B1Unit 9 · Feelings and opinions · Lesson 90 of 100
Review: an evening debate
bafakker inno … · maʿik ḥaʾʾ · mazbūṭ, bass … · lawla … · il-muhimm …
Goal: Give your opinion in a family debate, report what others said, imagine, agree and disagree politely.
Dialogue
On a clear October night, the family sits on the roof, and Abu Khalil starts a debate: are phones good or bad for a family? Everything from unit 9 comes back: feelings, bafakker inno …, illi, iza and lawla, ʾālatli inno …, wala ḥada, sayings, and agreeing and disagreeing.
A warm October night on the roof of the Khalil house. The family, Lina and Sam are drinking tea under a clear sky.
- Linashūfu s-sama! ma fīsh wala ghēme.Look at the sky! There isn't a single cloud.
- Abu Khalilbass wala ḥada bitfarraj ʿas-sama. kull wāḥad bitfarraj ʿal-jawwāl illi fi īdo!But nobody is looking at the sky. Everyone is looking at the phone in his hand!
- Ranayāba, lēsh zaʿlān? ana bass baḥki maʿ Nūr…Dad, why are you upset? I'm only talking to Nour…
- Abu Khalilana bafakker inno lawla l-jawwālāt, kunna ḥakēna maʿ baʿḍ aktar.I think that if it weren't for phones, we would talk to each other more.
- Khalilmazbūṭ, bass iza ma fīsh jawwālāt, kīf bniḥki maʿ khāli fi Amērka?True, but if there are no phones, how do we talk to my uncle in America?
- Linaana maʿ Khalīl. kull yōm baḥki maʿ immi fi Shikāgo.I'm with Khalil. Every day I talk to my mother in Chicago.
- Imm Khalilmaʿik ḥaʾʾ, ya Līna. bass Rana bitḍall ʿal-jawwāl la-ḥadd nuṣṣ il-lēl, w iṣ-ṣubḥ bitkūn taʿbāne.You're right, Lina. But Rana stays on her phone until midnight, and in the morning she's tired.
- Ranamish ṣḥīḥ, yamma! wala marra ḍallēt la-ḥadd nuṣṣ il-lēl!That's not true, Mom! Not once have I stayed up until midnight!
- SamRana ʾālatli inha btitʿallam ktīr min il-jawwāl.Rana told me that she learns a lot from her phone.
- Ranabiẓ-ẓabṭ! lawla l-jawwāl, kunt saʾaṭt fi nuṣṣ imtiḥānāti!Exactly! If it weren't for my phone, I would have failed half my exams!
- Abu Khalilṭayyib… ana mish mitʾakked, bass yimkin maʿkom ḥaʾʾ.Well… I'm not sure, but maybe you're right.
- Imm Khalilil-muhimm: iza bitḥibbu, ḥuṭṭu l-jawwālāt ʿaṭ-ṭāwle w ishrabu sh-shāy.The main thing: if you like, put the phones on the table and drink your tea.
- Samʿala rāsi, ya khālto!With pleasure, auntie!
- Abu Khalilshuftu? iḥna ttafaʾna! w is-sama ḥilwe ktīr il-lēle.You see? We agree! And the sky is very beautiful tonight.
New words
| Palestinian Arabic | English |
|---|---|
| sama | skyfeminine; pl. samāwāt; is-sama ḥilwe = the sky is beautiful |
Grammar
What you can now say
- Say how you feel and ask what is wrong: ana taʿbāne, shu mālak? (lesson 81).
- Give your opinion: bafakker inno …, baʿtʾed inno …, shu raʾyak? (lesson 82).
- Describe people and things with illi: il-jawwāl illi fi īdo, il-bint illi shuftha (lesson 83).
- Talk about real conditions: iza ma fīsh jawwālāt …, iza bitḥibbu … (lesson 84).
- Imagine and give advice: law kunt makānak …, lawla l-jawwāl, kunt saʾaṭt (lesson 85).
- Report words and questions: ʾālatli inha …, saʾalni iza … (lesson 86).
- Say all, nobody, nothing and never: kull wāḥad, wala ḥada, wala marra, ʿumri ma … (lesson 87).
- Answer with a saying: ʿala rāsi, tikram, ṭawwel bālak (lesson 88).
- Agree and disagree: maʿak ḥaʾʾ, mazbūṭ, bass …, mish mitʾakked, il-muhimm … (lesson 89).
The unit in one table: linking a sentence
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| inno | that (after think, know, say) | bafakker inno l-jawwāl muhimm. I think the phone is important. |
| illi | who, which (after a noun with il-) | il-jawwāl illi fi īdo the phone in his hand |
| iza | if (real); whether | iza shattat, binḍall fil-bēt. If it rains, we'll stay at home. |
| law | if (imaginary) | law ʿindi waʾt, kunt sāfart. If I had time, I would travel. |
| lawla | if it weren't for | lawla l-jawwāl, kunt saʾaṭt. If it weren't for the phone, I'd have failed. |
| bass | but | mazbūṭ, bass … True, but … |
Remember: when you report words with ʾāl inno … or a question with iza "whether", the tense of the original sentence stays the same; with law and lawla, the result takes kān + perfect: kunt saʾaṭt, kunna ḥakēna.
Practice
1Choose the right answer
Rana looks upset. You ask her:
shu raʾyik? asks for her opinion, not what is wrong.
"If I were you" (to a woman):
For something imaginary: law. To a woman: makānik.
Lina says shūfu s-sama! She is speaking to:
shūfu is the imperative for several people (lesson 43).
A man tells you ʿindi talat wlād. You say:
You ask the waiter (a man) for the bill.
ʿala ḥsābi means "it's on me" (lesson 64).
"When I was little, I used to play soccer." (a man speaking)
A past habit: kān + present without b- (lesson 73).
2Complete the sentence
bafakker ___ l-jawwāl muhimm. = I think that the phone is important.
kull wāḥad bitfarraj ʿal-jawwāl ___ fi īdo. = Everyone is looking at the phone in his hand.
___ shattat bukra, binḍall fil-bēt. = If it rains tomorrow, we'll stay at home.
For something that can really happen: iza.
Rana ___ inha btitʿallam min il-jawwāl. = Rana told me that she learns from her phone.
ʾalli = he told me; ʾultilha = I told her.
wala ___ ḍallēt la-ḥadd nuṣṣ il-lēl! = Not once have I stayed up until midnight!
___ is-sāʿa? = What time is it?
ana ___ arūḥ ʿas-sūʾ. = I have to go to the market.
biddi = I want; raḥ = I will.
3Match the Arabic and the English
sama
ʾamar
ghēme
mitʾakked
ṭawīl ir-rūḥ
zaʿlān
4Put the words in order
I think that you're right. (to a man)
If it weren't for the phone, I would have failed.
We went to Bethlehem.
5Say it in Palestinian Arabic, then check
Nobody is looking at the sky.
wala ḥada bitfarraj ʿas-sama.
He asked me whether I was tired. (a woman speaking)
saʾalni iza ana taʿbāne.
Excuse me, where is the pharmacy? (to a man)
law samaḥt, wēn iṣ-ṣaydaliyye?
6True or false?
Abu Khalil thinks the family would talk more without phones.
Rana says she often stays on her phone until midnight.
She says wala marra ḍallēt la-ḥadd nuṣṣ il-lēl.
At the end, Imm Khalil asks everyone to put the phones on the table.
Summary
- You can give and ask for opinions: bafakker inno …, shu raʾyak?
- You can link sentences with inno, illi, iza, law and lawla.
- You can report what people said and asked: ʾālatli inha …, saʾalni iza ….
- You can say nobody, nothing and never, and answer with sayings like ʿala rāsi.
- You can agree and disagree politely: maʿik ḥaʾʾ, mazbūṭ, bass …, mish mitʾakked.