Egyptian Arabic A1, Unit 14: Yesterday’s story: review

Yesterday’s story: review

Egyptian Arabic A1 · Unit 14

GoalTell a short story about yesterday and say what you did not do.

New words

شُفْت (shuft) · I sawنِمْت (nimt) · I sleptعَمَلْت (ʿamalt) · I didاِشْتَغَلْت (ishtaghalt) · I workedكَتَبْت (katabt) · I wroteمَشُفْتِش (mashuftish) · I did not see

Explanation

Join the past forms into a short story. Start with a time word, then give the actions in order with وِ and بَعْدِين. To say «did not», put مَـ before the verb and -ِش after it: شُفْت becomes مَشُفْتِش, and رُحْت becomes مَرُحْتِش. For a woman speaking about herself, «I» is the same as for a man. For other people change the end: -ِت for «she», -ْنَا for «we» and -ـُوا for «they».

Say	Meaning
إِمْبَارِح رُحْت وِشُفْت	yesterday I went and saw
بَعْدِين أَكَلْت وِنِمْت	then I ate and slept
مَشُفْتِش	I did not see
مَرُحْتِش	I did not go

Worked examples

Yusuf

إِنْتِي عَمَلْتِي إِيه إِمْبَارِح؟

Salma

رُحْت الجَامْعَة وِبَعْدِين اِشْتَغَلْت.

Yusuf

وِإِمْبَارِح بِاللَّيْل؟

Salma

شُفْت فِيلْم وِنِمْت.

Yusuf

أَنَا مَشُفْتِش فِيلْم.

Salma tells Yusuf about yesterday. Press each line.

Two negative sentences. Press each card.

Class activity

Write a story of five lines about yesterday. Use time words, وِ and بَعْدِين. Add one sentence with «did not». Then ask a friend about his or her day with عَمَلْت إِيه؟ and write the answer.

Practice

Say «I did not see».

Say «yesterday I worked».

Say «last night I slept».

Say «I watched a film».

Ask a woman what she did yesterday.

Yesterday and work: the past tense

Yesterday’s story: review