Egyptian Arabic A1, Unit 3: What is your name?

What is your name?

Egyptian Arabic A1 · Unit 3

GoalAsk someone his or her name, to a man and to a woman.

New words

اِسْمَك إِيه؟ (ismak ēh?) · what is your name? (to a man)اِسْمِك إِيه؟ (ismik ēh?) · what is your name? (to a woman)إِنْتَ (inta) · you (to a man)إِنْتِي (inti) · you (to a woman)أَنَا (ana) · I

Explanation

The ending ـَك means “your” to a man and ـِك means “your” to a woman. So اِسْمَك إِيه؟ is for a man and اِسْمِك إِيه؟ is for a woman. The word إِيه means “what”. Again there is no “is”: “your name what?” For “I” say أَنَا; for “you” say إِنْتَ to a man and إِنْتِي to a woman. To ask back, say وِإِنْتَ؟ or وِإِنْتِي؟ as in unit 2.

Meaning	To a man	To a woman
What is your name?	اِسْمَك إِيه؟	اِسْمِك إِيه؟
You	إِنْتَ	إِنْتِي
My name (is) …	اِسْمِي …	اِسْمِي …

Worked examples

Omar

أَهْلًا. اِسْمِك إِيه؟

Salma

اِسْمِي سَلْمَى. وِإِنْتَ، اِسْمَك إِيه؟

Omar

اِسْمِي عُمَر.

Omar asks Salma, then she asks him.

Maryam

صَبَاح الخَيْر. اِسْمَك إِيه؟

Ahmed

صَبَاح النُّور. اِسْمِي أَحْمَد. وِإِنْتِي؟

Maryam

اِسْمِي مَرْيَم.

Maryam asks Ahmed. Notice the forms.

The two questions.

Class activity

Ask three people their names in Arabic. If you speak to a man use ـَك, if you speak to a woman use ـِك. If there is nobody near you, ask the people in a photo or on a film poster.

Practice

You ask this woman her name. What do you say?

You ask this man his name. What do you say?

Listen. A man says his name. Which name do you hear: Mina, Omar or Karim?

What does إِيه mean?

Say: “I am Karim. And you?” to a woman.

Introductions

What is your name?