LIMBA Palestinian ArabicFree written course · 100 lessons Audio course

A1Unit 1 · Hello! · Lesson 10 of 100

Review: first day in Ramallah

yislam īdēki · ṣaḥḥtēn · ʿala ʾalbik

Goal: Hold a first short conversation: greet, introduce yourself, say where you are from and what you do, give your number and thank your host.

1

Dialogue

The Khalil family gives a welcome dinner for Lina, and two neighbors come over. Everything from unit 1 comes back in one evening, plus the words you need at the table.

Evening at the Khalil family's home: a welcome dinner for Lina. A neighbor and his wife arrive; the last two lines are said after the meal.

  1. Imm KhalilLīna, hadōl jīrān.Lina, these are neighbors.
  2. Manmasa l-khēr, ya Līna! il-ḥamdilla ʿas-salāme!Good evening, Lina! Thank God you arrived safely!
  3. Linamasa n-nūr! alla ysallmak!Good evening! God keep you safe!
  4. Womantsharrafna, ya Līna! kīf ḥālik?Nice to meet you, Lina! How are you?
  5. Linatsharrafna! mnīḥa, il-ḥamdilla.Nice to meet you! Fine, thank God.
  6. Womaninti mnēn?Where are you from?
  7. Linaana min Shikāgo, bass aṣli min Rāmalla.I'm from Chicago, but my family is from Ramallah.
  8. Maninti duktōra?Are you a doctor?
  9. Linalaʾ, ana mish duktōra. ana mʿallme… w kamān ṭālbe!No, I'm not a doctor. I'm a teacher… and a student too!
  10. Womanʿan jadd? shu numrit jawwālik, ya Līna?Really? What's your cell number, Lina?
  11. Linaṣifr khamse tisʿa tamānye, talāte sabʿa wāḥad, tnēn sitte arbaʿa.0598 371 264.
  12. Imm Khalilyalla, ʿal-ʿasha!Come on, dinner is ready! (literally: to dinner)
  13. Manyislam īdēki, ya Imm Khalīl!Bless your hands, Imm Khalil!
  14. Imm Khalilalla ysallmak! ṣaḥḥtēn!God keep you! Enjoy!
2

New words

Palestinian ArabicEnglish
jārneighbor (m)a woman: jāra; several: jīrān
ʿashadinner, supper
ṣaḥḥtēnenjoy your meal, bon appétitreply: ʿala ʾalbak to a man, ʿala ʾalbik to a woman, ʿala ʾalbkom to several people
yislam īdēkbless your hands (thanks for food or work, to a man)to a woman: yislam īdēki; reply: alla ysallmak / alla ysallmik
3

Grammar

What you can now say

  • Greet and answer: marḥaba → marḥabtēn, ṣabāḥ il-khēr → ṣabāḥ in-nūr, masa l-khēr → masa n-nūr.
  • Say goodbye and good night: bkhāṭrak, maʿ is-salāme, tiṣbaḥ ʿala khēr.
  • Ask and answer "How are you?": kīf ḥālak? → mnīḥ, il-ḥamdilla.
  • Give your name and introduce others: ismi …, hāda Sām, hādi Rana.
  • Say where you are from and live: ana min …, ana sāken fi …, aṣli min ….
  • Say what you are and are not: ana mʿallme, ana mish duktōra.
  • Point and ask: shu hāda?, mīn hadōl?
  • Count to ten and give a phone number.

The unit in one table: a man, a woman

MeaningFor a manFor a woman
How are you?kīf ḥālak?kīf ḥālik?
What is your name?shu ismak?shu ismik?
Where are you from?inte mnēn?inti mnēn?
I live in Ramallah.ana sāken fi Rāmalla.ana sākne fi Rāmalla.
I am a teacher.ana mʿallem.ana mʿallme.
Good night!tiṣbaḥ ʿala khēr!tiṣbaḥi ʿala khēr!
Bless your hands!yislam īdēk!yislam īdēki!

At the table

The host says ṣaḥḥtēn to the people who eat; they answer ʿala ʾalbak or ʿala ʾalbik. The guests thank the cook with yislam īdēk or yislam īdēki; the cook answers alla ysallmak or alla ysallmik.

4

Practice

1Choose the right words

  1. A man says il-ḥamdilla ʿas-salāme! to Lina. She answers:

  2. You thank Imm Khalil for the dinner.

  3. Imm Khalil says ṣaḥḥtēn! to you. You answer:

  4. You leave the neighbors' house and say goodbye to everyone.

  5. You ask a woman where she is from.

  6. Rana is not American. You say:

2Complete the sentence

  1. hādi ___. = This is a neighbor. (a woman)

  2. ana sāken ___ Rāmalla. = I live in Ramallah.

  3. ___ hāda? = Who is this?

  4. ana ___ ṭāleb. = I am not a student.

3Match the Arabic and the English

  1. ʿasha

  2. jār

  3. ṣaḥḥtēn

  4. tisʿa

  5. mhandes

4Put the words in order

  1. Good evening! How are you? (to a woman)

  2. Bless your hands, Imm Khalil!

  3. No, I am not a teacher. (a man speaks)

5Say it in Palestinian Arabic, then check

  1. Meet a neighbor: Hello! My name is Sam. I'm Canadian.

  2. Read this number aloud: 0 5 6 3

  3. Wish everyone good night.

6True or false?

  1. Lina says that she is a teacher and also a student.

  2. The woman asks for Lina's cell number.

  3. The man thanks Imm Khalil with yislam īdēk.

Well done — your score: .
5

Summary

  • You can now hold a first conversation: greet, ask how someone is, say who you are and where you are from.
  • You can say what you are and are not, for a man and for a woman.
  • You can point at things and people and give a phone number.
  • You can thank the cook with yislam īdēk or yislam īdēki, and answer ṣaḥḥtēn with ʿala ʾalbak or ʿala ʾalbik.

Unit 1: Hello!

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