B1Unit 9 · Feelings and opinions · Lesson 82 of 100
I think that...
bafakker inno … · shu raʾyak? · ana maʿak · ana ḍidd …
Goal: Give your opinion with "I think that…", ask other people what they think, and say whether you are for or against an idea.
Dialogue
At Friday dinner, the Khalil family argues about a big question: is life better in the city or in a village? You will learn to say "I think that…", "I believe that…" and "I know that…" with inno "that", and to ask shu raʾyak? "what do you think?"
Friday evening, dinner at the Khalil house. Sam is a guest, and the talk turns to city life and village life.
- Abu Khalilana bafakker inno l-ʿīshe fil-qarye aḥsan min il-madīne.I think that life in a village is better than in the city.
- Khalillaʾ, yāba, ana ḍidd hal-fikra. il-qarye mumille!No, Dad, I'm against that idea. The village is boring!
- Abu Khalillēsh mumille? fīha ṭabīʿa w hawa nḍīf.Why boring? It has nature and clean air.
- Khalilbass ma fīsh shughl. ana baʿraf inno kull ish-shabāb birūḥu ʿal-madīne ʿashān ish-shughl.But there's no work. I know that all the young people go to the city for work.
- Ranamazbūṭ. masalan, il-jāmʿa w il-maṭāʿem w is-sinama kullha fil-madīne.That's right. For example, the university, the restaurants and the movie theater are all in the city.
- Imm Khalilw inti, ya Līna? shu raʾyik?And you, Lina? What do you think?
- Linaana min Shikāgo, w sukkānha ktīr ktīr. bass baʿtʾed inno l-qarye aḥla, zayy qaryit sitti.I'm from Chicago, and it has lots and lots of people. But I believe the village is nicer, like my grandmother's village.
- Abu Khalilshāyef, ya Khalīl? Līna maʿi!You see, Khalil? Lina is with me!
- KhalilSām, lēsh inte sāket? shu raʾyak?Sam, why are you so quiet? What do you think?
- Samil-mawḍūʿ mʿaʾʾad. ana bafakker inno kull wāḥad ilo raʾyo.The topic is complicated. I think everyone has his own opinion.
- Khalilshu ʾaṣdak? inte maʿi willa maʿ abūy?What do you mean? Are you with me or with my father?
- Samʾaṣdi… ana maʿ Imm Khalīl!I mean… I'm with Imm Khalil!
- Imm Khalilmaʿi? bass ana ma ʾultish raʾyi!With me? But I haven't given my opinion!
- Samʿashān hēk! raʾyik dāyman mazbūṭ.That's why! Your opinion is always right.
- Khalilkhalaṣ, ma ḥada aqnaʿ ḥada!OK, nobody convinced anybody!
- Abu Khalilṭayyib, ana baskot w bākol.Fine, I'll keep quiet and eat.
New words
| Palestinian Arabic | English |
|---|---|
| fakkar | to think (about: fi); to think that (inno)fakkar / yfakker; b-present bafakker |
| inno | that (conjunction)with endings: inni, innak, innik, inno, inha … |
| iʿtaʾad | to believe, think (that)iʿtaʾad / yiʿtʾed; b-present baʿtʾed |
| ʾaṣd | meaning, intentionshu ʾaṣdak? = what do you mean? (to a man); ʾaṣdi … = I mean … |
| ḍidd | against |
| mawḍūʿ | topic, subject, issuepl. mawāḍīʿ |
| masalan | for example |
| muhimm | importantf. muhimme, pl. muhimmīn; ahamm = more important |
| mumill | boringf. mumille |
| ʿālam | world; peoplekull il-ʿālam = everybody |
| sukkān | inhabitants, population |
| sāket | quiet, silentf. sākte, pl. sāktīn |
| mʿaʾʾad | complicatedf. mʿaʾʾade, pl. mʿaʾʾadīn |
| qarye | villagepl. qura; people from a village often call it il-balad |
| aqnaʿ | to convince, persuadeaqnaʿ / yiqniʿ; b-present baqniʿ |
| sakat | to be quiet, say nothingsakat / yuskot; b-present baskot |
Grammar
1. "I think that…": inno
To give an opinion, put inno "that" after the verb, then a whole sentence. Keep inno even where English drops "that".
| Palestinian Arabic | English |
|---|---|
| bafakker inno … | I think (that) … |
| baʿtʾed inno … | I believe (that) … |
| baʿraf inno … | I know (that) … |
| raʾyi inno … | my opinion is that … |
inno ends in a vowel, so the article after it is written l- (or sh-, n- …): inno l-ʿīshe, inno sh-shabāb.
fakkar goes like ʿallam: bafakker "I think", bitfakker "you think" (to a man), bitfakkri (to a woman). Thinking ABOUT something takes fi: bafakker fil-imtiḥān "I'm thinking about the exam".
2. Asking and giving opinions
| Palestinian Arabic | English |
|---|---|
| shu raʾyak? / shu raʾyik? | What do you think? (to a man / to a woman) |
| ana maʿak. / ana maʿik. | I agree with you. (literally: I'm with you) |
| ana ḍidd hal-fikra. | I'm against this idea. |
| shu ʾaṣdak? / shu ʾaṣdik? | What do you mean? (to a man / to a woman) |
| ʾaṣdi … | I mean … |
3. inno with a pronoun
Before a pronoun, inno takes the endings you know: inni "that I", innak / innik "that you", inno "that he", inha "that she".
Practice
1Complete the sentence
___ inno l-qarye aḥla. = I think the village is nicer.
ana ___ hal-fikra. = I'm against this idea.
shu ___, ya Līna? = What do you think, Lina?
Speaking to a woman: raʾyik.
il-mawḍūʿ ___. = The topic is complicated.
mawḍūʿ is masculine.
2Choose the right answer
Which sentence means "I know that Khalil is busy"?
Rana gives her opinion, and you agree. You tell her:
Sam does not understand what Khalil means. He asks:
shu raʾyak? asks for an opinion; shu mālak? asks what is wrong.
"I think that she is clever."
inni = that I; baʿraf = I know.
3Match the Arabic and the English
mawḍūʿ
muhimm
mumill
sāket
sukkān
ʿālam
4Put the words in order
I think that life in the city is nicer.
Nobody convinced anybody.
5Say it in Palestinian Arabic, then check
I believe that the family is important.
baʿtʾed inno l-ʿēle muhimme.
What do you mean? (to a woman)
shu ʾaṣdik?
6True or false?
Abu Khalil thinks life in a village is better.
Khalil says there is a lot of work in the village.
He says ma fīsh shughl.
Sam says he is with Imm Khalil.
Summary
- You can give an opinion: bafakker inno …, baʿtʾed inno …, raʾyi inno ….
- You can say what you know: baʿraf inno …, baʿraf innak ….
- You can ask shu raʾyak? and shu ʾaṣdak? and answer ʾaṣdi ….
- You can say you are for or against something: ana maʿak, ana ḍidd hal-fikra.