻴﻮ‬
August 'aGustTus‫ﺃﻏـﹹﺴﺘﻄـﹹﺲ‬
September sibtimbir ‫ﺳـﹻﺒﺘـﹻﻤﺒـﹻﺮ‬

October 'uktoobar ‫ﺃﹸﻛﺘﻮﺑـﹷﺮ‬
November noovimbir ‫ﻧﻮڤـﹻﻤﺒـﹻﺮ‬
December deesimbir ‫ﺩﻳﺴـﹻﻤﺒـﹻﺮ‬
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Arabic Writing
This describes the arabic alphabet, and how it can be written using roman letters.
Please remember that Egyptian Arabic is an oral language. When people are asked to write it,
some write in Modern Standard Arabic and then pronounce it the Egyptian way, others write it as
an Egyptian would say it. As a result, there may some variation in the way things are spelt. For
example, many verbs end in alif-layena a ‫ﻯ‬, but many people write it as a regular alif a ‫ﺍ ﹶ‬.
Arabic script
There are 28 basic letters in Egyptian arabic, and about a dozen modifiers.
‫ﺍﺑﻨﺘﺪﺫﺟﺤﺨﺮﺯﺳﺸﺼﻀﻄﻈﻌﻐﻔﻘﻜﻠﻤﻨﻬﻮﻱ‬
Writing goes from right to left, and the majority of arabic letters join onto the following letter and so
there are therefore four forms of each letter: solitary, initial, middle and final. For the six letters that
do not join, there are just two forms- solitary and final.
position normal letter non-joining letter

solitary ‫ﺝ‬ ‫ﺩ‬
initial ‫ﺟـ‬
middle ‫ـﺠـ‬
final ‫ـﺞ‬ ‫ـﺪ‬
The three short vowels a ‫ﹶ‬, i ‫ ﹺ‬and u ‫ ﹸ‬and shadda ‫ﹼ‬, which doubles the length of a consonant, are
collectively called tashkeel ‫ ﺗـ ﹷﺸﻜﻴﻞ‬or vowellization. Tashkyl is not normally used in written arabic
apart from in the Quran. If they are used, they are written above a consonant but pronounced after
it: for the convenience of non-arabic readers, I have included the tashkyl, but written it after the
consonant.
See the Arabic Alphabet section for full information about each arabic letter, including the
european letters used.

Arabic Alphabet
Arabic Alphabet
‫ﹶ‬ a /æ/ fatha ‫ﺹ‬ S /sˤ/ saad
‫ﹺ‬ i /ɪ/ kasra ‫ﺽ‬ D /dˤ/ daad
‫ﹸ‬ u /ʊ/ damma ‫ﻁ‬ T /tˤ/ taa
‫ﹼ‬ // shadda ‫ﻅ‬ Z /z/ zaa
‫ﺃ‬ 'a /ʔæ/ alif-hamza above ‫ﻉ‬ A /ʕ/ ain
‫ﺇ‬ 'i /ʔɪ/ alif-hamza below ‫ﻍ‬ G /ɣ/ ghin
‫ﺃ‬ 'u /ʔʊ/ alif-damma ‫ﻑ‬ f /f/ fa
‫ﺍﹶ‬ a /æ/ alif-fatha ‫ﻕ‬ ' /ʔ/ qaf
‫ﺍﹺ‬ i /ɪ/ alif-kasra ‫ڤ‬ v /v/ vee
‫ﺁ‬ 'e /ʔeə/ alif-madda ‫ﻙ‬ k /k/ kef
‫ﺏ‬ b /b/ bee ‫ﻝ‬ l /l/ lem
‫ﺕ‬ t /t/ tee ‫ﻡ‬ m /m/ mym
‫ﺙ‬ th /θ/ thee ‫ﻥ‬ n /n/ nun
‫ﺩ‬ d /d/ del ‫ﹰ‬ n /n/ fathatan
‫ﺫ‬ z /z/ dhel ‫ﻩ‬ h /h/ hey
‫ﺝ‬ g /g/ gyn ‫ﺓ‬ t /t/ tee-marbuta
‫ﺡ‬ h /ħ/ ha ‫ﻭ‬ w /w/ wow
‫ﺥ‬ K /x/ kha ‫ٶ‬ w' /ʊʔ/ wow-hamza
‫چ‬ j /dʒ/ jyn ‫ﻱ‬ i /ɪ/ yeh
‫ﺱ‬ s /s/ syn ‫ﺉ‬ ' /ʔ/ yeh-hamza
‫ﺵ‬ sh /ʃ/ shyn ‫ﻯ‬ a /æ/ alif-layena
‫ﺭ‬ r /r/ reh ‫ء‬ ' /ʔ/ hamza
‫ﺯ‬ z /z/ zyn
‫ ﹶ‬fatha
Fatha is the short vowel corresponding to a. It is normally written above a consonant and
pronounced after it. For ease of reading, this dictionary puts short vowels after the consonant.
Short vowels are normally omitted except in the quran.
Example words
maTaar ‫ﻣﹷﻄﺎﹶﺭ‬
Pronounced: a
/ shahiyya ‫ﺷﹷﻬﹻﻴﻴﹷﺔ‬
IPA Phonetic:
æ/ Aammiyya ‫ﻋﺎﹶﻣﹽﹻﻴﻴﹷﺔ‬
Tashkyl: ‫ﹶ‬ 'itkasaf ‫ﺇﺗﻜﹷﺴﹷﻒ‬
fattahaet ‫ﻓﹷﺘﹽﺎﹶﺣﺎﹶﺕ‬
‫ ﹺ‬kasra
Kasra is the short vowel corresponding to i. It is normally written above a consonant and
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Example words
gih ‫ﺟﹻﻪ‬
Pronounced: i
Airwa ‫ﻋﹻﺮﻭﹶﺓ‬
IPA Phonetic: /ɪ/
bint ‫ﺑﹻﻨﺖ‬
Tashkyl: ‫ﹺ‬
muzdahimeen ‫ﻣﹹﺰﺩﹶﺣﹻﻤﻴﻦ‬
yi'dar ‫ﻳﹻﻘﺪﹶﺭ‬
‫ ﹸ‬damma
Damma is the short vowel corresponding to u. It is normally written above a consonant and
Example words
mutaen ‫ﻣﹹﺘﺎﹶﻥ‬
Pronounced: u
nukta ‫ﻧﹹﻜﺘﹷﺔ‬
IPA Phonetic: /ʊ/
kuwar ‫ﻛﹹﻮﹶﺭ‬
Tashkyl: ‫ﹸ‬
zu'ae' ‫ﺯﹸﻗﺎﹶﻕ‬
burookuli ‫ﺑﹹﺮﻭﻛﹹﻠﻲ‬
‫ ﹼ‬shadda
Shadda is written above a consonant and doubles the consonant. Unlike in english, double
consonants are pronounced, so if you take katab and put a shadda above the t, it will be
pronounced kat-tab, with one t and the end of the first syllable and one t at the beginning of the
next syllable. Shadda is often omitted in written arabic. Double-lem and double-yeh are often
written as two separate letters, rather than one with a shadda.
Pronounced:
IPA Phonetic: // Example words
Tashkyl: ‫ﹼ‬
‫ ﺃ‬alif-hamza above
Alif with a hamza above is used mainly at the beginning of words. It represents a gluttal stop
followed by fatha - a short a. Strictly speaking, it should be written with both a hamza and a fatha.
Pronounced: 'a Example words
IPA Phonetic: /ʔæ/ 'adaet ‫ﺃﺩﺍﹶﺓ‬

Join left: no 'aryaef ‫ﺃﺭﻳﺎﹶﻑ‬
Sun letter: no 'aGbiya' ‫ﺃﻏﺒﹻﻴﺎﹶء‬
Solitary: ‫ﺃ‬ 'amaen ‫ﺃﻣﺎﹶﻥ‬
Final: ‫ـﺄ‬ 'a'faaS ‫ﺃﻗﻔﺎﹶﺹ‬
‫ ﺇ‬alif-hamza below

Arabic Alphabet
Alif with a hamza below is used only at the beginning of words. It represents a gluttal stop followed
by kasra - a short i. Strictly speaking, it should be written with both a hamza and a kasra.
Alif-hamza below is used at the beginning of the perfect of many derived verbs, which are formed
by adding a prefix (it-, in-, ist- and i?t-) to a base verb. These derived verbs often have a passive
(be ...ed) or reflexive (oneself, each other) meaning.
Pronounced: 'i Example words
IPA Phonetic: /ʔɪ/ 'ingiltira ‫ﺇﻧﺠﹻﻠﺘﹻﺮﺍﹶ‬

Join left: no 'iKtiyaeriyya ‫ﺇﺧﺘﹻﻴﺎﹶﺭﹺﻳﻴﹷﺔ‬
Sun letter: no 'inthan ‫ﺇﻧﺜﹷﻦ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺇ‬ 'itAadda ‫ﺇﺗﻌﹷﺪﹼﻯ‬
Final: ‫ـﺈ‬ 'iftaraD ‫ﺇﻓﺘﹷﺮﹶﺽ‬
‫ ﺃ‬alif-damma
Alif with a damma above is used only at the beginning of words. It represents a gluttal stop
followed by damma - a short u. Strictly speaking, it should be written with both a hamza and a
damma.
Pronounced: 'u Example words
IPA Phonetic: /ʔʊ/ 'uwaD ‫ﺃﻭﹶﺽ‬

Join left: no 'uwtoomateekya ‫ﺃﻭﺗﻮﻣﺎﹶﺗﻴﻜﻴﹷﺔ‬
Sun letter: no 'uKra ‫ﺃﺧﺮﻯ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺃ‬ 'ugra ‫ﺃﺟﺮﹶﺓ‬
Final: ‫ـﺄ‬ 'ummi ‫ﺃﻣﹽﻲ‬
‫ ﺍ ﹶ‬alif-fatha
Alif with a fatha is used only in the middle and at the end of words. It is usually pronounced either
as ae as in aeroplane, or as ar as in hard: these two forms are represented as ae and aa
respectively in transliterated arabic. When it is followed by two consonants in a row or a consonant
and a long vowel, it is shortened to a short a.
When it follows a lem, the two letters are joined together and written ‫ﻻ‬. At the end of the 'we' and
'they' form of pronouns and verbs, wow-alif is pronounced as oo.
Pronounced: a Example words

IPA Phonetic: /æ/ raQQaS ‫ﺭﺍﹶﻗﹽﹷﺺ‬
Join left: no marka ‫ﻣﺎﹶﺭﻛﹷﺔ‬
Sun letter: no dawa' ‫ﺩﹶﻭﺍﹶء‬
Solitary: ‫ﺍﹶ‬ Saymeen ‫ﺻﺎﹶﻳﻤﻴﻦ‬
Final: ‫ـﺎﹶ‬ seenima ‫ﺳﻴﻨﹻﻤﺎﹶ‬
‫ ﺍ ﹺ‬alif-kasra
Alif-kasra is used only in ‫ ﺍﻝ‬il, the prefix meaning 'the'. As the kasra is never actually written, it is
not clear whether 'the' should be pronounced il, el, or al. As a result, there are regional differences
in pronunciation. In the dictionary, we have standardized on il, to avoid confusion.
Pronounced: i Example words

IPA Phonetic: /ɪ/ biilAaks ‫ﺑﹻﺎﹺﻟﻌﹷﻜﺲ‬
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Join left: no ilnaSr ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻨﹷﺼﺮ‬
Sun letter: no ilkileeteen ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻜﹻﻠﻴﺘﻴﻦ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺍﹺ‬ ilrabeeA ‫ﺍﹺﻟﺮﹶﺑﻴﻊ‬
Final: ‫ـﺎﹺ‬ ilmanTaQ ‫ﺍﹺﻟﻤﹷﻨﻄﹷﻖ‬
‫ ﺁ‬alif-madda
Alif-madda is used only at the beginning of words. It is pronounced as a gluttal stop followed by ee
as in feel.
Pronounced: 'e Example words
IPA Phonetic: /ʔeə/ 'eA'aed ‫ﺁﻋﻘﺎﹶﺩ‬

Join left: no 'emmim ‫ﺁﻣﹽﹻﻢ‬
Sun letter: no 'emina ‫ﺁﻣﹻﻨﹷﺔ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺁ‬ 'el ‫ﺁﻝ‬
Final: ‫ـﺂ‬ 'e'af ‫ﺁﻗﹷﻒ‬
‫ ﺏ‬bee
Bee is pronounced as b.
Pronounced: b
IPA Phonetic: /b/ Example words
Join left: yes been ‫ﺑﻴﻦ‬
Sun letter: no giraeb ‫ﺟﹻﺮﺍﹶﺏ‬

Solitary: ‫ﺏ‬ burGul ‫ﺑﹹﺮﻏﹹﻞ‬
Initial: ‫ﺑـ‬ yiKabbi ‫ﻳﹻﺨﹷﺒﹽﻲ‬
Medial: ‫ـﺒـ‬ Auyoob ‫ﻋﹹﻴﻮﺏ‬
Final: ‫ـﺐ‬
‫ ﺕ‬tee
Tee is pronounced as t.
Pronounced: t
Example words
IPA Phonetic: /t/
‫ﺳ‬
Join left: yes santeemitraet
‫ﹷﻨﺘﻴﻤﹻﺘﺮﺍﹶﺕ‬
Sun letter: yes mustaAideen ‫ﻣﹹﺴﺘﹷﻌﹻﺪﻳﻦ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺕ‬
'i'taSad ‫ﺇﻗﺘﹷﺼﹷﺪ‬
Initial: ‫ﺗـ‬
taswees ‫ﺗﹷﺴﻮﻳﺲ‬
Medial: ‫ـﺘـ‬
tiliGraaf ‫ﺗﹻﻠﹻﻐﺮﺍﹶﻑ‬
Final: ‫ـﺖ‬
‫ ﺙ‬thee
Thee is pronounced as voiced th as in thumb, as t. You may also hear s or unvoiced th as in thin:
these may be caused by speech impediments.

Arabic Alphabet
Pronounced: th
IPA Phonetic: /θ/ Example words
Join left: yes thiQa ‫ﺛﹻﻘﹷﺔ‬

Sun letter: yes mumaththil ‫ﻣﹹﻤﹷﺜﹽﹻﻞ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺙ‬ hadeeth ‫ﺣﹷﺪﻳﺚ‬
Initial: ‫ﺛـ‬ 'aththar ‫ﺃﺛﹽﹷﺮ‬
Medial: ‫ـﺜـ‬ thaenawiyya ‫ﺛﺎﹶﻧﹷﻮﹺﻳﻴﹷﺔ‬
Final: ‫ـﺚ‬
‫ ﺩ‬del
Del is pronounced as d.
Pronounced: d Example words
IPA Phonetic: /d/ yitmaddid ‫ﻳﹻﺘﻤﹷﺪﹼﹺﺩ‬

Join left: no muKaddaraat ‫ﻣﹹﺨﹷﺪﹼﹶﺭﺍﹶﺕ‬
Sun letter: yes 'idir ‫ﻗﹻﺪﹺﺭ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺩ‬ yuhSud ‫ﻳﹹﺤﺼﹹﺪ‬
Final: ‫ـﺪ‬ dibb ‫ﺩﹺﺏﹼ‬
‫ ﺫ‬dhel
Dhel is pronounced as z.
Pronounced: z Example words
IPA Phonetic: /z/ kizb ‫ﻛﹻﺬﺏ‬

Join left: no bizr ‫ﺑﹻﺬﺭ‬
Sun letter: yes mazoon ‫ﻣﹷﺬﻭﻥ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺫ‬ 'uzeenaan ‫ﺃﺫﻳﻨﺎﹶﻥ‬
Final: ‫ـﺬ‬ Aazir ‫ﻋ ﹷ ﺬ ﹺﺭ‬
‫ ﺝ‬gyn
In Egypt, gyn is pronounced as g as in gold. In most of the arab world it is pronounced as j as in
jeans.
Pronounced: g
IPA Phonetic: /g/ Example words
Join left: yes fagawaet ‫ﻓﹷﺠﺎﹶﻭﺍﹶﺕ‬

Sun letter: no bustangi ‫ﺑﹹﺴﺘﹷﻨﺠﻲ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺝ‬ gubana' ‫ﺟﹹﺒﹷﻨﺎﹶء‬
Initial: ‫ﺟـ‬ gawaeyiz ‫ﺟﹷﻮﺍﹶﻳﹻﺰ‬
Medial: ‫ـﺠـ‬ mugAAad ‫ﻣﹹﺠﻌﹽﹷﺪ‬
Final: ‫ـﺞ‬
‫ ﺡ‬ha
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Ha is an unvoiced but quite audible h sound: there is no equivalent in English.
Pronounced: h
IPA Phonetic: /ħ/ Example words
Join left: yes haSad ‫ﺣﹷﺼﹷﺪ‬

Sun letter: no hagaet ‫ﺣﺎﹶﺟﺎﹶﺕ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺡ‬ yitshihin ‫ﻳﹻﺘﺸﹻﺤﹻﻦ‬
Initial: ‫ﺣـ‬ mihammaS ‫ﻣﹻﺤﹷﻤﹽﹷﺺ‬
Medial: ‫ـﺤـ‬ hurr ‫ﺣﹹﺮﹼ‬
Final: ‫ـﺢ‬
‫ ﺥ‬kha
Kha is an rolled alveolar h like ch in loch, but a little stronger: imagine clearing your throat to make
this sound.
Pronounced: K
IPA Phonetic: /x/ Example words
Join left: yes maKSooSeen ‫ﻣﹷﺨﺼﻮﺻﻴﻦ‬

Sun letter: no Karrab ‫ﺧﹷﺮﹼﹶﺏ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺥ‬ Kardal ‫ﺧﹷﺮﺩﹶﻝ‬
Initial: ‫ﺧـ‬ Kazna ‫ﺧﹷﺰﻧﹷﺔ‬
Medial: ‫ـﺨـ‬ 'eKir ‫ﺁﺧﹻﺮ‬
Final: ‫ـﺦ‬
‫ چ‬jyn
Jyn is borrowed from Farsi to represent the j sound in imported words like 'agenda'.
Pronounced: j
/ Example words
IPA Phonetic:
dʒ/
jeeleehaet ‫چﻴﻠﻴﻬﺎﹶﺕ‬
Join left: yes
kajwal ‫ﻛﹷچﻮﹶﻝ‬
Sun letter: no
jeebaet ‫چﻴﺒﺎﹶﺕ‬
Solitary: ‫چ‬
Initial: ‫چـ‬ beej ‫ﺑﻴچ‬
Medial: ‫ـچـ‬ jeeleehaet ‫چﻴﻠﻴﻬﺎﹶﺕ‬
Final: ‫ـچ‬
‫ ﺱ‬syn
Syn is an s sound. Many Egyptians, even educated ones, do not distinguish clearly between this
and shyn.
Pronounced: s Example words

IPA Phonetic: /s/ mifallis ‫ﻣﹻﻔﹷﻠﹽﹻﺲ‬

Arabic Alphabet
Join left: yes

Sun letter: yes nusKa ‫ﻧﹹﺴﺨﹷﺔ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺱ‬ yisibb ‫ﻳﹻﺴﹻﺐﹼ‬
Initial: ‫ﺳـ‬ yiQtabis ‫ﻳﹻﻘﺘﹷﺒﹻﺲ‬
Medial: ‫ـﺴـ‬ maseehiyeen ‫ﻣﹷﺴﻴﺤﹻﻴﻴﻦ‬
Final: ‫ـﺲ‬
‫ ﺵ‬shyn
Shyn is a sh
Pronounced: sh
IPA Phonetic: /ʃ/ Example words
Join left: yes shurafa' ‫ﺷﹹﺮﹶﻓﺎﹶء‬

Sun letter: yes shaeAir ‫ﺷﺎﹶﻋﹻﺮ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺵ‬ mishwaar ‫ﻣﹻﺸﻮﺍﹶﺭ‬
Initial: ‫ﺷـ‬ shuraaAa ‫ﺷﹹﺮﺍﹶﻋﹷﺔ‬
Medial: ‫ـﺸـ‬ shar'i ‫ﺷﹷﺮﻗﻲ‬
Final: ‫ـﺶ‬
‫ ﺭ‬reh
Reh is an r sound.
Pronounced: r Example words
IPA Phonetic: /r/ maraayil ‫ﻣﹷﺮﺍﹶﻳﹻﻞ‬

Join left: no kuloor ‫ﻛﹹﻠﻮﺭ‬
Sun letter: yes raggaA ‫ﺭﹶﺟﹽﹷﻊ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺭ‬ gazar ‫ﺟ ﹷﺰ ﹶﺭ‬
Final: ‫ـﺮ‬ taTweer ‫ﺗﹷﻄﻮﻳﺮ‬
‫ ﺯ‬zyn
Zyn is a z sound.
Pronounced: z Example words
IPA Phonetic: /z/ bizz ‫ﺑﹻﺰﹼ‬

Join left: no Aizba ‫ﻋﹻﺰﺑﹷﺔ‬
Sun letter: yes nazaeha ‫ﻧﹷﺰﺍﹶﻫﹷﺔ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺯ‬ mitnarfiz ‫ﻣﹻﺘﻨﹷﺮﻓﹻﺰ‬
Final: ‫ـﺰ‬ naezil ‫ﻧﺎﹶﺯﹺﻝ‬
‫ ﺹ‬saad
Saad is an alveolar s. It affects the following short vowel, making it heavier.
Page 110
Pronounced: S
IPA Phonetic: /sˤ/ Example words
Join left: yes yiSaffi ‫ﻳﹻﺼﹷﻔﹽﻲ‬

Sun letter: yes Sammim ‫ﺻﹷﻤﹽﹻﻢ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺹ‬ yubSuQ ‫ﻳﹹﺒﺼﹹﻖ‬
Initial: ‫ﺻـ‬ hammaS ‫ﺣﹷﻤﹽﹷﺺ‬
Medial: ‫ـﺼـ‬ maSdoom ‫ﻣﹷﺼﺪﻭﻡ‬
Final: ‫ـﺺ‬
‫ ﺽ‬daad
Daad is an alveolar d. It affects the following short vowel, making it heavier.
Pronounced: D
IPA Phonetic: /dˤ/ Example words
Join left: yes haaDir ‫ﺣﺎﹶﺿﹻﺮ‬

Sun letter: yes tawDeeb ‫ﺗﹷﻮﺿﻴﺐ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺽ‬ yihDim ‫ﻳﹻﻬﻀﹻﻢ‬
Initial: ‫ﺿـ‬ yifDal ‫ﻳﹻﻔﻀﹷﻞ‬
Medial: ‫ـﻀـ‬ 'abD ‫ﻗﹷﺒﺾ‬
Final: ‫ـﺾ‬
‫ ﻁ‬taa
Taa is an alveolar t. It affects the following short vowel, making it heavier.
Pronounced: T
IPA Phonetic: /tˤ/ Example words
Join left: yes laTsha ‫ﻟﹷﻄﺸﹷﺔ‬

Sun letter: yes baTTal ‫ﺑﹷﻄﹽﹷﻞ‬
Solitary: ‫ﻁ‬ mi'aTTaA ‫ﻣﹻﻘﹷﻄﹽﹷﻊ‬
Initial: ‫ﻃـ‬ yiTrah ‫ﻳﹻﻄﺮﹶﺡ‬
Medial: ‫ـﻄـ‬ Tur'aat ‫ﻃﹹﺮﻗﺎﹶﺕ‬
Final: ‫ـﻂ‬
‫ ﻅ‬zaa
Zaa is an alveolar z. It affects the following short vowel, making it heavier.
Pronounced: Z Example words
IPA Phonetic: /z/ laahiZ ‫ﻻﹶﺣﹻﻆ‬
Join left: yes lahZa ‫ﻟﹷﺤﻈﹷﺔ‬

Sun letter: yes maZloom ‫ﻣﹷﻈﻠﻮﻡ‬
Solitary: ‫ﻅ‬ Zaahireen ‫ﻇﺎﹶﻫﹻﺮﻳﻦ‬

Arabic Alphabet
Initial: ‫ﻇـ‬
Medial: ‫ـﻈـ‬ yibawwaZ ‫ﻳﹻﺒﹷﻮﹼﹶﻅ‬
Final: ‫ـﻆ‬
‫ ﻉ‬ain
Ain is an alveolar a. This letter makes more problems for Europeans than any other: it sounds
close to alif, and you can easily confuse people if you do not say it correctly. Ain is treated as a
consonant for the purposes of pronunciation rules.
Pronounced: A
IPA Phonetic: /ʕ/ Example words
Join left: yes Ainwaen ‫ﻋﹻﻨﻮﺍﹶﻥ‬

Sun letter: no taAaewun ‫ﺗﹷﻌﺎﹶﻭﹸﻥ‬
Solitary: ‫ﻉ‬ TallaA ‫ﻃﹷﻠﹽﹷﻊ‬
Initial: ‫ﻋـ‬ Aurg ‫ﻋﹹﺮﺝ‬
Medial: ‫ـﻌـ‬ Aawwaema ‫ﻋﹷﻮﹼﺍﹶﻣﹷﺔ‬
Final: ‫ـﻊ‬
‫ ﻍ‬ghin
Ghin is an alveolar g.
Pronounced: G
IPA Phonetic: /ɣ/ Example words
Join left: yes Gaasil ‫ﻏﺎﹶﺳﹻﻞ‬

Sun letter: no taGleef ‫ﺗﹷﻐﻠﻴﻒ‬
Solitary: ‫ﻍ‬ 'itGaaZ ‫ﺇﺗﻐﺎﹶﻅ‬
Initial: ‫ﻏـ‬ shaGGal ‫ﺷﹷﻐﹽﹷﻞ‬
Medial: ‫ـﻐـ‬ raGba ‫ﺭﹶﻏﺒﹷﺔ‬
Final: ‫ـﻎ‬
‫ ﻑ‬fa
Fa is an f sound.
Pronounced: f
IPA Phonetic: /f/ Example words
Join left: yes mifallis ‫ﻣﹻﻔﹷﻠﹽﹻﺲ‬

Sun letter: no yiKawwif ‫ﻳﹻﺨﹷﻮﹼﹺﻑ‬
Solitary: ‫ﻑ‬ Tafa ‫ﻃﹷﻔﻰ‬
Initial: ‫ﻓـ‬ yishfa ‫ﻳﹻﺸﻔﻰ‬
Medial: ‫ـﻔـ‬ 'itnaffis ‫ﺇﺗﻨﹷﻔﹽﹻﺲ‬
Final: ‫ـﻒ‬
‫ ﻕ‬qaf
Page 112
Qaf is pronounced by Cairenes as either an alveolar k or as a gluttal stop. People from upper
Egypt pronounce it as a g.
Pronounced: '
IPA Phonetic: /ʔ/ Example words
Join left: yes za'' ‫ﺯﹶﻕﹼ‬

Sun letter: no yit'aesim ‫ﻳﹻﺘﻘﺎﹶﺳﹻﻢ‬
Solitary: ‫ﻕ‬ 'uTT ‫ﻗﹹﻂﹼ‬
Initial: ‫ﻗـ‬ ta'aleed ‫ﺗﹷﻘﺎﹶﻟﻴﺪ‬
Medial: ‫ـﻘـ‬ wu'oof ‫ﻭﹸﻗﻮﻑ‬
Final: ‫ـﻖ‬
‫ ڤ‬vee
Vee is borrowed from Farsi to represent the v sound in imported words like 'villa'.
Pronounced: v
IPA Phonetic: /v/ Example words
Join left: yes vayroos ‫ڤﹷﻴﺮﻭﺱ‬

Sun letter: no bravw ‫ﺑﺮﹶڤﻮ‬
Solitary: ‫ڤ‬ noovimbir ‫ﻧﻮڤﹻﻤﺒﹻﺮ‬
Initial: ‫ڤـ‬ noovimbir ‫ﻧﻮڤﹻﻤﺒﹻﺮ‬
Medial: ‫ڤ‬
‫ــ‬ 'avookadw ‫ﺃڤﻮﻛﺎﹶﺩﻭ‬
Final: ‫ڤ‬
‫ـ‬
‫ ﻙ‬kef
Kef is a k sound.
Pronounced: k
IPA Phonetic: /k/ Example words
Join left: yes shakmaen ‫ﺷﹷﻜﻤﺎﹶﻥ‬

Sun letter: no 'ablakaesh ‫ﺃﺑﻼﹶﻛﺎﹶﺵ‬
Solitary: ‫ﻙ‬ shakmanaet ‫ﺷﹷﻜﻤﺎﹶﻧﺎﹶﺕ‬
Initial: ‫ﻛـ‬ 'ishtiraaki ‫ﺇﺷﺘﹻﺮﺍﹶﻛﻲ‬
Medial: ‫ـﻜـ‬ karrar ‫ﻛﹷﺮﹼﹶﺭ‬
Final: ‫ـﻚ‬
‫ ﻝ‬lem
Lem is normally pronounced as l. If it is followed by an alif, the letters are joined together as ‫ﻻ‬. In
the il prefix (which means 'the'), if it is attached to a noun that starts with a Sun letter, the lem is
pronounced by replacing with a second sun-letter, so il-Dwr is pronounced iD-Dwr.
Pronounced: l Example words

IPA Phonetic: /l/ 'istiQlaal ‫ﺇﺳﺘﹻﻘﻼﹶﻝ‬

Arabic Alphabet
Join left: yes

Sun letter: yes muKalfa ‫ﻣﹹﺨﺎﹶﻟﻔﹷﺔ‬
Solitary: ‫ﻝ‬ yiAaedil ‫ﻳﹻﻌﺎﹶﺩﹺﻝ‬
Initial: ‫ﻟـ‬ shayleen ‫ﺷﺎﹶﻳﻠﻴﻦ‬
Medial: ‫ـﻠـ‬ 'alwaeh ‫ﺃﻟﻮﺍﹶﺡ‬
Final: ‫ـﻞ‬
‫ ﻡ‬mym
Mym is pronounced as m
Pronounced: m
IPA Phonetic: /m/ Example words
Join left: yes mazza ‫ﻣﹷﺰﹼﹶﺓ‬

Sun letter: no mashbook ‫ﻣﹷﺸﺒﻮﻙ‬
Solitary: ‫ﻡ‬ mw'akkad ‫ﻣٶﹶﻛﹽﹷﺪ‬
Initial: ‫ﻣـ‬ raham ‫ﺭ ﹶﺣ ﹷ ﻢ‬
Medial: ‫ـﻤـ‬ yiAmil ‫ﻳﹻﻌﻤﹻﻞ‬
Final: ‫ـﻢ‬
‫ ﻥ‬nun
Nun is pronounced as n
Pronounced: n
IPA Phonetic: /n/ Example words
Join left: yes yist'azin ‫ﻳﹻﺴﺘﺄﺫﹺﻥ‬

Sun letter: yes TanT ‫ﻃﹷﻨﻂ‬
Solitary: ‫ﻥ‬ fann ‫ﻓﹷﻦﹼ‬
Initial: ‫ﻧـ‬ 'istithnae'iyeen ‫ﺇﺳﺘﹻﺜﻨﺎﹶﺋﹻﻴﻴﻦ‬
Medial: ‫ـﻨـ‬ 'istithnae'i ‫ﺇﺳﺘﹻﺜﻨﺎﹶﺋﻲ‬
Final: ‫ـﻦ‬
‫ ﹰ‬fathatan
Fathatan is used only above an alif at the end of a word to represent an n
Example words
salbiyyan ‫ﺳﹷﻠﺒﹻﻴﻴﺎﹰ‬
Pronounced: n
giddan ‫ﺟﹻﺪﹼﺍﹰ‬
IPA Phonetic: /n/
'ahlan ‫ﺃﻫﻼﹰ‬
Tashkyl: ‫ﹰ‬
maAan ‫ﻣﹷﻌﺎﹰ‬
Aaedatan ‫ﻋﺎﹶﺩﹶﺗﺎﹰ‬
‫ ﻩ‬hey
Page 114
Hey is a very gentle, unrestricted, unvoiced h sound.
Pronounced: h
IPA Phonetic: /h/ Example words
Join left: yes sahar ‫ﺳﹷﻬﹷﺮ‬

Sun letter: no sahla ‫ﺳﹷﻬﻠﹷﺔ‬
Solitary: ‫ﻩ‬ 'itdahas ‫ﺇﺗﺪﹶﻫﹷﺲ‬
Initial: ‫ﻫـ‬ 'abhar ‫ﺃﺑﻬﹷﺮ‬
Medial: ‫ـﻬـ‬ haddid ‫ﻫﹷﺪﹼﹺﺩ‬
Final: ‫ـﻪ‬
‫ ﺓ‬tee-marbuta
Tee-marbuta is a hey with two dots above it. For many words, opinions vary about whether the
word should be spelt with hey or tee-marbuta. In this dictionary, most feminine singular nouns are
spelt with tee-marbuta at the end: The ending of these words is pronounced as either -a or -ah in
the nominative form, and as -it in the genitive form.
Pronounced: t
IPA Phonetic: /t/ Example words
Join left: no farawlaaya ‫ﻓﹷﺮﺍﹶﻭﻻﹶﻳﹷﺔ‬

Sun letter: no wara'a ‫ﻭﹶﺭﹶﻗﹷﺔ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺓ‬ fursha ‫ﻓﹹﺮﺷﹷﺔ‬
Initial: ‫ﺓـ‬ maTwa ‫ﻣﹷﻄﻮﹶﺓ‬
Medial: ‫ـﺔـ‬ biilAafya ‫ﺑﹻﺎﹺﻟﻌﺎﹶﻓﻴﹷﺔ‬
Final: ‫ـﺔ‬
‫ ﻭ‬wow
Wow can be pronounced as w when it is next to at least one short vowel, and as oo when it is
between two consonants. The 'we' and 'they' form of verbs and pronouns ends in wow-alif, which
is pronounced oo as in 'too'.
Pronounced: w Example words
IPA Phonetic: /w/ yitooh ‫ﻳﹻﺘﻮﻩ‬

Join left: no 'alwaen ‫ﺃﻟﻮﺍﹶﻥ‬
Sun letter: no ward ‫ﻭﹶﺭﺩ‬
Solitary: ‫ﻭ‬ shanyoor ‫ﺷﹷﻨﻴﻮﺭ‬
Final: ‫ـﻮ‬ Suhoon ‫ﺻﹹﺤﻮﻥ‬
‫ ٶ‬wow-hamza
wow-hamza is pronounce as u followed by a gluttal stop.
Pronounced: w' Example words

IPA Phonetic: /ʊʔ/ muw'aththireen ‫ﻣﹹٶﹶﺛﹽﹻﺮﻳﻦ‬
Join left: no masw'ool ‫ﻣﹷﺴٶﻭﻝ‬

Arabic Alphabet
Sun letter: no mayw's ‫ﻣﹷﻴٶﺱ‬

Solitary: ‫ٶ‬ masw'liyaet ‫ﻣﹷﺴٶﻟﹻﻴﺎﹶﺕ‬
Final: ‫ـٶ‬ mw'akkad ‫ﻣٶﹶﻛﹽﹷﺪ‬
‫ ﻱ‬yeh
yeh is pronounced as y when it is next to at least one short vowel, and as ee in 'feel' when it is
between two consonants or a consonant and wow. At the end of a word, it is pronounced as i.
Pronounced: i
IPA Phonetic: /ɪ/ Example words
Join left: yes yiSahhah ‫ﻳﹻﺼﹷﺤﹽﹷﺢ‬

Sun letter: no yiwaZZaf ‫ﻳﹻﻮﹶﻇﹽﹷﻒ‬
Solitary: ‫ﻱ‬ yiliff ‫ﻳﹻﻠﹻﻒﹼ‬
Initial: ‫ﻳـ‬ naymeen ‫ﻧﺎﹶﻳﻤﻴﻦ‬
Medial: ‫ـﻴـ‬ tanSeer ‫ﺗﹷﻨﺼﻴﺮ‬
Final: ‫ـﻲ‬
‫ ﺉ‬yeh-hamza
yeh-hamza is a gluttal stop.
Pronounced: ' Example words
IPA Phonetic: /ʔ/ gar' ‫ﺟﺎﹶﺭﺉ‬

Join left: yes r'aesi ‫ﺭﺋﺎﹶﺳﻲ‬
Sun letter: no la'eem ‫ﻟﹷﺌﻴﻢ‬
Solitary: ‫ﺉ‬ Aashwae'iyaat ‫ﻋﹷﺸﻮﺍﹶﺋﹻﻴﺎﹶﺕ‬
Medial: ‫ـﺌـ‬ zi'b ‫ﺫﹺﺋﺐ‬
‫ ﻯ‬alif-layena
alif-layena is used at the end of words as an a sound. Verbs whose perfect ends with alif-layena
normally have an imperfect that ends with a yeh.
Pronounced: a Example words
IPA Phonetic: /æ/ 'ewa ‫ﺁﻭﻯ‬
Join left: no yifDa ‫ﻳﹻﻔﻀﻰ‬

Sun letter: no yiGla ‫ﻳﹻﻐﻠﻰ‬
Solitary: ‫ﻯ‬ mada ‫ﻣﹷﺪﻯ‬
Final: ‫ـﻰ‬ yitabanna ‫ﻳﹻﺘﹷﺒﹷﻨﹽﻰ‬
‫ ء‬hamza
Hamza is pronounced as a gluttal stop. It appears occasionally as a full-size letter at the end of a
word, and more frequently as a small symbol above or below alif, and above wow and yeh.
Pronounced: ' Example words
Page 116
nubaha' ‫ﻧﹹﺒﹷﻬﺎﹶء‬
IPA Phonetic: /ʔ/
shuAra' ‫ﺷﹹﻌﺮﺍﹶء‬
Join left: no
sarra' ‫ﺳﹷﺮﹼﺍﹶء‬
Sun letter: no
'athna' ‫ﺃﺛﻨﺎﹶء‬
Solitary: ‫ء‬
'ana' ‫ﺃﻥﹶء‬
Pronunciation rules
Stress
In the pronounced form, the syllable that is stressed is underlined.
In most words, the second to last syllable is usually stressed.
'iftakar ‫ﺇﻓﺘـ ﹷﻜـ ﹷﺮ‬

kutub ‫ﻛـ ﹹﺘـ ﹹﺐ‬
mudaKan ‫ﻣـ ﹹﺪ ﹶﺧـ ﹷﻦ‬
The stress moves to the last syllable if it contains a long vowel (alif, wow, yeh) or ends with a
double consonant. Remember that the letter AIN is treated as a consonant.
taAbaan ‫ﺗـ ﹷﻌﺒﺎ ﹶﻥ‬

maftooh ‫ﻣـ ﹷﻔﺘﻮﺡ‬
yidu'' ‫ﻳـ ﹻﺪ ﹸﻕ ﹼ‬
This means that the stress will move if suffixes are added to a word.
Feminine endings
When a word ends in _aaCiC (where C is any consonant) has a feminine ending attached, the i
disappears and the aa is pronounced as an a.
waahid ‫ ﻭﺍ ﹶﺣـ ﹻﺪ‬-> wahda ‫ﻭﺍ ﹶﺣﺪ ﹶﺓ‬

Elision
If a word ends with a vowel and the first vowel of the next word is either an i or a u, the words are
run together (elided) and the i or u omitted.
'inta mineen? ‫ ﺇﻧﺖ ﹶ ﻣـ ﹻﻨﻴﻦ؟‬-> 'intamneen? ‫ﺇﻧﺘـ ﹷﻤﻨﻴﻦ؟‬
This also happens if you attach an object suffix that begins with an i.
consonant clusters
If putting two words next to each other makes more than two consonants in a row, a shwa (which
sounds like a short a) is inserted between the words.
baAd kidah ‫ ﺑـ ﹷﻌﺪ ﻛـ ﹻﺪ ﹶﻩ‬-> baAdakidah ‫ﺑـ ﹷﻌﺪ ﹶﻛـ ﹻﺪ ﹶﻩ‬
Sun letters
If the definite article, il- ‫ﺍ ﹺﻟـ‬, is attached to a word that begins with a sun-letter (t s sh d z r z S D T
Z n ‫ )ﺕ ﺱ ﺵ ﺩ ﺫ ﺭ ﺯ ﺹ ﺽ ﻁ ﻅ ﻥ‬the l is dropped and the sun-letter is doubled:
il- shams ‫ ﺍ ﹺﻟـ ﺷـ ﹷﻤﺲ‬-> ishshams ‫ﺍ ﹺﺷ ﹽـ ﹷﻤﺲ‬

Arabic Alphabet
Exceptions
The pronunciation of some pronoun and verb endings is a little unusual. For the you(pl) 'intu ‫ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬
subject pronoun and for you(pl) and they in the verb perfect, the ending is written -w a ‫ ـﻮ ﺍ ﹶ‬but
pronounced -uh ‫ــ ﹹﻪ‬.
The word because is written Aalashaan ‫ ﻋـ ﹷﻠـ ﹷﺸﺎ ﹶﻥ‬but pronounced Aashaan ‫ﻋـ ﹷﺸﺎ ﹶﻥ‬.
The word orange is written burtu'aal ‫ ﺑـ ﹹﺮﺗـ ﹹﻘﺎ ﹶﻝ‬but pronounced burtu'aan ‫ﺑـ ﹹﺮﺗـ ﹹﻘﺎ ﹶﻥ‬.
Page 118
Irregular verbs
Here are some of the most common irregular verbs:
• be/was - kaan ‫ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬

• eat - kul ‫ﻛـ ﹹﻞ‬
• take - Kud ‫ﺧـ ﹹﺪ‬
• come - gih ‫ﺟـ ﹻﻪ‬
• give - idda ‫ﹺﺩ ﹼﻯ‬
• fall - wi'iA ‫ﻭ ﹺﻗـ ﹻﻊ‬
• stop - wi'if ‫ﻭ ﹺﻗـ ﹻﻒ‬
Be - kaan ‫ﻛﺎ ﹶﻥ‬

The verb 'to be' does not exist in the present tense. It is used only in the perfect and Ha-imperfect
forms.
English Pronoun Perfect Ha-Imperfect

'ana kunt hakoon
I
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﻛـﹹﻨﺖ‬ ‫ﻫـﹷﻜﻮﻥ‬
'ihna kunna hankoon
we
‫ﺇﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﻛـﹹﻦﹼﹶ‬ ‫ﻫـﹷﻨﻜﻮﻥ‬
'inta kunt hatkoon
you (m)
‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬ ‫ﻛـﹹﻨﺖ‬ ‫ﻫـﹷﺘﻜﻮﻥ‬
'inti kunti hatkooni
you (f)
‫ﺇﻧﺖﹺ‬ ‫ﻛـﹹﻨﺘﻲ‬ ‫ﻫـﹷﺘﻜﻮﻧﻲ‬
'intu kuntuh hatkoonuh
you (pl)
‫ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﻛـﹹﻨﺘـﹹﻪ‬ ‫ﻫـﹷﺘﻜﻮﻧـﹹﻪ‬
huwwa kaan haykoon
he
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬ ‫ﻛﺎﹶﻥ‬ ‫ﻫـﹷﻴﻜﻮﻥ‬
hiya kaanit hatkoon
she
‫ﻛﺎﹶﻧـﹻﺖ ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬ ‫ﻫـﹷﺘﻜﻮﻥ‬
humma kanooh haykoonuh
they
‫ﻫـﹹﻤﹽﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﻛﺎﹶﻧﻮﻩ‬ ‫ﻫـﹷﻴﻜﻮﻧـﹹﻪ‬
Eat- kul ‫ﻛـ ﹹﻞ‬

kul has irregular imperfect froms
Active
Pronoun Perfect Imperfect Imperative
Participle
'ana kalt aakul
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﻛـﹷﻠﺖ‬ ‫ﺍﹶﻛـﹹﻞ‬
ihna kalna naakul
‫ﺍﹺﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﻛـﹷﻠﻨﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﻧﺎﹶﻛـﹹﻞ‬
'inta kalt taakul kul
‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬ ‫ﻛـﹷﻠﺖ‬ ‫ﺗﺎﹶﻛـﹹﻞ‬ ‫ﻛـﹹﻞ‬
'inti kalti takli kooli
‫ﺇﻧﺘﻲ‬ ‫ﻛـﹷﻠﺘﻲ‬ ‫ﺗـﹷﻜﻠﻲ‬ ‫ﻛﻮﻟﻲ‬

Irregular verbs
'intu kaltu kalu kulw
‫ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﻛـﹷﻠﺘﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﻛـﹷﻠﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﻛـﹹﻠﻮ‬
huwwa kal yaakul
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬ ‫ﻛـﹷﻞ‬ ‫ﻳﺎﹶﻛـﹹﻞ‬
hiya kalit taakul
‫ﻛـﹷﻠـﹻﺖ ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬ ‫ﺗﺎﹶﻛـﹹﻞ‬
humma kalw yaklooh
‫ﻫـﹹﻤﹽﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﻛـﹷﻠﻮ‬ ‫ﻳـﹷﻜﻠﻮﻩ‬
Take- Kud ‫ﺧـ ﹹﺪ‬

Kud has irregular imperfect froms
Active
Participle
'ana Kudt aaKud
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﺧـﹹﺪﺕ‬ ‫ﺍﹶﺧـﹹﺪ‬
ihna Kadna naaKud
‫ﺍﹺﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﺧـﹷﺪﻧﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﻧﺎﹶﺧـﹹﺪ‬
'inta Kudt taaKud Kud
‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬ ‫ﺧـﹹﺪﺕ‬ ‫ﺗﺎﹶﺧـﹹﺪ‬ ‫ﺧـﹹﺪ‬
'inti Kadi taKdi Kudti
‫ﺇﻧﺘﻲ‬ ‫ﺧـﹷﺪﻱ‬ ‫ﺗـﹷﺨﺪﻱ‬ ‫ﺧـﹹﺪﺗﻲ‬
'intu Kadtw Kadtw Kudw
‫ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﺧـﹷﺪﺗﻮ‬ ‫ﺧـﹷﺪﺗﻮ‬ ‫ﺧـﹹﺪﻭ‬
huwwa aaKad yaaKud
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬ ‫ﺍﹶﺧـﹷﺪ‬ ‫ﻳﺎﹶﺧـﹹﺪ‬
hiya Kadit taaKud
‫ﺧـﹷﺪ ﹺﺕ ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬ ‫ﺗﺎﹶﺧـﹹﺪ‬
humma aaKadu yaKduh
‫ﺍﹶﺧـﹷﺪﻭﺍ ﻫـﹹﻤﹽﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﻳـﹷﺨﺪ ﹸﻩ‬
Come- gih ‫ﺟـ ﹻﻪ‬

Active
Participle
'ana geet 'egi
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﺟﻴﺖ‬ ‫ﺁﺟﻲ‬
ihna geena neegi
‫ﺍﹺﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﺟﻴﻨﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﻧﻴﺠﻲ‬
'inta geet teegi taAaala gaai
‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬ ‫ﺟﻴﺖ‬ ‫ﺗﻴﺠﻲ‬ ‫ﺗـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻝﹶ‬ ‫ﺟﺎﹶﻱ‬
'inti geeti teegi taAaali gaaya
‫ﺇﻧﺘﻲ‬ ‫ﺟﻴﺘﻲ‬ ‫ﺗﻴﺠﻲ‬ ‫ﺗـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻟﻲ‬ ‫ﺟﺎﹶﻳﺎﹶ‬
'intu geetu teegu taAalu gayyin
‫ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﺟﻴﺘﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﺗﻴﺠﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﺗـﹷﻌﺎ ﹶﻟﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﺟـﹷﻴﻴـﹻﻦ‬
Page 120
huwwa gih yigi
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬ ‫ﺟـﹻﻪ‬ ‫ﻳـﹻﺠﻲ‬
hiya gaat tigi
‫ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬ ‫ﺟﺎﹶﺕ‬ ‫ﺗـﹻﺠﻲ‬
humma goom yigu
‫ﻫـﹹﻤﹽﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﺟﻮﻡ‬ ‫ﻳـﹻﺠﻮﺍ‬
Give- idda ‫ﹺﺩ ﹼﻯ‬

Active
Participle
'ana 'ideet addi
‫ﺃﻧﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﺇﺩﻳﺖ‬ ‫ﺍﹶﺩﹼﻱ‬
ihna 'iddeena niddi
‫ﺍﹺﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﺇﺩﹼﻳﻨﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﻧـﹻﺪﹼﻱ‬
'inta 'iddeet tiddi 'iddi
‫ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬ ‫ﺇﺩﹼﻳﺖ‬ ‫ﺗـﹻﺪﹼﻱ‬ ‫ﺇﺩﹼﻱ‬
'inti 'iddeeti tiddi 'iddit
‫ﺇﻧﺘﻲ‬ ‫ﺇﺩﹼﻳﺘﻲ‬ ‫ﺗـﹻﺪﹼﻱ‬ ‫ﺇﺩﹼ ﹺﺕ‬
'intu 'iddeetu tiddu 'iddu
‫ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﺇﺩﹼﻳﺘﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﺗـﹻﺪﹼﻭﺍ‬ ‫ﺇﺩﹼﻭﺍ‬
huwwa 'idda yiddi
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬ ‫ﺇﺩﹼﻯ‬ ‫ﻳـﹻﺪﹼﻱ‬
hiya 'iddeet tiddi
‫ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬ ‫ﺇﺩﹼﻳﺖ‬ ‫ﺗـﹻﺪﹼﻱ‬
humma 'iddu yiddu
‫ﻫـﹹﻤﹽﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﺇﺩﹼﻭﺍ‬ ‫ﻳـﹻﺪﹼﻭﺍ‬
fall- wi'iA ‫ﻭ ﹺﻗـ ﹻﻊ‬

Note the irregular imperfect.
Active
Participle
'ana wi'iAt aa'aA
‫ﻭﹺﻗـﹻﻌﺖ ﺃﻧﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﺍﹶﻗـﹷﻊ‬
ihna wi'iAna nu'aA
‫ﻭﹺﻗـﹻﻌﻨﺎﹶ ﺍﹺﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﻧـﹹﻘـﹷﻊ‬
'inta wi'iAt tu'aA waa'iA
‫ﻭﹺﻗـﹻﻌﺖ ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬ ‫ﺗـﹹﻘـﹷﻊ‬ ‫ﻭﺍﹶﻗـﹻﻊ‬
'inti wi'iAti tu'aAi wa'Ait
‫ﻭﹺﻗـﹻﻌﺘﻲ ﺇﻧﺘﻲ‬ ‫ﺗـﹹﻘـﹷﻌﻲ‬ ‫ﻭﺍﹶﻗﻌـﹻﺖ‬
'intu wi'iAtu tu'aAu wa'Aeen
‫ﻭﹺﻗـﹻﻌﺘﻮﺍ ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﺗـﹹﻘـﹷﻌﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﻭﺍﹶﻗﻌﻴﻦ‬
huwwa wi'iA yu'aA
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬ ‫ﻭﹺﻗـﹻﻊ‬ ‫ﻳـﹹﻘـﹷﻊ‬

Irregular verbs
hiya wi'Ait tu'aA
‫ﻭﹺﻗﻌـﹻﺖ ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬ ‫ﺗـﹹﻘـﹷﻊ‬
humma wi'Au yu'aAu
‫ﻫـﹹﻤﹽﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﻭﹺﻗﻌﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﻳـﹹﻘـﹷﻌﻮﺍ‬
stand- wi'if ‫ﻭ ﹺﻗـ ﹻﻒ‬

Note the irregular imperfect.
Active
Participle
'ana wi'ift aa'af
‫ﻭﹺﻗـﹻﻔﺖ ﺃﻧﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﺍﹶﻗـﹷﻒ‬
ihna wi'ifna nu'af
‫ﻭﹺﻗـﹻﻔﻨﺎﹶ ﺍﹺﺣﻨﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﻧـﹹﻘـﹷﻒ‬
'inta wi'ift tu'af oo'af waa'if
‫ﻭﹺﻗـﹻﻔﺖ ﺇﻧﺖﹶ‬ ‫ﺗـﹹﻘـﹷﻒ‬ ‫ﺍﹸﻗـﹷﻒ‬ ‫ﻭﺍﹶﻗـﹻﻒ‬
'inti wi'ifti tu'afi oo'afi waa'ifti
‫ﻭﹺﻗـﹻﻔﺘﻲ ﺇﻧﺘﻲ‬ ‫ﺗـﹹﻘـﹷﻔﻲ‬ ‫ﺍﹸﻗـﹷﻔﻲ‬ ‫ﻭﺍﹶﻗـﹻﻔﺘﻲ‬
'intu wi'iftu tu'afu oo'afu wa'feen
‫ﻭﹺﻗـﹻﻔﺘﻮﺍ ﺇﻧﺘﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﺗـﹹﻘـﹷﻔﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﺍﹸﻗـﹷﻔﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﻭﺍﹶﻗـﹻﻔﻴﻦ‬
huwwa wi'if yu'af
‫ﻫـﹹﻮﹼﹶ‬ ‫ﻭﹺﻗـﹻﻒ‬ ‫ﻳـﹹﻘـﹷﻒ‬
hiya wi'fit tu'af
‫ﻭﹺﻗﻔـﹻﺖ ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬ ‫ﺗـﹹﻘـﹷﻒ‬
humma wi'fu yu'afu
‫ﻫـﹹﻤﹽﺎﹶ‬ ‫ﻭﹺﻗﻔﻮﺍ‬ ‫ﻳـﹹﻘـﹷﻔﻮﺍ‬
Page 122
Verbs: Root and Stem
A verb is made up of a root (a set of consonants) and a stem (a prefix and the vowels between).
There may be more than one verb derived from the same root- for example, starting with fhm, you
can make fihim (to understand) and fahhim (to make somebody understand).
Most roots have three consonants: some have either two or four. For the purposes of this
explanation, I have used the letters DKST- all uppercase- for consonants, and lowercase letters
for all vowels except Y - alif layena. You can say these words if you wish, but they don't actually
mean anything. Remember that Ain is a consonant.
There are five main roots, and each of these can make three main stem types, as per the following
table.
A B C D E
DaaK DaKy DaKaS
DaKSaT
1 DyK DaKY DaKK DaKis
DaKSiT
DwK DaKaa DiKis
DayyiK DaKKY DaKKaS
2 DaKKaK
DawwaK DaKKy DaKKiS
DaayiK DaaKy
3 DaaKiS
DaawiK DaaKY
From any of these main stems, it is possible to derive more stems by adding prefixes. Here are
some examples:
Prefix Main stem Derived stem Meaning

iitDaKaS passive (be *-ed)
iit- DaKaS
yitDaKaS reflexive (* oneself)
iitDaKKaS passive (be *-ed)
iit- DaKKaS
yitDaKKaS reflexive (* oneself)
iitDaaKiS
iit- DaaKiS each other
yitDaaKiS
iiDtaKaS
iiDt- DaKaS as iit-
yiDtaKaS
iinDaKaS
iin- DaKaS as iit-
yinDaKaS
iistaDaKaS
iista- DaKaS consider or seek
yistaDaKaS
There are also some verbs that are derived from classical arabic- the perfect generally begins with
'a ‫ ﺃ‬or ta- ‫ﺗـ ﹶ‬.

About this dictionary
About this dictionary

I would like to thank all of the people who helped me to create this dictionary: Shaimaa and
Khaled Adel, Walaa Bakir, Yasmin Musallam, Rana el Hindy, Suze Labib, Zeina el Sarrag, Reem
el Gohary, Monzer abu el Yazeed, Mariam Ghattas, Sanaa al Hady, Amani Mokhtar... not
forgetting the crew of the Red Sea Star, the shopkeepers in Hurghada... and even a couple of taxi
drivers!
The logo was designed by Khaled Adel.
A big thankyou also to the software wizards who developed the tools that I used to build the
database and the deliverables:
compiler lcc-32 Jakob Navia et al www.cs.virginia.edu/~lcc-win32

database sqlite D. Richard Hipp www.sqlite.org
mp3 encoder lame Mark Taylor et al lame.sourceforge.net
html/php/javascript editor pspad Jan Fiala www.pspad.com
PDF generator pdf reactor www.pdfreactor.com
icon editor icoFx Attila Kovrig www.icofx.ro
sqlite editor sqlite expert Bogdan Ureche www.sqliteexpert.com
Egyptian is a dialect of arabic spoken by 85 million people who are spread along a narrow strip of
land beside 1500km of the river Nile. Egyptian arabic is a living, ever-changing language; it's not
taught in schools and it's rarely written down.
As a result, there are considerable variations in vocabulary and pronunciation. Let's not talk about
spelling :-/. The details in this dictionary have been checked and cross-checked, but there will
always be mistakes and inconsistencies.
The dictionary is supplied 'as is': you are welcome to use it on condition that you do not hold me
responsible for any loss, injury or embarrassment that may result from its use.
If you notice any errors or omissions or have suggestions for improvements, please let us know
via the Contact us page.
Mike Green
Page 124
Copyright
This material is Copyright © 2007-2020 Mike Green.
You may distribute the web pages and applications free of charge if it is strictly for non-commercial
use, and:
• either the material is supplied complete and in its existing form

• or extracts from the material are attributed to www.lisaanmasry.org and carry the original
copyright details of the document
If you need to access the entire dictionary database for any reason, please ask and maybe we can
supply it in a more convenient form.
Mike Green

EgyptianArabicGrammar V1.1

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Section III - Usage

Arabic writing ........................................................................................................... 103

A word about arabic writing

Nouns and verbs

Ahmed loves sarah

object noun Sarah saara ‫ﺳﺎﹶﺭ ﹶﺓ‬

Sarah loves Ahmed

object noun Ahmed 'ahmad ‫ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺪ‬

Element English Egyptian

five men Kamas rigaala ‫ﺧـﹷﻤـﹷﺲ ﺭ ﹺﺟﺎ ﹶﻻﹶ‬

any man 'ai raagil ‫ﺃﻱ ﺭﺍﹶﺟـﹻﻞ‬

object pronoun her -aha ‫ــﹷﻬﺎﹶ‬

object pronoun me -ni ‫ـﻨﻲ‬

Here are a few more examples:

I write books 'ana baktib kutoob ‫ﺃﻧﺎ ﹶ ﺑﺎ ﹶﻛﺘـﹻﺐ ﻛـﹹﺘﻮﺏ‬

Sarah is available saara mawgooda ‫ﺳﺎﹶﺭ ﹶﺓ ﻣـﹷﻮﺟﻮﺩ ﹶﺓ‬

this is my wife di miraati ‫ﺩﻱ ﻣـﹻﺮﺍ ﹶﺗﻲ‬

Meaning English Egyptian

Masculine, feminine, plural

idea fikra ‫ﻓـﹻﻜﺮ ﹶﺓ‬

idea ideas fikra ‫' ﻓـﹻﻜﺮ ﹶﺓ‬afkaar ‫ﺃﻓﻜﺎﹶﺭ‬

she is good hiya kuwayisa

describing English Egyptian

English Egyptian English Egyptian

I want to make bread but I don't have enough flour

Element English Egyptian

Type English Arabic

Masculine and feminine

Gender Ending Singular Plural

feminine -aat ‫ ـﺎﹶﺕ‬muhasba ‫ ﻣـﹹﺤﺎ ﹶﺳﺐ ﹶ ﺓ‬muhasbaat

English Singular Plural

English Singular Plural

Collective nouns and mass nouns

English collective one

English collective a piece

soap Saboon ‫ ﺻﺎﹶﺑﻮﻥ‬Saboona ‫ﺻﺎﹶﺑﻮﻥ ﹶﺓ‬

gloves guwanti ‫ﺟـﹹﻮﺍ ﹶﻧﺘﻲ‬

English Egyptian Suffix English Egyptian

Sarah's toy liAbit sara ‫ﻟـﹻﻌﺒـﹻﺔ ﺳـﹷﺮ ﹶﺓ‬

a pack of cigarettes bakw seegaayar ‫ﺑﺎﹶﻛﻮ ﺳﻴﺠﺎ ﹶﻳـﹷﺮ‬

English on its own with pronoun

Ahmed has a dog. He walks with it every day

There are four main groups of pronoun:

• personal pronouns - I, me, mine, he, him, his etc

English Egyptian Form

myself, himself nafsuh‫ ﻧـﹷﻔﺴـﹹﻪ‬reflexive

she/it(f) hiya ‫ﻫـﹻﻲﹶ‬

Element English Egyptian

The pronoun suffixes are:

that house is mine

Element English Egyptian

I know a man - main clause

Subject Object Possessive

I know a man whom you can trust

Masculine, feminine, plural

red 'ahmar ‫ ﺃﺣﻤـﹷﺮ‬hamra ‫ ﺣـﹷﻤﺮ ﹶﺓ‬humr ‫ﺣـﹹﻤﺮ‬

the flies are disgusting

Europe 'uoorubba‫' ﺃﹸﻭﺭ ﹸﺑﹽﺎﹶ‬uooroobbi

English Country m f collective noun

Austria ilnimsa ‫ ﺍﹺﻟﻨـﹻﻤﺴﺎﹶ‬nimsaawi