A1Unit 4 · Numbers, time and the market · Lesson 39 of 100
Free time: how often?
shu btiʿmal ākher il-usbūʿ? · dāyman · marra fil-usbūʿ · baḥibb aʾra
Goal: Say what you do in your free time, how often you do it and what you like to do.
Dialogue
The week is almost over, and Sam and Lina compare their weekends: sport for him, books and music for her. You will learn to say how often you do things, and to say "I like to …".
Thursday afternoon at the language school. The week is almost over, and Sam and Lina talk about their weekends.
- SamLīna, shu btiʿmali ākher il-usbūʿ?Lina, what do you do on the weekend?
- Linaʿādatan baʾra w basmaʿ mūsīqa. w marrāt barūḥ ʿind sitti.Usually I read and listen to music. And sometimes I go to my grandmother's.
- Samana balʿab riyāḍa kull yōm. dāyman barūḥ ʿan-nādi ṣ-ṣubḥ.I work out every day. I always go to the gym in the morning.
- Linakull yōm?! w il-jumʿa kamān?Every day?! On Friday too?
- Samil-jumʿa laʾ. il-jumʿa balʿab kōra maʿ Khalīl w aṣḥābo.Not on Friday. On Friday I play soccer with Khalil and his friends.
- Linaw bitḥibb titfarraj ʿala musalsalāt?And do you like watching TV series?
- Samlaʾ, abadan! bass baḥibb atfarraj ʿal-kōra.No, not at all! But I like watching soccer.
- Linaw btiʾra?And do you read?
- Sammarra… marrtēn fis-sane!Once… twice a year!
- Linaʿan jadd?! ana fāḍye yōm is-sabt. yalla nrūḥ ʿal-maktabe maʿ baʿḍ!Really?! I'm free on Saturday. Let's go to the bookstore together!
New words
| Palestinian Arabic | English |
|---|---|
| dāyman | always |
| marra | once; a timepl. marrāt; marrtēn twice; marrāt sometimes |
| riyāḍa | sport, exercisepl. riyāḍāt; balʿab riyāḍa I work out |
| kōra | ball; soccer |
| liʿib | to play; to work outliʿib / yilʿab; balʿab I play |
| ākher il-usbūʿ | the weekendshu btiʿmal ākher il-usbūʿ? what do you do on the weekend? |
| nādi | club; gympl. nawādi |
| mūsīqa | music |
| simiʿ | to hear; to listen (to: la-)simiʿ / yismaʿ; basmaʿ I listen |
| tfarraj | to watch, look at (with ʿala)tfarraj / yitfarraj; batfarraj ʿal-kōra I watch soccer |
| ʾara | to readʾara / yiʾra; baʾra I read |
| fāḍi | free (not busy); emptyf. fāḍye, pl. fāḍyīn |
Grammar
1. How often?
| Palestinian Arabic | English |
|---|---|
| dāyman | always |
| kull yōm | every day |
| ʿādatan | usually |
| marrāt | sometimes |
| marra fil-usbūʿ | once a week |
| marrtēn fil-usbūʿ | twice a week |
| ma …-sh … abadan | never |
To ask, say kam marra? "how many times?": kam marra fil-usbūʿ bitrūḥ ʿan-nādi? "How many times a week do you go to the gym?"
2. Where they go
dāyman and ʿādatan usually come before the verb. kull yōm, marrāt and marra fil-usbūʿ can start or end the sentence. abadan comes at the end, with a negative verb.
3. I like to …
After baḥibb, the second verb loses its b-, just as after biddi: baḥibb aʾra "I like to read".
Practice
1Choose the right words
I always go to the gym.
abadan needs a negative verb; marrāt is "sometimes".
I never watch TV series.
abadan goes with a negative verb: ma batfarrajsh.
marrtēn means:
You ask a man: "Do you like to read?"
After bitḥibb, no b-; bitḥibbi tiʾri? is said to a woman.
2Complete the sentence
baḥibb ___ mūsīqa. = I like listening to music.
After baḥibb, no b-.
balʿab kōra marra fil-___. = I play soccer once a week.
inti ___ bukra? = Are you free tomorrow? (to a woman)
3Match the Arabic and the English
riyāḍa
kōra
mūsīqa
nādi
ākher il-usbūʿ
dāyman
4Put the words in order
What do you do on the weekend? (to a woman)
I never drink tea.
5Say it in Palestinian Arabic, then check
I like watching soccer.
baḥibb atfarraj ʿal-kōra.
How many times a week do you go to the gym? (to a man)
kam marra fil-usbūʿ bitrūḥ ʿan-nādi?
6True or false?
On Friday, Sam plays soccer with Khalil.
Sam reads a lot.
He reads marra… marrtēn fis-sane, once or twice a year.
Summary
- You can say how often: dāyman, ʿādatan, marrāt, marra fil-usbūʿ, ma bashrabsh … abadan.
- You can ask kam marra?
- You can say what you like to do: baḥibb aʾra, baḥibb asmaʿ mūsīqa.
- You can talk about your weekend: ākher il-usbūʿ balʿab kōra.