Showing posts with label negation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label negation. Show all posts
laa t7ik!
Yes, ash-shitaa2 ('the winter') brings with it frosty nights and dull days, but one of the reasons I grew to love it includes its lack of mosquitoes.
My patience is ma7duud, so when a sad, red welt appears on a leg or arm, I have to go for it. "laa t7ikiin!" comes the voice of reason, making me pocket the offending fingers. That is, until my accuser gets bitten in turn and then we're both shouting each other to "laa t7ik!" and "laa t7ikiin!" as well as co-sharing the scratching ritual.
The you-scratch-my-back-and-I'll-scratch-yours drill is deeply unsexy to an outsider, but one of near-perfect harmony and satisfaction for those involved.
That is, until life rushes in and someone inevitably says laazim amshii al-7ayn.
Arabic
|
Pronounced?
|
English
|
لا تحك!
|
laa t7ik!
|
don’t scratch! (>m)
|
لا تحكين!
|
laa t7ikiin!
|
don’t scratch! (>f)
|
لا تحكون!
|
laa t7ikuun!
|
don’t scratch! (>pl)
|
محدود
|
mahduud
|
limited (m)
|
محدودة
|
mahduudah
|
limited (f)
|
محدودين
|
mahduudiin
|
limited (pl)
|
لازم أمشي الحين
|
laazim amshii al-7ayn
|
I have to go now
|
maabii
 |
| Audio with Theyab's pronunciation |
It seems that I may have a weakness for
the voice of actor Matthew McConaughey. Something that T. is less than happy about.
"widd-ich that you are
married to Matthew McConaughey?" he asks one day.
"No!"
I laugh. "Not after his last Oscars' speech! Why do you ask? Do you want to
have a second wife or something?"
Cue a long, awkward pause.
"maabii,"
he says. "Anyway, 7abiibtii, it's not legal to marry virtual assistants. Yet."
ودچ
| widd-ich | Do you wish (>f) |
| مابي | maabii | I don't want (that) |
| حبيبتي | 7abiibtii | Darling |
maa yihim-nii
|
| Audio with Theyab's pronunciation |
3aadatan we offload onto an-naas who
are closest to us.
And once we get started, it's hard to stop.
"This happened to me the other
day," somebody might complain, "ham
hadhaa ... wa ham hadhaa."
"maa
yihim-nii."
| عادتا | 3aadatan | Usually |
| الناس | an-naas | The people |
| هم هذا و هذا | ham hadhaa wa hadhaa | And this and that |