Egyptian Arabic A1, Unit 14: Yesterday and last week

Yesterday and last week

Egyptian Arabic A1 · Unit 14

GoalSay when something happened with time words.

New words

إِمْبَارِح (imbāriḥ) · yesterdayأَوِّل إِمْبَارِح (awwil imbāriḥ) · the day before yesterdayإِمْبَارِح الصُّبْح (imbāriḥ iṣ-ṣubḥ) · yesterday morningإِمْبَارِح بِاللَّيْل (imbāriḥ billēl) · last nightالأُسْبُوع اللِّي فَات (il-usbūʿ illi fāt) · last weekمِن زَمَان (min zamān) · a long time ago

Explanation

Put the time word first and then the past verb. إِمْبَارِح means «yesterday». You can add الصُّبْح or بِاللَّيْل to it. أَوِّل إِمْبَارِح is «the day before yesterday». Learn الأُسْبُوع اللِّي فَات as one piece: it means «last week». The verb already shows the past, so the sentence needs nothing more: إِمْبَارِح رُحْت السُّوق.

Time	Say	Example
yesterday	إِمْبَارِح	إِمْبَارِح أَكَلْت
last night	إِمْبَارِح بِاللَّيْل	إِمْبَارِح بِاللَّيْل نِمْت
two days ago	أَوِّل إِمْبَارِح	أَوِّل إِمْبَارِح اِشْتَغَلْت
last week	الأُسْبُوع اللِّي فَات	الأُسْبُوع اللِّي فَات سَافَرْت

Worked examples

Hana

إِنْتَ رُحْت فِين إِمْبَارِح؟

Omar

رُحْت السُّوق.

Hana

وِأَوِّل إِمْبَارِح؟

Omar

أَوِّل إِمْبَارِح اِشْتَغَلْت.

Hana

وِالأُسْبُوع اللِّي فَات؟

Omar

رُحْت الإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّة.

Hana asks Omar. Press each line.

Time chunks. Press each card.

Class activity

Write four sentences about yesterday or last week. Use رُحْت، أَكَلْت، شُفْت (I saw) and نِمْت (I slept). Then ask a friend: إِنْتَ عَمَلْت إِيه إِمْبَارِح؟

Practice

Say «yesterday».

Say «last night I slept».

The picture shows a calendar. Say «last week».

Ask this man what he did yesterday.

Press Listen. When did it happen?

Yesterday and work: the past tense

Yesterday and last week