☰ Units · Egyptian Arabic A1

Welcome to Egyptian Arabic

Unit 1 · Part A · Egyptian Arabic A1 (Beginners)
5

Reading the first words

Egyptian Arabic A1 · Unit 1
GoalRead the first 15 Egyptian words by yourself.
New words
شَاي (shāy) · teaلَبَن (laban) · milkرَاجِل (rāgil) · manتَمَام (tamām) · fine, OK
Explanation

Follow the same plan for every word. First find the letter at the far right. Say the letter with its mark. Move one letter to the left and say the next sound. Put the sounds together and say the word aloud. Then check with the transliteration beside it. The letter ة at the end of a word is said a: مَدْرَسَة madrasa. In most words the stress falls on the long vowel: kitāb, gamīl. Read the 15 words in the table slowly, three times.

ArabicReadMeaning
بَابbābdoor
بَيْتbēthouse
كِتَابkitābbook
قَلَمʾalampen
وَلَدwaladboy
بِنْتbintgirl
مِصْرmiṣrEgypt
قَهْوَةʾahwacoffee
شَايshāytea
مَيَّةmayyawater
مَدْرَسَةmadrasaschool
يَوْمyōmday
جَمِيلgamīlbeautiful
كِبِيرkibīrbig
سُكَّرsukkarsugar
Worked examples
Two words together make a small phrase. Read each, then listen.
A real question in an Egyptian café, and a way to have tea.
مَma+دْd+رَra+سَsa+ةa
Break the word مَدْرَسَة into its sounds, from right to left on the page.
Class activity

Read the 15 words aloud, then cover the “Read” column with your hand and read them again. Copy five words into your notebook and write the meaning under each.

Practice
1
Read the word. How do you say it?

قَهْوَة

2
Which word means “big”: كِبِير or جَمِيل?
3
Listen. Which word do you hear: ḥāga (thing), kitāb (book) or shāy (tea)?
4
Read بَيْت كِبِير. What does it mean?
5
Write “house” in Arabic.