Vocabulary

Learn New Words FAST with this Lesson’s Vocab Review List

Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Alisha: Slang to Express Uncertainty
Alisha: Hi everyone, and welcome back to ArabicPod101.com. I'm Alisha.
Sherif: And I'm Sherif!
Alisha: This is Must-Know Egyptian Arabic Slang Words and Phrases, Season 1, Lesson 1. In this lesson you'll learn slang to express uncertainty.
Alisha: These expressions are used if the situation is uncertain or if you want to add uncertainty to the events you are talking or asking about.
SLANG EXPRESSIONS
Alisha: The expressions you will be learning in this lesson are:
Sherif: متهيئلي (methayyaʾlī)
Sherif: يعمل من بنها (yeʿmel men banhā)
Sherif: إن شاء الله (ʾen šāʾ allah)
Sherif: سبع ولا ضبع؟ (sabʿ wallā ḍabʿ?)
Alisha: Sherif, what's our first expression?
Sherif: متهيئلي (methayyaʾlī)
Alisha: literally meaning "to imagine." But when it's used as a slang expression, it means "to think."
Sherif: [SLOW] متهيئلي [NORMAL] متهيئلي
Alisha: Listeners, please repeat.
Sherif: متهيئلي
[pause - 5 sec.]
Alisha: Use this slang expression when you want to show that you aren't entirely sure about a certain fact.
Alisha : Now let's hear an example sentence.
Sherif: [NORMAL] .متهيألي إني شفتك في حتة قبل كده [SLOW] .متهيألي إني شفتك في حتة قبل كده
Alisha: "I think I saw you somewhere before."
Sherif: [NORMAL] .متهيألي إني شفتك في حتة قبل كده
Alisha: Okay, what's the next expression?
Sherif: يعمل من بنها (yeʿmel men banhā)
Alisha: literally meaning "to act as if he comes from Banha." But when it's used as a slang expression, it means "to pretend that you don't know something."
Sherif: [SLOW] يعمل من بنها [NORMAL] يعمل من بنها
Alisha: Listeners, please repeat.
Sherif: يعمل من بنها
[pause - 5 sec.]
Alisha: Use this slang expression when you want to say that you or someone suddenly pretended not to know something, even though they did.
Alisha : Now let's hear an example sentence.
Sherif: [NORMAL] .سألته, راح عمل من بنها [SLOW] .سألته, راح عمل من بنها
Alisha: "I asked him, but he pretended not to know."
Sherif: [NORMAL] .سألته, راح عمل من بنها
Alisha: Okay, what's our next expression?
Sherif: إن شاء الله (ʾen šāʾ allah)
Alisha: literally meaning "If God wills." But when it's used as a slang expression, it means "hopefully."
Sherif: [SLOW] إن شاء الله [NORMAL] إن شاء الله
Alisha: Listeners, please repeat.
Sherif: إن شاء الله
[pause - 5 sec.]
Alisha: Use this slang expression when you don't want to give someone a 100% sure answer to a Yes/No question.
Alisha : Now let's hear an example sentence.
Sherif: [NORMAL] .أنا هنزل بكرة بدري إن شاء الله [SLOW] .أنا هنزل بكرة بدري إن شاء الله
Alisha: "Hopefully, I will go out early tomorrow."
Sherif: [NORMAL] .أنا هنزل بكرة بدري إن شاء الله
Alisha: Okay, what's the last expression?
Sherif: سبع ولا ضبع؟ (sabʿ wallā ḍabʿ?)
Alisha: literally meaning "Lion or hyena?" But when it's used as a slang expression, it means "Did you manage to do it or not?"
Sherif: [SLOW] سبع ولا ضبع؟ [NORMAL] سبع ولا ضبع؟
Alisha: Listeners, please repeat.
Sherif: سبع ولا ضبع؟
[pause - 5 sec.]
Alisha: Use this slang expression when you want to ask someone whether he could manage to do something or not.
Alisha : Now let's hear an example sentence.
Sherif: [NORMAL] إيه الأخبار؟ سبع ولا ضبع؟ [SLOW] إيه الأخبار؟ سبع ولا ضبع؟
Alisha: "What happened? Did you manage to pull it off?"
Sherif: [NORMAL] إيه الأخبار؟ سبع ولا ضبع؟
QUIZ
Alisha: Okay listeners, are you ready to be quizzed on the expressions you just learned? I will describe four situations, and you will choose the right expression to use in your reply. Are you ready?
Alisha: Your friend pretends they forgot about their promise to meet on the weekend. What do you say?
[pause - 5 sec.]
Sherif: يعمل من بنها
Alisha: "to pretend that you don't know something"
Alisha: You are not 100% sure if the internet password you gave your guest is correct. What do you say?
[pause - 5 sec.]
Sherif: متهيئلي
Alisha: "to think"
Alisha: Your friend is back from his job interview. What do you say to him?
[pause - 5 sec.]
Sherif: سبع ولا ضبع؟
Alisha: "Did you manage to do it or not?"
Alisha: Your friends calls to confirm that you are still going to the party. You intend to go. What do you say?
[pause - 5 sec.]
Sherif: إن شاء الله
Alisha: "hopefully"

Outro

Alisha: There you have it; you have mastered four Egyptian Arabic Slang Expressions! We have more vocab lists available at ArabicPod101.com so be sure to check them out. Thanks everyone, and see you next time!
Sherif: .سَلام

Comments

Hide