Dialogue - Standard Arabic
| A: | مرحبا |
| B: | مرحبا، كيف حالك؟ |
| A: | بخير الحمد للّه، و أنت؟ |
| B: | بخير، الحمد للّه. |
Learn basic greetings
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
| A: | مرحبا |
| B: | مرحبا، كيف حالك؟ |
| A: | بخير الحمد للّه، و أنت؟ |
| B: | بخير، الحمد للّه. |
A: | السلام عليكم | ||
B: | و عليكم السلام، كيف دايرة؟ | ||
A: | لباس، الحمد للّه. و انت؟ | ||
B: | بخير الحمد للّه. |
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بخير (Standard) biḫayr fine | |||
كيف حالك؟ kayfa ḥal-uka? How are you? (masc. singular) | ||||
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كيف حالك؟ kaifa ḥaaluki? How are you? (fem. singular) | |||
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الحمد لله al-ḥamdu lillaah Praise be to God. | |||
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مرحبا marḥaban Hello, hi. |
In today's lesson, we will cover the usage of the question "kayfa ḥaaluki?" (How are you?) This question is made up of two words: kayfa (how) and ḥaaluki (you're doing). This expression changes depending on whether you're addressing a man or a woman, in a singular or plural form. What changes in the phrase is the second word "ḥaaluki." Literally, "ḥaaluki" can be translated as "your state", meaning "How's your state / How are you?" Its equivalent in the masculine form is "ḥaaluka." Therefore, "kayfa ḥaaluka?" means "How are you?" when addressing a man. Note that the only difference is the sound "a" at the end of the suffix "ka" that indicates the possessive "your." Now, let's go back to where this appeared in the conversation. Since Maryam is talking to Amina, a woman, naturally she uses the feminine form of "how are you" which is "kayfa ḥaaluki?" To recap, "How are you?" is "kayfa ḥaaluki?" when addressing a woman and "kayfa ḥaaluka?" when addressing a man. In the next Newbie lesson, we will learn how to say "How are you?" when addressing a group of people.
Referring to God, "Allah", in conversations and language is pretty common in Arabic. Since Islam is the dominant religion in Arab countries, people always use expressions such as “In the name of God” (bismi llaah) or “Thanks be to God” ('al-ḥamdu lillah). In our dialog today, we used the expression "biḫayr, 'al-ḥamdu lillaah" (I'm fine, thanks be to God) as a typical response to "How are you?" In this case, the speaker is thanking God for good health and well being. People in Arabic-speaking countries also use this expression in various other contexts, like after finishing a meal. Typically, one would say "'al-ḥamdu lillaah", and in this case, it means "Thanks be to God" for the good food.
INTRODUCTION |
Munia: Hello and welcome to ArabicPod101.com. My name is Munia and I’m joined here by Shama. كيف حالك؟ |
Shama: بخير، شكرا Today we have the first lesson of our Arabic newbie series. This series focuses on the essentials of standard Arabic for anyone who is in the early stages of language learning. Here we take a fun, innovative approach to learning not just Arabic, but also about the Arabic speaking world. |
Munia: That’s right! In addition to covering grammar, listening comprehension, reading comprehension, vocabulary and speech, you know, all the things to ensure you a solid foundation, ArabicPod0101.com also offers you cultural insight. |
Shama: Insider tips and a look at Arabic and Arabic culture throughout the Arab world. |
Munia: So join us as we build the most comprehensive Arabic language learning site ever created. Take your studies to the next level by stopping by the learning center at ArabicPod101.com. |
Shama: And reinforce your Arabic by using the grammar bank of the learning center at ArabicPod101.com. |
Munia: Don’t forget to press the center button on your iPod to see the lesson transcript in your display. |
Shama: Ok, Munia. Can you set the stage for this lesson’s conversation? |
Munia: Sure. This lesson’s conversation takes place at the train station. The conversation is between two people, Meriam and Amina, who are meeting each other for the first time. So the conversation will be in formal Arabic. I will be Meriam, while Shama will be Amina. |
Shama: Ok. Here we go. |
Now Playing: Audio - Moroccan
Now Playing: Dialog - Moroccan
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Now Playing: Review Track - Moroccan
Now Playing: Lesson Dialogue
Comments
HideWhether on a business trip, involved in a community project, meeting your in-laws or simply backpacking, there will be an occasion when you will meet and greet an Arabic-speaking person. Have you had the chance yet?
Hi Jesse! 😊
Thank you for reaching out with your question! It's wonderful to hear that you are interested in singing in Egyptian Arabic. 🎶
For absolute beginners, both singing and learning the language itself can be beneficial. Singing can help with pronunciation and memorization of vocabulary, as music often makes it easier to remember words and phrases. On the other hand, learning the language itself will give you a deeper understanding of grammar and sentence structure.
We recommend combining both approaches: enjoy learning through songs you love while also studying the language to build a solid foundation. This way, you can appreciate the beauty of the language and improve your skills effectively.
إذا كان لديك أي أسئلة، يرجى إعلامنا. (Itha kan ladayka ay as'ilah, yurja i'lamna. "If you have any questions, please let us know.")
Team ArabicPod101.com
Hi so I have a question, " as I am currently a American l have always wanted to be able to sing in fluent beautiful Egyptian/Arabic, question is for a absolutely new beginner is it easier for one to grasp the language better through singing or the language it's self?
A Friend, HJs.a.c.
Hi Finn Bruhn!
Thank you for your interesting question! 😊
In terms of the ratio between Standard Arabic (الفصحى / al-Fusha) and the Arabic spoken in Syria (العامية السورية / al-‘Aamiyah al-Suriyah), it's important to note that Standard Arabic is the formal language used in writing, official speeches, and media across the Arab world. However, in everyday conversations, people in Syria and the Levant region generally use their local dialect.
Standard Arabic provides a strong foundation, covering grammar and vocabulary that are understood across all Arabic-speaking countries. However, the spoken dialects, including Syrian Arabic, have their own unique vocabulary, pronunciation, and expressions.
While it's hard to quantify an exact percentage, many learners find that understanding Standard Arabic allows them to grasp the basic structure and vocabulary, which can then be adapted to understand the local dialects. It might be less than 90% in terms of conversational fluency, as dialects have their own nuances and expressions.
We hope this helps clarify your question! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
شكرًا لك (Shukran lak, "Thank you")
Team ArabicPod101.com
Hi Kateinnakajima!
❤️ شكراً لك على تفاعلك! (Shukran laka 'ala tafa'uluk! "Thank you for your interaction!") If you have any questions or notes, feel free to share them with us. We're here to help you with your Arabic learning journey.
Looking forward to seeing you often here.
شكراً (Shukran, "Thank you")
Team ArabicPod101.com
Hi Rabia!
Thank you for your kind words and enthusiasm! 😊 We're thrilled to hear that our teachings have been helpful to you on your Arabic learning journey.
Feel free to let us know if you have any questions.
شكرًا لك (Shukran lak / Thank you)
Team ArabicPod101.com
What is the ratio between Standard Arabic and the Arabic spoken in Syria? How much does Standard Arabic cover compared to the Arabic spoken in Syria Levant 90% or less
Best regards from Denmark
❤️
مرحبًا! (Marhaban! / Hi!) Ariella Cabrera,
That's great!! We're so glad to hear you're enjoying learning Arabic! 😊
نحن سعداء جدًا لسماع أنك تستمتعين بتعلم اللغات المختلفة طوال الوقت! 🌟 (Nahnu sa'idun jiddan lisama' anna ki tastamti'een bita'allum al-lughat al-mukhtalifah tawaal al-waqt! / We are very happy to hear that you enjoy learning different languages all the time!)
Keep up the great enthusiasm, and if you have any questions about learning Arabic, feel free to ask.
Looking forward to seeing you often here.
شكرًا لك (Shukran lak / Thank you)
Team ArabicPod101.com
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm really glad to hear that the teachings have been helpful for me. Learning Arabic is a rewarding journey, and I’m happy to assist with this part. Yes, if all the sections and lessons become free, I’d continue this page more because it would help me to learn and understand Arabic better.
I really enjoyed learning Arabic 👍😎
أنا أستمتع بتعلم لغات مختلفة طوال الوقت
Hi Ahmed!
Thank you so much for your kind words! 😊 نحن سعداء جداً لسماع أنك تحب أداة التعلم الخاصة بنا (naḥnu saʿīdūn jiddan lisamāʿ annaka tuḥibb ʾadāt al-taʿallum al-khāṣṣa binā) (We are very happy to hear that you love our learning tool).
If you have any questions, please let us know.
شكراً لك (Shukran lak, "Thank you")
Team ArabicPod101.com
Love it a great learning tool
وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ Wentana! 🌟
Thank you for your thoughtful question. "Alhamdulillah" (الحمد لله) can indeed be translated in a couple of ways. The most common translation is "Praise be to God," which is why it might have been the expected answer in your test. However, it can also be understood as "Thanks be to God" in certain contexts. The phrase encompasses both gratitude and praise, so both translations capture its essence, but "Praise be to God" is more widely used.
In addition, please note that our Quiz section is an automatic system, thus very sensitive.
If you don’t use the exact same words that are in the vocab section, it will mark the entry wrong.
Even if you miss adding the punctuation.
Our team is working on a better system. Thank you for your patience in the meantime.
Keep up the great work, and don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions!
شكرًا لك (Thank you)
Team ArabicPod101.com
السَّلاَمُ عَلِيكُمْ
I just took the writing question test I got all answers correct Alhamdulillah except one. In the section for translating Alhamdulillah, I wrote All thanks be to God and it marked me wrong with the correct answer showing on the test as being " Praise be to God".
In the lesson on the Dialogue Section Alhamdulillah was translated to English as "Thanks be to God".
So is Alhamdulillah Praise be to God or Thanks be to God or can mean both as interchangeable English equivalent of the phrase.
Thank you for your reply to my question.
Hi Candis,
We apologize for the inconvenience, but it is generally a good idea to learn to read and write in Arabic before moving forward with the rest of the lessons. Please make use of out Arabic Alphabet Made Easy series to help out with that!
Nora
Team ArabicPod101.com
hello. I can't quite take a quiz because there is no Romanism in the quiz only arabic letters and I am not familiar with them
Hello Kerstin,
Thank you for joining us! 👍👍👍
We're glad to have you at ArabicPod101.com!
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Best regards
Labdhie
Team ArabicPod101.com
😄
Hello Rushikesh,
A big thank you for your post and kind feedback!❤️
We're glad to have you with us! 👍
Please let us know if any questions arise throughout your studies.
Sincerely,
Ali
Team ArabicPod101.com