Egyptian Arabic A1, Unit 4: Where are you from?

Where are you from?

Egyptian Arabic A1 · Unit 4

GoalAsk and answer questions about where a person is from.

New words

هُوَّ مِن فِين؟ (huwwa min fēn?) · where is he from?هِيَّ مِن فِين؟ (hiyya min fēn?) · where is she from?إِنْتَ مِصْرِي؟ (inta miṣri?) · are you Egyptian? (to a man)إِنْتِي مِصْرِيَّة؟ (inti miṣriyya?) · are you Egyptian? (to a woman)أَيْوَه (aywa) · yesلَأ (laʾ) · no

Explanation

Use هُوَّ and هِيَّ to ask about a man or a woman: هُوَّ مِن فِين؟ and هِيَّ مِن فِين؟. You can answer with the country or with the nationality: هُوَّ مِن مِصْر or هُوَّ مِصْرِي. For a yes–no question, say the sentence with a rising voice: إِنْتَ مِصْرِي؟. Answer أَيْوَه or لَأ. After لَأ you can add the right answer: لَأ، أَنَا مِش مِصْرِي. أَنَا أُوزْبَكِي.

Question	Answer
هُوَّ مِن فِين؟	هُوَّ مِن مِصْر
هِيَّ مِن فِين؟	هِيَّ رُوسِيَّة
إِنْتَ مِصْرِي؟	أَيْوَه، أَنَا مِصْرِي
إِنْتِي مِصْرِيَّة؟	لَأ، أَنَا تُرْكِيَّة

Worked examples

Omar

هِيَّ مِن فِين؟

Mina

هِيَّ مِن مِصْر. هِيَّ مِصْرِيَّة.

Omar

وِهُوَّ؟

Mina

هُوَّ مِن أُوزْبَكِسْتَان.

Omar asks Mina about two people.

Salma

إِنْتَ مِصْرِي؟

Karim

لَأ، أَنَا مِش مِصْرِي. أَنَا رُوسِي.

A yes–no question and a no.

Two questions with هُوَّ and هِيَّ.

Class activity

Look at the four people in a family photo or on TV. Ask yourself in Arabic: هُوَّ مِن فِين؟ or هِيَّ مِن فِين؟. Give an answer with the country and an answer with the nationality.

Practice

Ask where this woman is from, talking about her.

Answer: لَأ، … Say “No, I am not Egyptian. I am Turkish” (a woman).

Listen to the nationality. Is it the man's form or the woman's form?

Say: “Are you Uzbek?” to a man.

Say “yes” and “no” in Egyptian.

I, you, he, she; countries

Where are you from?