Ahlan, Arabic lovers! In today’s post, we are going to learn some Egyptian Arabic. After I gave it some thought, I guessed it would be nice to start with the interrogative (question) particles. I have already presented two posts about Interrogative Particles (Part 1) and (Part 2) in Modern Standard Arabic. These standard particles are not likely to save you in the streets and markets of Cairo or Alexandria as you will seem weird! Now, if you go back to the previous posts, it will be much easier for you to understand the colloquial counterparts. Remember that colloquial is made up for everyday life; that is to make communication easier and faster!

Wh-Questions:

1- مينْ /mean/ = مـَــنْ /mann/ = Who?

The following youtube video has an extract from a famous Egyptian play. Listen to the question particle in a funny song 🙂

2- إيه /eeh/ = مَا /ma/ = مَاذا /ma’tha/ = What?

Watch the following video clip and listen to the question word in the song of Hakeem J

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoG_ZF4Mkpo

3- اِمتى /em’ta/ = مـَـتـى /ma’ta/ = When?

Listen to Asmahan singing امتى in her classic film غرام و انتقام (Love and Revenge)

4- فين /feen/ = أيـنَ /Ayna/ = Where?

Enjoy this funny kids’ song with فين

5- كام /k’am/ = كــَــمْ /kamm/ = How many? (Number or Quantity)

Watch Hisham Abbas wondering كام مرة  (How many times?) in this song J

6- بـِـكام /be’kam/ = بــِــكــَــمْ / be’kamm/ = How much? (Price)

As you notice, this particle has the preposition بــِــ added at the beginning. The following song of Hameed Al-Sha’iri has the word repeated. Listen J

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohZgvkswnr0

7- اِزاى /ezzay/ = كـيـفَ /kay’fa/ = How?

Listen to Mohammad Munir singing اِزاى after the January Egyptian Revolution J

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy6Zq1ZlvII

8- لـِــيــه /leeh/ = لــِــمَ /Le’ma/ = لــِــمــَــاذا /Le’matha/ = Why?

Yes/No-Questions:

    Now, how to make a Yes/No-question in Egyptian Arabic? Actually, there is no yes/no-question particles in colloquial or Egyptian Arabic. Simply, use the statement (Nominative or Verbal sentence and change your voice accent into a questioning tune. This is very similar to French.

Ex.     A- أنت رايح المدرسة؟ = You are going to school?

  B- أيوة  /ay’wah/ = Yes.

         A- بتكتب الواجب؟ = Are you doing your homework?

        B- لأ /la’/ = No.

        A- تِشربْ شاى؟ = Drink tea? (Would you like to?)

       B- لو سمحت. /law sa’maht/ = Please.

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More blogs on Colloquial and Egyptian Arabic:

• The Arabic Headache; Dialect!
• Arabic! Which Arabic?
• Cairene Arabic; What? Why? How?
• How to Learn Egyptian Arabic

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Check us back Soon!

Peace ســلام /Salam/