In this video, I’m thrilled to take you on a linguistic journey through the heart of a Lebanese home, exploring the various rooms and the items you can find in them. On the 24th of February, or as we say in Lebanese, ‘arb3a w 3ishreen shbat’, we dive deep into the vocabulary related to different parts of a house, from the bedroom and living room to the kitchen and bathroom. I’ll be breaking down the terms for you, providing translations and even some cultural insights, especially when it comes to the kitchen and our beloved Lebanese dishes. So, whether you’re looking to expand your Arabic vocabulary or just curious about Lebanese culture, this lesson is packed with information to help you understand the essentials of a Lebanese household. Let’s embark on this educational adventure together, and by the end of this video, you’ll be more familiar with the Lebanese way of life and the language we speak at home.
Transcript:
Introduction
Hello guys, today we are the 24th February which means ‘arb3a w 3ishreen shbat’. Today, we’re going to have a lesson about the things you find in a home. Let’s start first of all with ‘home’, you know, ‘beit’.
Building and Floors
Building means ‘bineye’.
Floor: ‘tabi2’. For multiple floors: ‘tawabi2’.
If you want to ask ‘on which floor do you live?’: ‘b ayya tabi2 enta 3ayish/ ente 3aysheh/ ento 3aysheen?’
Rooms and Their Contents
Bedroom: ‘oudit l nom’
Because ‘room’ means ‘ouda’.
Bedroom is ‘oudit l nom’ because ‘nom’ means sleep.
In a bedroom, we find:
Bed: ‘takhet’. ‘takhteh’ means my bed.
Closet: ‘khzeineh’.
Clothes: ‘tyeib’. In the Arabic fus-ha it’s ‘thiyab’, but in Lebanese it’s ‘tyeib’ because generally the ‘th’ becomes ‘t’ in the Lebanese dialect (or ‘s’).
Television: It’s not very healthy to put a television in your bedroom. Television is ‘television’ or TV. In fus-ha, we say ‘talfaz’.
Living Room: ‘oudit l a3deh’
In a living room, you find:
Couch: ‘kanabeye’. Couches: ‘kanabeyet’. You can also say ‘sofa’ like in French and English.
Table: ‘tawleh’. Tables: ‘tawlet’.
Chair: ‘kirseh’. Chairs: ‘karaseh’.
Kitchen: ‘matbakh’
If you want to say ‘what are you cooking?’ for a man: ‘shou 3am totboukh’. For a woman: ‘shu 3am totbkheh’.
Because ‘tabekh’ means ‘cooking’:
I’m cooking: ‘ana 3am botboukh’.
You are cooking (m.): ‘enta 3am totboukh’.
You are cooking (f.): ‘ente 3am totbkheh’.
‘shou 3am totbkho’ for a group of people.
In a kitchen, we find:
Oven: ‘forn’. P.S. ‘forn’ is very common in Lebanon. Why? Because in the morning we go to the ‘forn’ (oven/bakery) to buy mana2eesh/man2ousheh, the famous man2ousheh with zaa3tar or jebneh. So ‘l sobe7 mn rou7 3al forn ta neshtereh mana2eesh’: ‘in the morning we go to the bakery (oven) to buy mana2eesh/man2ousheh’. ‘forn’ is a bakery where you can buy mana2eesh or bread, lots of delicious stuff.
Sink: ‘majla’. ‘ana 3am bejleh l s7oon’: I’m cleaning the dishes.
Dish: ‘sa7en’. Dishes: ‘s7oon’.
Fork: ‘shawkeh’. Forks: ‘shouwak’.
Knife: ‘sikkeen’. Knives: ‘skekeen’.
Common expression to say you have a stomachache: ‘7asseh 3endeh skekeen b me3edteh’: I feel I have knives in my stomach.
Spoon: ‘male23a/male32a’. Spoons: ‘male3i2/male2i3’. There’s a dilemma of how to pronounce spoon in Lebanese. In fus-ha it’s ‘mil3aqa’, but in the Lebanese dialect it’s either ‘male23a’ or ‘male32a’.
Cup: ‘kebbeyeh’. Cups: ‘kebbeyet’.
Bathroom: ‘7emmem’
In the bathroom, we find:
Towel: ‘manshafeh’.
Soap: ‘saboon’. If you want to say ‘in the morning I wash my face’: ‘l sobe7 bghassil wejjeh’.
Brushing Teeth
If you want to say ‘how many times in a day do you brush your teeth?’:
How many times: ‘kamm marra’.
Betfarsheh: you brush.
Teeth: snein.
Your teeth: sneinak(m.)/sneinik(f.).
In a day: bl nhar.
So ‘how many times in a day do you brush your teeth?’: ‘kamm marra betfarsheh sneinak bl nhar?”
Conclusion
For today’s lesson, I gave you a lot of information. Study well and have a great time.
Recap:
| English | Lebanese (Latin Letters) | Lebanese (Arabic Alphabet) |
|---|---|---|
| Home | beit | بيت |
| Building | bineye | بناية |
| Floor | tabi2 | طابق |
| Multiple Floors | tawabi2 | طوابق |
| Bedroom | oudit l nom | أوضة النوم |
| Room | ouda | أوضة |
| Sleep | nom | نوم |
| Bed | takhet | تخت |
| My Bed | takhteh | تختي |
| Closet | khzeineh | خزانة |
| Clothes | tyeib | تياب |
| Television | television / TV | تلفزيون |
| Living Room | oudit l a3deh | أوضة القعدة |
| Couch | kanabeye | كنباية |
| Couches | kanabeyet | كنبايات |
| Table | tawleh | طاولة |
| Tables | tawlet | طاولات |
| Chair | kirseh | كرسي |
| Chairs | karaseh | كراسي |
| Kitchen | matbakh | مطبخ |
| Cooking | tabekh | طبخ |
| Oven/Bakery | forn | فرن |
| Sink | majla | مجلى |
| Dish | sa7en | صحن |
| Dishes | s7oon | صحون |
| Fork | shawkeh | شوكة |
| Forks | shouwak | شوَك |
| Knife | sikkeen | سكّين |
| Knives | skekeen | سكاكين |
| Spoon | male23a / male32a | ملعقة |
| Spoons | male3i2 / male2i3 | ملاعق |
| Cup | kebbeyeh | كباية |
| Cups | kebbeyet | كبايات |
| Bathroom | 7emmem | حمام |
| Towel | manshafeh | منشفة |
| Soap | saboon | صابون |
| I wash my face | bghassil wejjeh | بغسل وجي |
| You brush your teeth | betfarsheh sneinak | بتفرشي سنانك |
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