bas fi Arabi

My goal is to get a longer post out soon about some of my recent activities and whereabouts - but first I want to take some time to give you a brief guide to the Arabic that has crept into my vocabulary. You might find it creeping into my emails, instant messages and skype chats, too. Many of these words come to me before English does now - or they simply have no English equivalent.

Note: This is meant to give you a perspective on how I use many of these Arabic words with great frequency - but of course it is all subject to my own interpretation AND I'm sure I've butchered the pronounciations. The word is first written as I might write it in an email, which is simply a phonetic version of the actual Arabic and therefore would vary from person to person.

Shukran (pronounced "shoo-krahn"): Thank you. Useful when getting off the bus, buying a falafel sandwich or asking for directions.

Afwan (pronounced "ahf-wahn"): The correct response to shukran, so essentially meaning you're welcome.

Hallas (pronounced "khah-luhs"): Enough or stop, among other things. Useful when trying to get a kindergartener to stop running UP the slide, trying to tell someone you understand and have heard enough, or simply searching for the right word to begin just about any sentence. "Hallas, I understand." "Hallas, I want to have ice cream today." "Hallas, I think it will rain."

Yalla (pronounced "yah-luh"): Come on or Let's go, among other things. Another very frequently used word, it's useful when trying to round-up all the kindergarteners to go inside, trying to get a group of people moving, or encouraging your computer to work faster. Often said in quick succession for added emphasis: "Yalla, yalla, yalla!"

Mumkin (pronounced "moom-kin"): Maybe or Possibly.

Mis muskala (pronounced "mish moosh-kuh-leh"): No problem or Don't worry about it. Literally translated, "no problem", I think mis muskala also has a "hakuna matata" quality to it.

Habibi or Habibti (pronounced "ha-beeby"): Dear one. Literally translated as "my love", this is a very common word here. I don't think it has an English equivalent. There is no romance implied, but perhaps "friend" is closer to what it means - for instance if one might say "Thanks, friend!" or "What's wrong, friend?" Habibi, the male form of this word, you would likely only hear me using with the kindergarteners who I work with once a week and not with men who are closer to my age or older, though it's very acceptable and commonly used between men of all ages. However, I use habibti all the time with fellow YAGM and other girl friends here.

Shu hada? (pronounced "shoo ha-duh"): What's that?, among many other things. This can be used simply to ask what a particular object is, but is also used to express surprise or disbelief about something. It's hard to describe in English - but it's one of my most frequently used expressions.

I really know very little Arabic - but what I do know has become very pervasive in my vocabulary so now you've been warned about what might start showing up in correspondence or even future blog posts!