B1Unit 8 · Work, studies and stories · Lesson 78 of 100
In order to: ashan
ʿashān atʿallam · ʿashān hēk · shu s-sabab? · ṭālama
Goal: Say why you do something and what for, ask for the reason, and link a reason to a result with "that's why".
Dialogue
Khalil tells his father that he wants to change jobs, and Abu Khalil wants to know why. You will learn ʿashān + a verb "in order to", ʿashān hēk "that's why", and how to ask shu s-sabab? "what's the reason?"
A Friday afternoon at the end of August, on the roof of the Khalil house. Khalil talks to his father; Lina is there too.
- Khalilyāba, biddi aḥkīlak ishi: ana nāwi aghayyer shughli.Dad, I want to tell you something: I'm planning to change jobs.
- Abu Khaliltitrik ish-shirke?! lēsh? shu s-sabab?Leave the company?! Why? What's the reason?
- Khalilfī asbāb ktīre. awwal ishi, ir-rāteb zghīr, w ma baʾdarsh awaffer ishi.There are lots of reasons. First, the salary is small, and I can't save anything.
- Abu Khalilyimkin lāzim tuṣrof aʾall?Maybe you need to spend less?
- Khalilyāba! baṣrof bass ʿal-akl w ʿas-sirvīs! w kamān il-mudīr biḍghaṭ ʿalayy kull yōm.Dad! I only spend on food and the service taxi! And the manager puts pressure on me every day, too.
- Linaw id-dawām?And the hours?
- Khaliltnaʿshar sāʿa! id-dawām iṭ-ṭawīl sabbabli wajaʿ rās.Twelve hours! The long hours have given me headaches.
- Abu Khalilṭayyib, w shu hadafak?All right, and what's your goal?
- Khalilbiddi ashtghel fi shirke kbīre ʿashān atʿallam ishi jdīd w aksab aktar.I want to work at a big company to learn something new and earn more.
- Khalilw biddi awaffer ʿashān ashtri shaʾʾa.And I want to save so that I can buy an apartment.
- Abu Khalilw fī furṣa?And is there a chance?
- Khalilā! il-mudīre ttaṣalat fiyyi, w bidha tshūfni yōm it-talāta.Yes! The manager called me, and she wants to see me on Tuesday.
- Linaw bi-ma inno ish-shirke jamb il-Manāra, mish raḥ tiḥtāj sirvīs!And since the company is near al-Manara, you won't need a service taxi!
- Khalilmazbūṭ! ʿashān hēk biddi hal-waẓīfe!Exactly! That's why I want this job!
- Abu Khalilṭālama inte mabsūṭ, ana mabsūṭ. inshalla btākhodha!As long as you're happy, I'm happy. I hope you get it!
New words
| Palestinian Arabic | English |
|---|---|
| ʿashān | so that, in order to (+ present without b-); because; forʿashān atʿallam = in order to learn |
| ʿashān hēk | that's why |
| ghayyar | to changeghayyar / yghayyer; b-present baghayyer; aghayyer shughli = change my job |
| furṣa | opportunity, chanceplural furaṣ |
| tarak | to leavetarak / yitrik; b-present batrik |
| waffar | to save (money)waffar / ywaffer; b-present bawaffer |
| ṣaraf | to spend (money); to change (money)ṣaraf / yuṣrof; b-present baṣrof |
| ḍaghaṭ | to press; to put pressure on (someone)ḍaghaṭ / yiḍghaṭ; b-present baḍghaṭ; biḍghaṭ ʿalayy = he puts pressure on me |
| sabbab | to causesabbab / ysabbeb; b-present basabbeb |
| kisib | to earn, gain; to winkisib / yiksab; b-present baksab |
| ṭālama | as long as; since (because) |
| bi-ma inno | since, given that |
| sabab | reason, causeplural asbāb; shu s-sabab? = what's the reason? |
| hadaf | goal, aimplural ahdāf |
Grammar
1. In order to: ʿashān + present without b-
To say what something is for, put ʿashān before a verb in the present without b- (the subjunctive, lesson 25). The verb changes for the person, just like after biddi or lāzim.
Never put b- after ʿashān in this meaning: ʿashān atʿallam, not ʿashān batʿallam.
2. Why? Because…
Ask lēsh? or shu s-sabab? Answer with liʾanno (lesson 68) or ʿashān + a whole sentence: here ʿashān means "because".
So ʿashān + a verb without b- tells the aim; ʿashān + a sentence tells the reason.
3. That's why, since, as long as
ʿashān hēk "that's why" starts the result. bi-ma inno "since, given that" starts a reason you give first, and ṭālama "as long as" starts a condition.
Practice
1Complete the sentence
biddi ashtghel aktar ʿashān ___ maṣāri. = I want to work more in order to save money.
After ʿashān "in order to", the verb has no b-.
Rana btudros ktīr ʿashān ___. = Rana studies a lot in order to pass.
___ s-sabab? = What's the reason?
id-dawām ṭawīl, ___ biddi aghayyer shughli. = The hours are long; that's why I want to change jobs.
il-mudīr ___ ʿalayy kull yōm. = The manager puts pressure on me every day.
___ inte mabsūṭ, ana mabsūṭ. = As long as you're happy, I'm happy.
2Choose the right answer
"I'm saving so that I can buy an apartment."
The aim after ʿashān takes the present without b-.
Which word means "goal"?
You ask a friend (a woman): "Why do you want to change your job?"
ghayyarti means "did you change"; biddak is said to a man.
"Since the company is close, you won't need a taxi."
3Match the Arabic and the English
furṣa
sabab
hadaf
waffar
ṣaraf
kisib
4Put the words in order
I work in order to earn money.
That's why I want this job.
5Say it in Palestinian Arabic, then check
Why? What's the reason?
lēsh? shu s-sabab?
I'm going to the bank to change money.
barūḥ ʿal-bank ʿashān aṣrof maṣāri.
Why do you want to leave the company? Because the salary is small. (to a man; answer with liʾanno)
lēsh biddak titrik ish-shirke? liʾanno r-rāteb zghīr.
6True or false?
Khalil wants to leave his job.
Abu Khalil tells Khalil to stay at his company.
He says ṭālama inte mabsūṭ, ana mabsūṭ.
The new company is far from al-Manara.
Lina says ish-shirke jamb il-Manāra.
Summary
- You can say what something is for: ʿashān + present without b-, ʿashān atʿallam, ʿashān ashtri shaʾʾa.
- You can ask for a reason and give one: lēsh?, shu s-sabab?, ʿashān ir-rāteb zghīr.
- You can link a reason and a result: ʿashān hēk, bi-ma inno, ṭālama.
- You can talk about money and work choices: waffar, ṣaraf, kisib, furṣa, hadaf.