Egyptian Arabic A1, Unit 2: Fine, thanks

Fine, thanks

Egyptian Arabic A1 · Unit 2

GoalSay that you are fine and ask the other person back.

New words

أَنَا كُوَيِّس (ana kuwayyis) · I'm fine (a man says)أَنَا كُوَيِّسَة (ana kuwayyisa) · I'm fine (a woman says)تَمَام (tamām) · fine, OKالحَمْدُ لِلَّه (il-ḥamdu lillāh) · thank Godوِإِنْتَ؟ (w-inta?) · and you? (to a man)وِإِنْتِي؟ (w-inti?) · and you? (to a woman)

Explanation

A man answers أَنَا كُوَيِّس and a woman answers أَنَا كُوَيِّسَة. The ending changes with the speaker. You can also say تَمَام, “OK, all good”, for both. Most people add الحَمْدُ لِلَّه, “thank God”: it is simply the normal polite thing to say. Then ask back: وِإِنْتَ؟ to a man or وِإِنْتِي؟ to a woman. وِ (wi) means «and»; before a vowel it is only w: وِإِنْتَ is said w-inta.

Meaning	Egyptian
I'm fine · a man says	أَنَا كُوَيِّس
I'm fine · a woman says	أَنَا كُوَيِّسَة
And you? · to a man	وِإِنْتَ؟
And you? · to a woman	وِإِنْتِي؟

Worked examples

Mina

عَامْلَة إِيه؟

Hana

أَنَا كُوَيِّسَة، الحَمْدُ لِلَّه. وِإِنْتَ؟

Mina

تَمَام، الحَمْدُ لِلَّه.

Mina asks Hana. Hana is a woman, so she says كُوَيِّسَة.

Hana

عَامْلَة إِيه؟

Sara

كُوَيِّسَة. وِإِنْتِي؟

Hana

تَمَام.

Hana and Sara are both women. They use the women's forms.

Two answers, side by side.

Class activity

Practise with a friend or aloud. One of you asks, the other answers. Take turns, and pretend once to be a man and once to be a woman. Always finish with الحَمْدُ لِلَّه and ask back.

Practice

A woman says she is fine. Which word does she use: كُوَيِّس or كُوَيِّسَة?

Listen. A man asks you something. Answer him in Arabic.

Ask a woman “and you?”.

Say: “I'm OK, thank God” (you are a man).

The man in the picture asks you. How do you ask him back?

Greetings and politeness

Fine, thanks