LIMBA Palestinian ArabicFree written course · 100 lessons Audio course

A1Unit 3 · Everyday life: the present · Lesson 28 of 100

There is, there isn't

fī … · ma fīsh … · shu fī?

Goal: Say what there is and what there isn't in a room or a house, and ask what there is.

1

Dialogue

Lina shows the house to her mother in Chicago on a video call. You will learn fī "there is, there are", its negative ma fīsh, and the words for rooms and furniture.

Evening. Lina is on a video call with her mother in Chicago and walks through the house with her phone.

  1. Motherya Līna, ya ḥabībti! kīf il-bēt?Lina, my darling! How is the house?
  2. Linail-bēt kbīr w ḥilu! hāda ṣ-ṣālōn: fī kanabāye kbīre w tilfizyōn.The house is big and nice! This is the living room: there's a big sofa and a TV.
  3. Motherw fī maṭbakh kbīr?And is there a big kitchen?
  4. Linaā, w fil-maṭbakh fī tallāje jdīde w ṭāwle kbīre.Yes, and in the kitchen there's a new fridge and a big table.
  5. Motherw ōḍtik? shu fī fi ōḍtik?And your room? What is there in your room?
  6. Linafī takht w khazāne w lamba ḥilwe.There's a bed, a wardrobe and a pretty lamp.
  7. Motherw fī mrāye?And is there a mirror?
  8. Linalaʾ, ma fīsh mrāye, w ma fīsh kursi.No, there's no mirror, and there's no chair.
  9. Mothermaʿlēsh, ya ḥabībti. w fī ḥammām?Never mind, my darling. And is there a bathroom?
  10. Linaā, fī. w ʿindi shubbāk kbīr!Yes, there is. And I have a big window!
2

New words

Palestinian ArabicEnglish
fīthere is, there arema fīsh there isn't, there aren't
maṭbakhkitchenpl. maṭābekh
tallājefridgepl. tallājāt
ṣālōnliving roompl. ṣālōnāt
takhtbedpl. tkhūt
ṭāwletablepl. ṭāwlāt
kursichairpl. karāsi
khazānewardrobe, cupboardpl. khazāyen
kanabāyesofapl. kanabāyāt
tilfizyōntelevision, TVpl. tilfizyōnāt
lambalamp, light bulbpl. lambāt
mrāyemirror
3

Grammar

1. fī: there is, there are

fī means "there is" and "there are". It never changes. The thing usually comes without il-, because it is new: fī lamba "there is a lamp". A question is just a rising voice.

fī tallāje fil-maṭbakh. There is a fridge in the kitchen.
fī kanabāye fiṣ-ṣālōn? Is there a sofa in the living room?
ā, fī. Yes, there is.
shu fī fil-maṭbakh? What is there in the kitchen?

2. ma fīsh: there isn't

The negative is ma fīsh "there isn't, there aren't". You met it in ma fīsh mushkile "no problem".

ma fīsh mrāye. There's no mirror.
laʾ, ma fīsh. No, there isn't.

3. fī or fi?

Listen to the vowel. fī with a long ī is "there is"; fi with a short i is "in". Often both come in one sentence:

fi ōḍti fī takht w khazāne. In my room there is a bed and a wardrobe.
4

Practice

1Choose the right words

  1. Say: "There is a TV in the living room."

  2. Say: "There's no mirror."

  3. Your mother asks fī ḥammām? There is one. You answer:

  4. Where do you usually find a tallāje?

2Complete the sentence

  1. ___ kanabāye kbīre fiṣ-ṣālōn. = There is a big sofa in the living room.

  2. fi ōḍti fī ___ w khazāne. = In my room there is a bed and a wardrobe.

  3. shu fī fil-___? = What is there in the kitchen?

  4. laʾ, ___ kursi. = No, there's no chair.

3Match the Arabic and the English

  1. ṭāwle

  2. kursi

  3. lamba

  4. mrāye

  5. khazāne

  6. kanabāye

4Put the words in order

  1. Is there a big kitchen?

  2. There isn't a TV in my room.

5Say it in Palestinian Arabic, then check

  1. In the kitchen there is a new fridge.

6True or false?

  1. There is a TV in the living room.

  2. There is a mirror in Lina's room.

Well done — your score: .
5

Summary

  • You can say what there is: fī tallāje fil-maṭbakh.
  • You can say what there isn't: ma fīsh mrāye.
  • You can ask fī …? and shu fī?, and answer ā, fī or laʾ, ma fīsh.
  • You can name the rooms and the furniture of a house.

Unit 3: Everyday life: the present

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