☰ Units · Egyptian Arabic A1

Questions

Unit 8 · Part B · Egyptian Arabic A1 (Beginners)
1

What, who, where

Egyptian Arabic A1 · Unit 8
GoalAsk what, who and where with إِيه, مِين and فِين.
New words
إِيه (ēh) · whatمِين (mīn) · whoفِين (fēn) · whereمِن فِين (min fēn) · where fromدَه إِيه؟ (da ēh?) · what is this?دِي مِين؟ (di mīn?) · who is this? (a woman)الشَّنْطَة فِين؟ (ish-shanṭa fēn?) · where is the bag?
Explanation

Egyptian question words are short: إِيه (what), مِين (who), فِين (where). They are different from the standard Arabic words, so learn them as they are. The question word usually stays where the answer would be: دَه إِيه؟ means «this is what?». Ask about a person with مِين: دَه مِين؟ for a man and دِي مِين؟ for a woman. Ask about a place with فِين: الشَّنْطَة فِين؟. To ask where someone is from, say إِنْتَ مِن فِين؟ to a man and إِنْتِي مِن فِين؟ to a woman. There is no word for «is».

Question wordAsks aboutExample
إِيهa thingدَه إِيه؟
مِينa personدِي مِين؟
فِينa placeالكِتَاب فِين؟
مِن فِينoriginإِنْتَ مِن فِين؟
Worked examples
Omar

دَه إِيه؟

Salma

دَه كِتَاب.

Omar

وِدِي مِين؟

Salma

دِي هَنَا.

Omar and Salma look at a book and a photo. Press each line.
Where? Two short questions.
Where are you from? A man, a woman and the answer.
Class activity

Ask and answer. Point at six things and ask دَه إِيه؟ or دِي إِيه؟ for each one. Ask about two people in your family: دَه مِين؟ or دِي مِين؟. Then write three questions with فِين, for example الكُرْسِي فِين؟, and answer each with هِنَا or هُنَاك.

Practice
1
Which question word do you use to ask about a person?
2
Ask a woman where she is from.
3
You hold a key and want to ask what it is. What do you say?
4
The picture shows a man. Ask who he is.
5
Say «where is the door?».