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🇪🇬 Egyptian Arabic · Fluency Level 1

PART 3 · LESSON 28 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES

Colder than the Passage

Leo's first joke in Arabic at Mr. Sabry's cafe, judged by the crowd: not bad, cold, old, but it made Karim laugh, and that is the test.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

Mr. Sabry's cafe in a Downtown passage, late on a Tuesday night, the backgammon board put away. Zizo, Karim and Leo are friends and speak plainly; Leo gives Mr. Sabry the polite forms, and Mr. Sabry calls him engineer.

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Words and phrases

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مَرَّة وَاحِد مُهَنْدِس رَاح القَهْوَة.MAR-ra WAA-7id mu-HAN-dis raa7 il-'AH-wa.Once an architect went to the cafe.
وِبَعْدِين يَا لِيُو?wi-ba3-DEEN ya LI-yu?And then, Leo?
قَالُّه, السَّقْف عُمْرُه أَرْبَعْمِيَّة سَنَة.'AL-lu is-SA'F 3UM-ru ar-ba3-MIY-ya SA-na.He said to him, the ceiling is four hundred years old.
وِأَنَا قُلْتِلُه, وِلِسَّه مَدَفَعْش!wi-A-na 'ul-TI-lu wi-LIS-sa ma-da-FA3SH!And I said to him, and it's still not paid for!
مِش بَطَّالَة يَا لِيُو.mish bat-TAA-la ya LI-yu.Not bad, Leo.
أَسْقَع مِن المَمَرّAS-'a3 min il-ma-MARRcolder than the passage: the comparative, then the word for than
سَاقْعَة, أَسْقَع مِن المَمَرّ فِي دِيسِمْبِر.SA'-3a AS-'a3 min il-ma-MARR fi de-SIM-bir.Cold, colder than the passage in December.
قَدِيمَة, أَقْدَم مِن أَبُويَا.'a-DEE-ma A'-dam min a-BOO-ya.Old, older than my father.
بَسّ ضَحَّكِتْنِي, وِدَه الاِمْتِحَان.bass da7-7a-KIT-ni wi-da a-lim-ti-7AAN.But you made me laugh, and that's the test.
هَاجِيب وَاحْدَة أَجْدَد بُكْرَة.ha-GEEB WA7-da AG-dad BUK-ra.I'll bring a newer one tomorrow.