Syria Lebanon 3 Transport Language v1 m56577569830512434

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CONTENTS

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LanguageFor most foreigners trying to learn Ara-

bic, the most frustrating aspect is the spo-ken language (wherever you are), as theresvirtually no written material to refer to forback up. Acquisition of MSA is a long-terminvestment, and an esoteric argument flowsback and forth about the relative merits oflearning MSA first (and so perhaps havingto wait some time before being able to com-municate adequately with people in thestreet) or learning a dialect. All this will giveyou an inkling of why so few non-Arabs, ornon-Muslims, develop the urge to embarkon a study of the language.

ARABIC OF THE LEVANTThe Arabic dialects of Syria and Lebanonbelong to a group known as Levantine Ara-bic. As it happens, these spoken varietiesare not too distant from MSA, but in anycase, the words and phrases we offer in thislanguage guide reflect local speech, withany significant differences between the twodialects marked either (Leb) or (Syr). For amore comprehensive guide to LevantineArabic and the other principal languagesand Arabic dialects of the Middle East, geta copy of Loenly Planets compact but com-prehensiveMiddle East Phrasebook.

PRONUNCIATIONPronunciation of Arabic in any of its guisescan be tongue-tying for someone unfamil-iar with the intonation and combination of

sounds. Pronounce the transliterated wordsslowly and clearly.

This language guide should help, butbear in mind that the myriad rules govern-ing pronunciation and vowel use are tooextensive to be covered here.

VowelsTechnically, there are three long and threeshort vowels in Arabic. The reality is a littledifferent, with local dialect and varyingconsonant combinations affecting theirpronunciation. This is the case throughoutthe Arabic-speaking world. More like five

short and five long vowels can be identified;in this guide we use all but the long o (asin or).

Arabic is the official language of both Syriaand Lebanon. Though French is also widelyspoken, and English is rapidly gainingground, any effort to communicate in Ara-bic will be well rewarded. No matter howbad your pronunciation or grammar mightbe, youll often get the response (usuallywith a big smile): Ah, you speak Arabicvery well!. Greeting officials, who are oftenless than helpful, with salaam alaykum(peace be upon you), often works wonders.

Learning a few basics for day-to-day

travelling doesnt take long at all, but tomaster the complexities of Arabic wouldtake years of consistent study. The wholeissue is complicated by the differences be-tween Classical Arabic (fus-ha), its moderndescendant MSA (Modern Standard Ara-bic) and regional dialects. The classicaltongue is the language of the Quran andArabic poetry of centuries past. For long itremained static, but in order to survive ithad to adapt to change, and the result ismore or less MSA, the common language ofthe press, radio and educated discourse. Itis as close to a lingua franca(common lan-

guage) as the Arab world comes, and isgenerally understood if not always wellspoken across the Arab world.

Arabic of the Levant 411

Pronunciation 411Tricky Sounds 413

Transliteration 413

Accommodation 413

Conversation & Essentials 413

Directions 414

Health 415

Emergencies 415

Language Difficulties 415

Numbers 415

Paperwork 416

Shopping & Services 416

Time & Date 416

Transport 417

Travel with Children 418

l o n e l y p l a n e t . c o m l o n e l y p l a n e t . c o m412 L A N G UA G E T h e S t a n d a r d A r a b i c A l p h a b e t L A N G UA G E T r i c k y S o u n d s 413


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a as in hadaa as the a in fathere short,as in bet; long, as in therei as in hitee as in beer, only softero as in hotu as in putoo as in food

ConsonantsPronunciation for all Arabic consonants iscovered in the alphabet table opposite. Notethat when double consonants occur intransliterations, both are pronounced. Forexample, al-hammam(toilet), is pronouncedal-ham-mam.

TRICKY SOUNDSArabic has two sounds that are very trickyfor non-Arabs to produce: the ayn and theglottal stop. The letter ayn represents asound with no English equivalent thatcomes even close. It is similar to the glottalstop (which is not actually represented in

the alphabet), but the muscles at the backof the throat are gagged more forcefully andair is released it has been described as thesound of someone being strangled. In manytransliteration systems ayn is representedby an opening quotation mark, and theglottal stop by a closing quotation mark. Tomake the transliterations in this languageguide (and throughout the rest of the book)easier to use, we have not distinguished be-tween the glottal stop and the ayn, usingthe closing quotation mark to representboth sounds. You should find that Arabicspeakers will still understand you.

TRANSLITERATIONIts worth noting here that transliterationfrom the Arabic script into English or anyother language for that matter is at bestan approximate science.

The presence of sounds unknown inEuropean languages and the fact that thescript is incomplete (most vowels are notwritten) combine to make it nearly impos-sible to settle on one universally acceptedmethod of transliteration. A wide variety ofspellings is therefore possible for wordswhen they appear in Latin script and thatgoes for places and peoples names as well.

The whole thing is further complicatedby the wide variety of dialects and influ-ences, and the problems Arabs themselves

often have in deciding on an appropriatespelling. In Jordan, for example (whereEnglish is likely to play a part), the translit-eration of the same Arabic words may bevery different from what would be renderedin Lebanon and Syria, where French is a keyfactor. Not even the most venerable of west-ern Arabists have been able to come upwith a satisfactory solution.

While striving to reflect the language asclosely as possible and aiming at consist-ency, this book generally anglicises place,street and hotel names and the like the waythe locals have done. Dont be surprised ifyou come across several versions of thesame thing.

ACCOMMODATIONId like to book a ... biddee ehjuz ...Do you have a ...? fi ...? (cheap) room ghurfa (rkheesa) single room ghurfa mufrada double room ghurfa bi sareerayn

for one night li layli waHdefor two nights layltaynMay I see it? mumkin shoofa?Its very noisy/dirty. kteer dajeh/wuskhaHow much is it per addaysh li kul waHid? person?How much is it per addaysh bel layli? night?Where is the wayn al-Hammam? bathroom?Were leaving today. niHna musafireen al-youm

address al-anwaanair-conditioning kondishon/mookayifblanket al-bataaniyya/al-Hremcamp site mukhayamelectricity kahrabahotel funduq/otelhot water mai sukhni (Leb) mai saakhina (Syr)key al-miftaHmanager al-mudeershower dooshsoap saboontoilet twalet (also bet al-mai in Syria)

CONVERSATION & ESSENTIALSArabs place great importance on civilityand its rare to see any interaction between

people that doesnt begin with profusegreetings, enquiries into the others healthand other niceties.

THE STANDARD ARABIC ALPHABET

Final Medial Initial Alone Transliteration Pronunciation

aa as in father

b as in bet

t as in ten

th as in thin

j as in jet

H a strongly whispered h, like a sigh of relief

kh as the ch in Scottish loch

d as in dim

dh as the th in this; also as dor z

r a rolled r, as in the Spanish word caro

z as in zip

s as in so, never as in wisdom

sh as in ship

emphatic s

emphatic d

emphatic t emphatic z

the Arabic letter ayn; pronounce as a glottalstop like the closing of the throat beforesaying Oh-oh! (see Tricky Sounds, opposite)

gh a guttural sound like Parisian r

f as in far

q a strongly guttural k sound; also oftenpronounced as a glottal stop

k as in king

l as in lamb

m as in me n as in name

h as in ham

w as in wet; or

oo long, as in food; or

ow as in how

y as in yes; or

ee as in beer, only softer; or

ai/ay as in aisle/as the ay in day

Vowels Not all Arabic vowel sounds are represented in the alphabet. For more information on the vowel sounds

used in this language guide, see Pronunciation on p411.

Emphatic Consonants To simplify the transliteration system used in this book, the emphatic consonants havenot been included.

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SIGNS

How many kam kilometre? kilometres?What street is this? shoo Hash-shari hayda?(Leb) shoo Hal shanki had? (Syr)on the left ala yasaar/shimaalon the right ala yameenopposite muqaabilstraight ahead dughriat the next corner tanee mafraqthis way min honhere/there hon/honeekin front of amaam/iddaamnear qareebfar baeednorth shimaalsouth janubeast sharqwest gharb

HEALTHIm ill. ana maareed/a(m/f)My friend is ill. sadeeqi maareed(m) sadeeqati maareeda(f)

It hurts here. beeyujani hon

Im ... andee ... asthmatic azmitrabo diabetic sukkari epileptic saraa/alsaaa

Im allergic ... andee Hasasiyya ... to antibiotics min al-mudad alHayawi to aspirin min al-aspireen to penicillin min al-binisileen to bees min al-naHl to nuts min al-mukassarat

antiseptic mutahhiaspirin aspireen/aspro(brand name)Band-Aids plaster

EMERGENCIESHelp me! saaidoonee!Im sick. ana mareed/mareeda (m/f)Call the police! ittusil bil polees!(Leb) ittusil bil shurta!(Syr)doctor duktoor/tabeebhospital al-mustash-fapolice al-polees/ash-shurta(Leb/Syr)

Go away! imshee!/rouh min hoon!Shame (on you)! aayb! (said by woman)

condoms kabootcontraceptive waseela lee mana al-Hamdiarrhoea is-haalfever Hararaheadache wajaa-rashospital mustashfamedicine dawapregnant Hamelprescription wasfa/rashettasanitary napkins fuwat saHiyya

stomachache wajaa fil battusunblock cream krem waki min ashilt al-shamstampons kotex(brand name)

LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIESDo you speak English? bitiHki ingleezi?I understand. ana afhamI dont understand. ana ma bifham

I speak ... ana baHki ... English ingleezi French faransi German almaani

I speak a little Arabic. ana baHki arabi shwayI dont speak Arabic. ana ma beHki arabiI want an interpreter. biddee mutarjemCould you write it mumkin tiktabhu, min fadlak? down, please?How do you say ... kayf tul ... bilarabi? in Arabic?

NUMBERS0 sifr1 waHid2 itnayn/tintayn3 talaata4 arbaa

5 khamsa6 sitta7 sabaa

Arabic greetings are more formal than inEnglish and there is a reciprocal responseto each. These sometimes vary slightly, de-pending on whether youre addressing aman or a woman. A simple encounter canbecome a drawn-out affair, with neitherside wanting to be the one to put a halt tothe stream of greetings and well-wishing.As an ajnabi (foreigner), youre not ex-pected to know all the ins and outs, but ifyou come up with the right expression atthe appropriate moment theyll love it.

The most common greeting is salaamalaykum (peace be upon you), to which thecorrect reply is wa alaykum as-salaam (andupon you be peace). If you get invited to abirthday celebration or are around for anyof the big holidays, the common greeting iskul sana wa intum bikher (I wish you wellfor the coming year).

After having a bath or shower, you willoften hear people say to you naiman, whichroughly means heavenly and boils down toan observation along the lines of nice and

clean now, eh.Arrival in one piece is always somethingto be grateful for. Passengers will often begreeted with il-Hamdu lillah al as-salaama thank God for your safe arrival.

Hi. marHabaHi. (response) marHabtainHello. ahlan wa sahlan or just

ahlan(Welcome)Hello. (response) ahlan beek/i(m/f)

Its an important custom in Lebanon andSyria to ask after a persons or their familyshealth when greeting, eg kayf es-saHa?(How is your health?), kayf ilayli? (How isthe family?). The response is bikher il-Hamdu lillah, (Fine, thank you).

Goodbye. maa salaama/Allah maakGood morning. sabaH al-khayrGood morning. sabaH an-noor (response)Good evening. masa al-khayrGood evening. masa an-noor (response)Good night. tisbaH ala khayrGood night. wa inta min ahlu (response)

Yes. aiwa/naamYeah. ay

No. laPlease. (request) min fadlak/fadleek (m/f) or iza bitreed/bitreedi(m/f) (Leb)Please. (polite) law samaHt/samaHti (m/f)Please. (come in) tafaddal/tafaddali (m/f)/ tafaddaloo (pl)Thank you. shukranThank you very much.shukran kteer/shukran jazeelanYoure welcome. afwanor

tikram/tikrami (m/f)One moment, please. lahza min fadlak/i (m/f)Pardon/Excuse me. afwanSorry! aasif/aasifa! (m/f)No problem. mafi mushkili/moo mushkilaNever mind. maaleshJust a moment. laHzaCongratulations! mabrouk!

Questions like Is the bus coming? or Willthe bank be open later? generally elicit theresponse: in sha Allah God willing anexpression youll hear over and over again.Another common one is ma sha Allah

Gods will be done sometimes a usefulanswer to probing questions about whyyoure not married yet.

How are you? kayf Haalak/Haalik? (m/f)Howre you doing? kayfak/kayfik? (m/f)Fine thank you. bikher il-Hamdu lillahWhats your name? shu-ismak/shu-ismik? (m/f)My name is ... ismi ...Pleased to meet you. tsharrafna/fursa saida(Leb/Syr) (when departing)Nice to meet you. tasharrafna (lit: you honour us)Where are you from? min wayn inta/inti?(m/f)

Im from ... ana min ...Do you like ...? inta/inti bitHeb ...?(m/f)I like ... ana bHeb ...I dont like ... ana ma bHeb ...

I anayou inta/inti (m/f)he huwashe hiyyawe niHnayou intothey homm

DIRECTIONS

How do I get to ...? keef boosal ala ...?Can you show me mumkin tfarjeeni

(on the map)? (ala al-khareeta)?

Entrance Exit Open Closed Prohibited Information Hospital

Police Mens Toilet Womens Toilet

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today al-youmtomorrow bukraday after tomorrow baad bukrayesterday imbaarihminute daqeeqahour saaaday youmweek usboomonth shahryear sanamorning soubeHafternoon baad deherevening massanight layl

Monday al-tenaynTuesday at-talaataWednesday al-arbaaThursday al-khameesFriday al-jumaSaturday as-sabtSunday al-aHad

The Western Calendar MonthsThe Islamic year has 12 lunar months andis 11 days shorter than the Western (Gre-gorian) calendar, so important Muslimdates will occur 11 days earlier each (West-ern) year.

There are two Gregorian calendars in usein the Arab world. In Egypt and westwards,the months have virtually the same namesas in English (January is yanaayir, Octoberis octobir and so on), but in Lebanon andeastwards, the names are quite different.Talking about, say, June as month six isthe easiest solution, but for the sake of com-pleteness, the months from January are:

January kanoon ath-thaniFebruary shubaatMarch azaarApril nisaanMay ayyaarJune HuzayraanJuly tammoozAugust aabSeptember ayloolOctober tishreen al-awalNovember tishreen ath-thaniDecember kaanoon al-awal

The Hejira Calendar Months1st MoHarram2nd Safar

3rd Rabi al-Awal4th Rabay ath-Thaani5th Jumaada al-Awal6th Jumaada al-Akhira7th Rajab8th Shaban9th Ramadan10th Shawwal11th Zuul-Qeda12th Zuul-Hijja

TRANSPORTPublic TransportWhere is ...? wayn/fayn ...? airport al-mataar bus station maHattat al-baas/ maHattat al-karaj ticket office maktab at-tazaakar train station maHattat al-qitaar

What time does ... ay saaa biyitla/biyusal ...?leave/arrive? boat/ferry al-markib/as-safeena (small) boat ash-shakhtura

bus al-baas plane al-teeyara train al-qitaar

Which bus goes to ...? aya baas biyruH ala ...?I want to go to ... ana badeh ruH ala ...Does this bus go hal-baas biyruH ala ...? to ...?How many buses kam baas biyruH ben nahar ...? per day go to ...?How long does the kam saa ar-riHla? trip take?Please tell me when umal maaroof illee lamma

we get to ... noosal la ...

Stop here, please. waif hoon umal maaroofPlease wait for me. umal maaroof unturnee(Leb) umal maaroof istanna(Syr)May I sit here? mumkin aood hoon?May we sit here? mumkin niood hoon?

1st class daraja oola2nd class daraja taaniyaticket at-tazaakarto/from ila/min

Private TransportId like to hire a ... biddee estajer ...Where can I hire a ...? wayn/fayn feeni estajer ...?

bicycle bisklet camel jamal car sayyaara

8 tamanya9 tisa10 ashara11 yeedaash12 yeetnaash13 talaatash14 arbatash15 khamastash16 sittash17 sabatash18 tamantash19 tasatash20 ashreen21 wHid wa ashreen22 itnayn wa ashreen30 talaateen40 arbaeen50 khamseen60 sitteen70 sabaeen80 tamaneen90 tiseen100 miyya (meetbefore a noun)200 miyyatayn

1000 alf2000 alfayn3000 talaat-alaf

PAPERWORKdate of birth tareekh al-meelad/-wilaadaname al-ismnationality al-jenseeyapassport jawaz al-safar(or simply paspor)permit tasriHplace of birth makan al-meelad/-wilaadavisa visa/tashira

SHOPPING & SERVICESIm looking for ... ana abHath ... aanWhere is the ...? wayn/fayn ...?

bank al-bankbeach ash-shaati/al-plaaj/al-baHrchemist/pharmacy as-sayidiliyya (Syr) al-farmashiya (Leb)city/town al-medeenacity centre markaz al-medeenacustoms al-jumrukentrance al-dukhool/al-madkhalexchange office al-masref/al-sarafexit al-khuroojhotel al-funduq/al-otel

information desk istilaamaatlaundry al ghaseelmarket al-sooq

mosque al-jaami/al-masjidmuseum al-matHafnewsagents al-maktabaold city al-medeena al-qadeema/ al-medeena lateeqapassport & maktab al-jawazaat wa al-hijra immigration officepolice ash-shurtapost office maktab al-bareedrestaurant al-mataam

telephone office maktab at-telefon/ maktab al-haaleftemple al-maabadtourist office maktab al-siyaHa

I want to change ... baddee sarref ... money masaari travellers cheques sheeket siyaHiyya

What time does it emta byeftaH? open?What time does it emta bi sakkir? close?Id like to make a fini talfen omol maaroof(Leb)

telephone call. mumkin talfen min fadlak(Syr)

Where can I buy ...? wayn/fayn feeni eshtiree ...?What is this? shu hayda/hada? (Leb/Syr)How much? addaysh? (also bikamin Syr)How many? kim waHid?How much is it? bi addaysh?Thats too expensive. hayda kteer ghaalee(Leb) hada ghalee kheteer(Syr)Is there ...? fee ...?There isnt (any). ma feeMay I look at it? feeni etallaa alaya?(Leb) mumkin shoof? (Syr)

big/bigger kbeer/akbarcheap rkheescheaper arkhasclosed msakkarexpensive ghaalimoney al-fuloos/al-masaariopen maftuHsmall/smaller sagheer/asghar

TIME & DATEWhats the time? addaysh essaaa?When? emta?now hallaafter badaynon time al waket

early bakkeerlate maqardaily kil youm

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donkey Hmaar 4WD jeep horse Hsaan motorcycle motosikl tour guide al-dalee as-siyaaHi/ al-murshid as-siyaaHi

Is this the road to ...? Hal Haza al-tareeq eela ...?

Wheres a service station? wayn/fayn maHaltet al-benzeen?Please fill it up. min fadlak (emla/abee) HaId like (30) litres. biddee talaateen leeter

diesel deezelleaded petrol benzeen bee rasaunleaded petrol benzeen beedoon rasas

(How long) Can I park here? (kam saa) mumkin aas-f hon?Where do I pay?

fayn/wayn mumkin an addfaa?I need a mechanic. bidee mekaneesyan

The car/motorbike has broken down (at ...) al-sayyaara/-mutusikl itatlit (an ...)The car/motorbike wont start. al-sayyaara/-mutusikl ma bit doorI have a flat tyre. nzel al-doolabIve run out of petrol. mafi benzeenor al-benzeen khalasIve had an accident.

aamalt hads

TRAVEL WITH CHILDRENIs there a/an ...? fee ...?I need a/an .... biddee ... car baby seat kursee sayyaara leel bebe disposable nappies pamperz (brand name) nappies/diapers Ha fa daat formula(babys milk) Haleeb bebe highchair kursee atfaal potty muneeyai stroller arabeyet atfaal

Do you mind if I breastfeed here?

mumkin aradda hon?Are children allowed? Hal yousmah leel atfaal?

Also available from Lonely Planet:Middle East Phrasebook


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