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Egyptian Arabic phrasebook

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[+] Pronunciation Guide
[+] Phrase list
- Basics
- Problems
- Numbers
- [+] Time
- Colors
- [+] Transportation
- Lodging
- Money
- Eating
- Bars
- Shopping
- Driving
- Authority

Egyptian Arabic is the modern Egyptian vernacular, It is the most widely spoken and understood colloquial variety of Arabic. It is spoken by 77 million people, mainly in Egypt. It is used in everyday speech, comics, advertising, song lyrics, teen magazines, plays, and TV shows but rarely in novels, newspapers, and never in news reporting these are almost always done in MSA (Modern Standard Arabic).

[edit] Pronunciation Guide

The Sounds of Egyptian Arabic vary slightly with MSA and other modern Arabic colloquials.

[edit] Vowels

Front Vowels:

/iː/ as in "sheat"
/i/ as in "fig"
/eː/ as in "fate"
/aː/ as in "hand"
/a/ like /aː/ but shorter

Back Vowels:

/uː/ as in "shoe"
/u/ as in "put"
/oː/ as in "float"
/äː/ as in "bar"
/ä/ like /äː/ but shorter

[edit] Consonants

Easy Consonants:

/b/ as in English
/f/ as in English
/t/ as in English pronouned more forward in the mouth
/d/ as in English pronouned more forward in the mouth
/g/ as in English
/k/ as in English
/r/ as in English pronouned as a trill
/l/ as in English pronouned more forward in the mouth
/h/ as in English but occurs in unfamiliar positions
/m/ as in English
/n/ as in English
/s/ as in English
/z/ as in English
/w/ as in English
/y/ as in English
/š/ as /sh/ in English
/j/ as /s/ in "pleasure" only found in loanwords
/p/ as in English only found in loanwords
/v/ as in English only found in loanwords

Hard Consonants:

/S/ emphatic /s/ pronounced with the tounge rased and tense in the mouth
/T/ emphatic /t/ pronounced with the tounge rased and tense in the mouth
/D/ emphatic /d/ pronounced with the tounge rased and tense in the mouth
/Z/ emphatic /z/ pronounced with the tounge rased and tense in the mouth
/q/ a hard /k/ pronounced in the back of the mouth found mostly in borrowings from classical Arabic
/x/ a harsh sound found in some English words like /bach/ and /loch/
/ğ/ a voiced /x/ like a french /r/
/ħ/ a hard /h/ made in the pharynx
/3/ a voiced /ħ/ very hard for non-native speakers to get right
/2/ a glottal stop

[edit] Common diphthongs

[edit] Phrase list

[edit] Basics

Hello: 2is-sala:mu-3ale:kuالسلام عليكو
Hello(informal): 2ahlanأهلا
How are you?: 2izzayyak? إزيياك(to a male), 2izzayyikإزييك (to a female), 2izzayyukuإزييكو (to a group)
Fine, thank you.: kwayyis šukranكوييس شكرا(male speaking), kwayyisa šukran كوييسه شكرا(female speaking), kwayyisi:n šukran كوييسيين شكرا(group talking)
What is your name?: 2ismak 2e:h? إسمك ايه؟(to male), 2ismik 2e:h? إسمك إيه؟(to female)
My name is ______ .: 2ana 2ismi ______أنا إسمي ______
Please.: min fäDläk من فضلك(to a male), min fäDlik من فضلك(to a female), min fäDluku من فضلكو(to a group)
Thank you.: šukranشكرا
You're welcome.: 3 afwanعفوا
Yes.: 2aywaأيوه
No.: la2لاء
Excuse me.(getting attention): law samaħt لو سمحت(to a male), يlaw samaħti لو سمحت(to a female), law samaħtu لو سمحتو(to a group)
Excuse me.(overting offence in advance): ba3d 2iznakبعد إذنك (to a male), ba3d 2iznik بعد إذنك(to a female), ba3d 2iznukuبعد إذنكو (to a group)
Excuse me.(begging pardon): la: mu2axza لاموءاخذه
I'm sorry.: 2ana 2a:sifأنا آسف (male speaking),2ana 2asfa أنا آسفه (female speaking)
Goodbye: ma3as-sala:maمع السلامة
Goodbye(informal): sala:mسلام
I can't speak (name of language) well".: mabakkallimš ________ kwayyisما بتكلمش ______ كوييس
Do you speak English?: بتتكلم إنجليزي؟bitikkallim 2ingili:zi? (to a male), bitikkallimi 2ingili:zi?بتتكلمي إنجليزي؟ (to a female), bitikkallimu 2ingili:zi?بتتكلمو إنجليزي؟ (to a group)
Is there someone here who speaks English?: fi: ħadd hina biyikkallim 2ingili:zi?في حدهنا بيتكلم انجليزي؟
Help!: 2ilħa2u:ni!الحقوني
Look out!: ħa:sib حاسب(to a male), ħasbi حاسبي(to a female), ħasbu حاسبو(to a group)
Good morning.: Säbä:ħ 2il-xe:rصباح الخير
Good evening.: masa:2 2il-xe:rمساء الخير
Good night (to sleep): tiSbäħ 3ala xe:rتصبح على خير (to a male), tiSbäħi 3ala xe:r تصبحي على خير(to a female),tiSbäħu 3ala xe:r تصبحو على خير(to a group)
I don't understand.: 2ana miš fa:him أنا مش فاهم (male speaking),2ana miš fahma أنا مش فاهمه (female speaking)
Where is the toilet?: fe:n 2il-ħamma:m?فين الحمام؟

[edit] Problems

Leave me alone.: 2imši! (to a male or a female), 2imšu! (to a group)
Don't touch me!: matilmisni:š! (to male), matilmisini:š! (to a female)
I'll call the police.: 2ana ħakallim 2il-buli:s
Police!: buli:s!
Thief!: ħärä:mi!
I need help.: 2ana miħta:g musa3da (male speaking), 2ana miħta:ga musa3da (female speaking)
It's an emergency.: hiyya ħa:la Tä:ri2a
I'm lost.: 2ana taayih (male speaking), 2ana tayha (female speaking)
I lost my purse/handbag.: 2ana Däyyä3t šänTiti
I lost my wallet.: 2ana Däyyä3t mäħfäZti
I'm sick.: 2ana 3ayya:n (male speaking), 2ana 3ayya:na (female speaking)
I'm injured.: 2ana mit3äwwär (male speaking), 2ana mit3äwwära (female speaking)
I need a doctor.: 2ana miħta:g duktu:r (male speaking), 2ana miħta:ga duktu:r (female speaking)
Can I use your phone?: mumkin 2asta3mil tilifo:nak? (to a male), mumkin 2asta3mil tilifo:nik? (to a female), mumkin 2asta3mil tilifo:nku? (to a group)
Can I use your cell phone?: mumkin 2asta3mil mo:biylak? (to a male), mumkin 2asta3mil mo:biylik? (to a female), mumkin 2asta3mil mo:biyluku? (to a group)

[edit] Numbers

0: Sifr
1: wa:ħid
2: 2itne:n
3: tala:ta
4: 2ärbä3ä
5: xamsa
6: sitta
7: sab3a
8: tamanya
9: tis3a
10: 3äšärä
11: ħidä:šär
12: 2itnä:šär
13: tälättä:šär
14: 2ärbä3tä:šär
15: xämästä:šär
16: sittä:šär
17: säbä3tä:šär
18: tämäntä:šär
19: tisä3tä:šär
20: 3išri:n
21: wa:ħid wi-3išri:n
22: 2itne:n wi-3išri:n
23: tala:ta wi-3išri:n
30: talati:n
40: 2ärbi3i:n
50: xamsi:n
60: sitti:n
70: sab3i:n
80: tamani:n
90: tis3i:n
100: miyya
200: mite:n
300: tultumiyya
400: rub3umiyya
1000: 2alf
2000: 2alfe:n
1,000,000: milyo:n
number: nimra or räqäm
half: nuSS
less: 2a2all
more: 2äktär

[edit] Time

now: dilwa2ti
later: ba3de:n
before: 2abl
after: ba3d
morning: Säbä:ħ
in the morning: 2iS-Subħ
afternoon: ba3d 2iD-Duhr
in the afternoon: 2iD-Duhr
evening: misa or masa:2
in the evening: misa:2an
night: le:la
in the night: bil-le:l

[edit] Clock time

what time is it?: 2is-sa:3a ka:m?
it is ___: 2is-sa:3a ___
it is 3 o'clock: 2is-sa:3a tala:ta biZZäbT
quarter past: wi rub3
quarter to: 2ila rub3
half past: wi nuSS
it is half past 3: 2is-sa:3a tala:ta wi nuSS

[edit] Duration

[edit] Days

Monday: yo:m 2il-itneen
Tuesday: yo:m 2il-tala:t
Wednesday: yo:m 2il-2arba3
Thursday: yo:m 2il-xami:s
Friday: yo:m 2il-gum3a
Saturday: yo:m 2is-sabt
Sunday: yo:m 2il-ħadd

[edit] Months

January: yanayer
February: febrayer
March: mares
April: ibril
May: mayu
June: yunya
July: yulya
August: ağustus
September: sebtamber
October: uktobar
November: nufamber
December: dissamber

[edit] Writing time and date

[edit] Colors

white: abiad

black: asuad

red: ahmer

green: akhdar

blue: azrak

yellow: asfar

orange: burtuqali

pink: wardi

purple: banafsegy

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Bus and train

Can I buy the Ticket?: momkn Ashtree Eltazkara ?
I will step down in heliopolis: Ana nazel fee misr Elgedida

[edit] Directions

front: odam
back: wara
right: yemin
left: shemal
up: fook
down: taht

[edit] Taxi

Can you drive me to the hospital?: momkn tawasalnee elmostashfaa?
Can you drive me to the club?: momkn tawasalanee elnady?
Can you drive me to hegaz square?: momkn tewasalny midan elhegaz?

[edit] Lodging

[edit] Money

[edit] Eating

[edit] Bars

[edit] Shopping

[edit] Driving

[edit] Authority

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