3
Adjectives
Egyptian Arabic A1 · Unit 7
GoalDescribe a thing with an adjective that matches the noun.
New words
كِبِير (kibīr) · bigصُغَيَّر (ṣughayyar) · smallجَدِيد (gadīd) · newقَدِيم (ʾadīm) · oldحِلْو (ḥilw) · nice, pretty, sweetكُوَيِّس (kuwayyis) · good, fineأَوِي (awi) · veryمِش (mish) · not
Explanation
An adjective comes after the noun: كِتَاب جَدِيد (a new book). A feminine noun needs a feminine adjective: add ـَة, as in شَنْطَة جَدِيدَة. A sentence needs no «is»: الكِتَاب جَدِيد means «the book is new». Put مِش before the adjective to say «not»: مِش جَدِيد. أَوِي means «very» and goes after the adjective: كِبِير أَوِي. حِلْو and كُوَيِّس are everyday Egyptian words for «nice» and «good».
| Masculine | Feminine | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| كِبِير | كِبِيرَة | big |
| صُغَيَّر | صُغَيَّرَة | small |
| جَدِيد | جَدِيدَة | new |
| قَدِيم | قَدِيمَة | old |
| حِلْو | حِلْوَة | nice, pretty |
| كُوَيِّس | كُوَيِّسَة | good |
Worked examples
A noun and its adjective. Press each card.
Salma
الشَّنْطَة دِي جَدِيدَة؟
Omar
مِش جَدِيدَة، قَدِيمَة.
Salma
حِلْوَة أَوِي!
Big and small.
Class activity
Describe five things in your room with a noun and an adjective, for example كُرْسِي قَدِيم or مَدْرَسَة كِبِيرَة. Check each time: is the noun masculine or feminine? Then say each sentence with «the» and with مِش, for example الكُرْسِي مِش جَدِيد.
Practice
1
Press Listen. After the word you hear, which adjective fits: جَدِيد or جَدِيدَة?
جَدِيدَة, because عَرَبِيَّة is feminine.
2
Say «the book is old».
الكِتَاب قَدِيم.
3
Say «the school is very big».
المَدْرَسَة كِبِيرَة أَوِي.
4
Say «the chair is not new».
الكُرْسِي مِش جَدِيد.
5
Make «good» feminine.
كُوَيِّسَة (kuwayyisa).