Egyptian Arabic A1, Unit 4: I, you, he, she

I, you, he, she

Egyptian Arabic A1 · Unit 4

GoalSay I, you, he, she, we, you (all) and they.

New words

أَنَا (ana) · Iإِنْتَ (inta) · you (to a man)إِنْتِي (inti) · you (to a woman)هُوَّ (huwwa) · heهِيَّ (hiyya) · sheإِحْنَا (iḥna) · weإِنْتُو (intu) · you (all)هُمَّا (humma) · they

Explanation

These small words are called pronouns. Egyptian has two words for “you” to one person: إِنْتَ for a man and إِنْتِي for a woman. إِنْتُو is “you” for two people or more. For “he” and “she” say هُوَّ and هِيَّ. For “we” say إِحْنَا and for “they” say هُمَّا, for men, women or both. The letter ح in إِحْنَا is the breathy ḥ. Often the pronoun is left out when it is clear who speaks.

Person	Egyptian	Read
I	أَنَا	ana
you (man)	إِنْتَ	inta
you (woman)	إِنْتِي	inti
he	هُوَّ	huwwa
she	هِيَّ	hiyya
we	إِحْنَا	iḥna
you (all)	إِنْتُو	intu
they	هُمَّا	humma

Worked examples

One person: I, you, he, she.

More than one person.

Ahmed

أَنَا أَحْمَد. هِيَّ مَرْيَم.

Maryam

وِهُوَّ؟ هُوَّ عُمَر؟

Ahmed

أَيْوَه، هُوَّ عُمَر.

Pronouns in short sentences.

Class activity

Point at people or photos around you. Say the right pronoun for each: أَنَا for yourself, إِنْتَ or إِنْتِي for someone in front of you, هُوَّ or هِيَّ for a person you talk about, هُمَّا for a group.

Practice

Which pronoun do you use to talk to this woman?

Say “he” about this man.

Listen to the name. Is it a man's or a woman's name? Which pronoun fits: هُوَّ or هِيَّ?

Which pronoun means “we”?

When do you use هُمَّا?

I, you, he, she; countries

I, you, he, she