A2Unit 7 · Health, shopping and plans · Lesson 67 of 100
Dates and bookings
biddi aḥjiz ōḍa · ʿashara sabʿa · kam lēle?
Goal: Say the months and dates, and book a room or make an appointment for a given date.
Dialogue
Lina's parents are coming from Chicago in the summer, so she calls Nour to book a room at her family's guesthouse in Bethlehem. You will learn the months, how to say a date, and how to ask kam lēle? "how many nights?"
An April afternoon. Lina calls Nour at her family's guesthouse in Bethlehem.
- Nouralō? ahlan, ya Līna!Hello? Hi, Lina!
- Linaahlan, ya Nūr! biddi aḥjiz ōḍa la-ahli. humme jāyīn min Shikāgo fiṣ-ṣēf.Hi, Nour! I'd like to book a room for my parents. They're coming from Chicago in the summer.
- Nourya mīt ahla w sahla! ēmta? shu t-tārīkh?They're very welcome! When? What's the date?
- Linamin ʿashara tamānye la-sittaʿsh tamānye.From the tenth of August to the sixteenth of August.
- Nouryaʿni fi āb. kam lēle?So in August. How many nights?
- Linasitt layāli.Six nights.
- Nourkhallīni ashūf… ā, fī ōḍa kbīre fāḍye: mītēn shēkel il-lēle, maʿ il-fṭūr.Let me see… Yes, there's a big room free: two hundred shekels a night, with breakfast.
- Linatamām! iḥjizīha, law samaḥti.Perfect! Book it, please.
- Nourḥāḍer! ḥajazt il-ōḍa min ʿashara la-sittaʿsh āb.Certainly! I've booked the room from the tenth to the sixteenth of August.
- Linashukran ktīr! w ana bāji azūrik fi tnēn khamse.Thanks a lot! And I'm coming to visit you on the second of May.
- Nourtnēn ayyār? tamām, mawʿidna!The second of May? Great, it's a date!
- Linaana katabt it-tārīkh. bkhāṭrik!I've written down the date. Bye!
New words
| Palestinian Arabic | English |
|---|---|
| shahr | monthplural shhūr; counted: talat shhūr; shahr sabʿa = July |
| tārīkh | date; historyplural tawārīkh; shu t-tārīkh? = what's the date? |
| ḥajaz | to book, reserveḥajaz / yiḥjiz; b-present baḥjiz |
| ʿīd rās is-sane | New Yearon awwal shahr wāḥad, 1 January |
| kānūn it-tāni | Januarythe old name; to recognize only: the course says shahr wāḥad |
| shbāṭ | Februaryto recognize only: shahr tnēn |
| nīsān | Aprilto recognize only: shahr arbaʿa |
| ayyār | Mayto recognize only: shahr khamse |
| tammūz | Julyto recognize only: shahr sabʿa |
| āb | Augustto recognize only: shahr tamānye |
| ēlūl | Septemberto recognize only: shahr tisʿa |
| tishrīn il-awwal | Octoberto recognize only: shahr ʿashara |
| tishrīn it-tāni | Novemberto recognize only: shahr ḥdaʿsh |
| kānūn il-awwal | Decemberto recognize only: shahr tnaʿsh |
Grammar
1. Months: shahr + a number
The everyday way to name a month is shahr "month" + its number: shahr wāḥad "January", shahr arbaʿa "April", shahr sabʿa "July", shahr tnaʿsh "December". This is what you will say.
You will also hear the old names, on calendars, on the radio and from older people. Learn to recognize them:
| Number | Old name | English |
|---|---|---|
| shahr wāḥad | kānūn it-tāni | January |
| shahr tnēn | shbāṭ | February |
| shahr arbaʿa | nīsān | April |
| shahr khamse | ayyār | May |
| shahr sabʿa | tammūz | July |
| shahr tamānye | āb | August |
| shahr tisʿa | ēlūl | September |
| shahr ʿashara | tishrīn il-awwal | October |
| shahr ḥdaʿsh | tishrīn it-tāni | November |
| shahr tnaʿsh | kānūn il-awwal | December |
March and June have old names too; this course uses shahr talāte and shahr sitte.
2. Dates and years
Say the day, then the number of the month: ʿashara sabʿa "10 July". The first day is awwal: awwal shahr khamse "1 May". "On" a date is fi, and "from … to …" is min … la- …. A year is said like any big number.
3. How many nights?
kam takes the singular: kam lēle? "how many nights?" The answer follows the counting rules: lēle waḥde, lēltēn, talat layāli, sitt layāli, ḥdaʿshar lēle. After a price, il-lēle means "a night": mītēn shēkel il-lēle.
Practice
1Choose the right answer
Nour says āb. Which month is it?
āb is shahr tamānye.
"10 July"
The day comes first, then the month. sabʿa ʿashara is 7 October; ʿashara tnēn is 10 February.
"How many nights?"
kam takes the singular. ʾaddēsh il-lēle? asks the price.
"six nights"
From 3 to 10: the short number + plural.
2Complete the sentence
biddi ___ ōḍa la-ahli. = I'd like to book a room for my parents.
After biddi, the present without b-.
___ shahr khamse = 1 May
___ ʿashara la-sittaʿsh tamānye = from 10 to 16 August
ʾaddēsh ___ il-yōm? = What's the date today?
ʾaddēsh is-sāʿa? asks the time.
ḥajazt ōḍa ___. = I booked a room for two nights.
For two of something, use the dual.
3Match the Arabic and the English
shahr
tārīkh
ḥajaz
ʿīd rās is-sane
mawʿid
4Put the words in order
I'd like to book a room, please. (to a man)
My parents are coming in the summer.
5Say it in Palestinian Arabic, then check
The wedding is on 25 April.
il-ʿurs fi khamse w ʿishrīn arbaʿa.
New Year is on 1 January.
ʿīd rās is-sane fi awwal shahr wāḥad.
6True or false?
Lina's parents will stay six nights.
The room costs two hundred shekels a night, without breakfast.
Nour says maʿ il-fṭūr: breakfast is included.
Summary
- You can name the months with shahr + a number: shahr sabʿa.
- You can recognize the old month names: tammūz, ayyār, kānūn il-awwal …
- You can say a date: ʿashara sabʿa, awwal shahr khamse, min … la- ….
- You can ask kam lēle? and book a room: biddi aḥjiz ōḍa lēltēn.