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🇪🇬 Egyptian Arabic · Fluency Level 1

PART 3 · LESSON 21 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES

The Word Is from the Cafe

Mother's Day at the Mansours' in March: Leo praises the cake with a cafe word, Salma stops him in front of Layla, and Madame Nadia gives every slang word its ordinary twin.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

Mother's Day at the Mansours' flat in Heliopolis, a March afternoon, Layla on Salma's lap. Leo says the polite forms to Madame Nadia, who calls him Leo; Salma and Leo speak plainly to each other.

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Words and phrases

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كُلّ سَنَة وِإِنْتِ طَيِّبَة. الكِيكَة جَامْدَة!kull SA-na wi-IN-ti tay-YI-ba ik-KEE-ka GAM-da!Happy Mother's Day. The cake is solid!
جَامْدَة? قُدَّام لَيْلَى?GAM-da 'ud-DAAM LEE-la?Solid? In front of Layla?
آسِف. الكِيكَة حِلْوَة.AA-sif ik-KEE-ka 7IL-wa.Sorry. The cake is lovely.
الكِلْمَة الصَّحّ.ik-KIL-ma is-SA77the proper word, word for word the word the right
قُدَّام البِيبِي الكِلْمَة الصَّحّ يَا لِيُو.'ud-DAAM il-BEE-bi ik-KIL-ma is-SA77 ya LI-yu.In front of the baby, the proper word, Leo.
يَعْنِي زِفْت وِحِش, وِجَامِد حِلْو?YA3-ni zift wi-7ISH wi-GAA-mid 7ilw?So awful is bad, and solid is lovely?
وِبَدَل يَا عَمّ, اِسْمُه.wi-BA-dal ya 3amm IS-mu.And instead of hey man, his name.
حَاضِر. كُلّ سَنَة وِإِنْتِ طَيِّبَة يَا سَلْمَى.7AA-dir kull SA-na wi-IN-ti tay-YI-ba ya SAL-ma.All right. Happy Mother's Day, Salma.
وِإِنْتَ طَيِّب.wi-IN-ta TAY-yiband you too, to a man: the you ends in a, and well loses its feminine ending
وِإِنْتَ طَيِّب. كُل الكِيكَة بَقَى.wi-IN-ta TAY-yib kul ik-KEE-ka BA-'a.And you too. Now eat the cake.