Conversation 2: Only in Lebanese (Past Tense Practice)

MarHaba guys, long time no see! Like many of you suggested, this video is a simple and effective exercise: I’m going to speak only in Lebanese, telling you a story about my day using the past tense.

Listen to the story first and see how much you can understand. The full transcript in Arabic, Latin script, and English is available below for you to study and follow along. Let’s try!

The Story in Lebanese (Arabic Script)

اليوم وعيت على الساعة ستة ونص الصبح. شربت قهوة، تحممت، أكلت، لبست تيابي، وضهرت من البيت. كنت رايحة عالأشرفية. وقفت عالطريق، نطرت سرفيس. وصل أول واحد، قلتله “عالأشرفية”، قالي “مش واصل”. نطرت سيارة تانية، قلتله “مرحبا، عالأشرفية”، قالي “سرفيسين. الأشرفية بعيدة”. قلتله “أوكي”. طلعت بالسيارة، دفعتله أربعة آلاف، ووصلت عالأشرفية. هونيك قعدت بقهوة، عندها قهوة طيبة كتير. طلبت قهوة بحليب بلا سكر، ونطرت الاجتماع يلي كان عندي ياه. نطرت الزلمة، وصل. قلتله “مرحبا أنا هبة”، قالي “أهلا أنا محمد”. حكينا أنا ومحمد واتفقنا نبلش شغل جديد الأسبوع الجاي. أنا ومحمد رح نفتح جمعية خيرية. بخبركن عن التفاصيل بفيديو تاني. خلصنا الاجتماع وحسيت إني جعانة كتير. دقيت لرفيقتي، قلتلا “ألو، هاي كريستال، معك وقت نتغدى؟” قالتلي “إيه”. التقينا أنا وكريستال بمطعم طلياني عندو بيتزا طيبة كتير. أنا طلبت بيتزا مارغريتا، وكريستال طلبت بيتزا نباتية. أكلنا وشربنا كاس نبيذ أبيض. دفعنا الحساب، وأنا رجعت على بيتي سرفيس، وهي رجعت على شغلا. وصلت عالبيت، عملت قهوة، قعدت عالبلكون، حسيت إنو الطقس حلو كتير، وبلش الربيع. شربت قهوة، وهيك بكون خلص النهار لليوم. بشوفكن قريباً.

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The Story (Latin Transcription)

lyom w3eet 3al se3a sitteh w noss l sobeH. shrebet ahweh, taHammammet, akalet, lbeset tyebeh, w daharet min l beit. kint rayHa 3al ashrafiyeh. w’efet 3al taree’, nataret service. wosil awwal waHad, eltello “3al ashrafiyeh”, alleh “mish wasel”. nataret siyyara tenyeh, eltello “marHaba, 3al ashrafiyeh”, alleh “servicein. l ashrafiyeh b3eedeh”. eltello “okay”. Tlo3et bil siyyara, dafa3tello arba3-t-alef, w wsolet 3al ashrafiyeh. honik a3adet b ahweh, 3enda ahweh taybeh kteer. Talabet ahweh b Haleeb bala sekkar, w nataret l ejtime3 yalleh kein 3endeh yeh. nataret l zalameh, wosil. eltello “marHaba, ana Hiba”, alleh “ahlan ana mHammad”. Hkeena ana w mHammad w ttafa’na nballish sheghel jdid l ousbou3 l jey. ana w mHammad raH neftaH jam3iyyeh khayriyyeh. bkhabberkon 3an l tafaseel b video teneh. khallasna l ejtime3 w Hasseit enneh jou3aneh ktir. da”eit la rfee’teh, eltella “allo, hi Christelle, ma3ik wa’et netghadda?” aletleh “eh”. lta’ayna ana w Christelleb mat3am Telyeneh 3indo pizza taybeh ktir. ana talabet pizza margherita, w Christelle talabit pizza nabetiyyeh. akalna w shrebna keis nbeed abyad. dafa3na l Hseib, w ana rje3et 3a beiteh service, w hiyyeh rej3it 3a sheghla. wsolet 3al beit, 3melet ahweh, a3adet 3al balcon, Hasset ‘inno l ta’es Helo ktir, w ballash l rabee3. shrebet ahweh, w heik bikoon kholis l nhar lal yom. bshoufkoun areeban.

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English Translation

Today I woke up at 6:30 in the morning. I drank coffee, showered, ate, put on my clothes, and left the house. I was going to Ashrafieh. I stood on the road, I waited for a “service” (shared taxi). The first one arrived, I told him “To Ashrafieh”, he told me “I’m not going all the way.” I waited for a second car, I told him “Hello, to Ashrafieh”, he told me “Two services (double fare). Ashrafieh is far.” I told him “Okay.” I got in the car, I paid him 4,000, and I arrived in Ashrafieh.

Over there I sat in a cafe, it has very good coffee. I ordered a coffee with milk without sugar, and I waited for the meeting that I had. I waited for the man, he arrived. I told him “Hello, I am Hiba,” he told me “Hello, I am Mohammad.” Mohammad and I spoke and we agreed to start a new job next week. Mohammad and I are going to open a charity. I’ll tell you the details in another video.

We finished the meeting and I felt that I was very hungry. I called my friend, I told her “Hello, hi Christelle, do you have time for us to have lunch?” She told me “Yes.” Christelle and I met at an Italian restaurant that has very good pizza. I ordered a Margherita pizza, and Christelle ordered a vegetarian pizza. We ate and drank a glass of white wine. We paid the bill, and I returned to my house by service, and she returned to her work.

I arrived home, made a coffee, sat on the balcony, I felt that the weather was very nice, and spring has begun. I drank coffee, and that’s how the day for today finished. I’ll see you soon.

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Key Past Tense Verbs from the Story

This story is excellent practice for the past tense. Here are the main “I,” “he/she,” and “we” verbs used:

Lebanese Phrase	Transliteration	English Meaning
وعيت	w3eet	I woke up
شربت	shrebet	I drank
تحممت	taHammammet	I showered
أكلت	akalet	I ate
لبست	lbeset	I put on (clothes)
ضهرت	daharet	I left
كنت	kint	I was
وقفت	w’efet	I stood / stopped
نطرت	nataret	I waited
وصل	wosil	He arrived
قلتله	eltello	I told him
قالي	alleh	He told me
طلعت	Tlo3et	I got in / went up
دفعتله	dafa3tello	I paid him
وصلت	wsolet	I arrived
قعدت	a3adet	I sat
طلبت	Talabet	I ordered
حكينا	Hkeena	We spoke
اتفقنا	ttafa’na	We agreed
خلصنا	khallasna	We finished
حسيت	Hasseit	I felt
دقيت	da”eit	I called
قالتلي	aletleh	She told me
التقينا	lta’ayna	We met
أكلنا	akalna	We ate
شربنا	shrebna	We drank
دفعنا	dafa3na	We paid
رجعت	rje3et	I returned
عملت	3melet	I made
بلش	ballash	It began
خلص	kholis	It finished