Thank You in Lebanese & Other Polite Sentences

Video

Transcript

sabaH el kheir!
A new video and my mom will be proud of this video because it’s all about formalities: How to say thank you in Lebanese in many ways, and how to say sorry in many ways which “tante” and “3ammo” (old people) will be happy to hear.

Please in Lebanese

Please (traditional way): 3mol ma3rouf (for a man), 3meleh ma3rouf (for a woman).
ma3rouf means a favor.
3mol means do.
so do a favor, like “please”.

The second one and it’s very used, especially for students that study Arabic abroad:

mn fadlak (for a man) or mn fadlik (for a woman).
Fadel means also kind of a favor.
So mn fadlak/mn fadlik: please.

A funny one: ma tosghar for a man, ma tosghareh for a woman.
And tosghar means getting smaller, so please also means ma tosghar.

Example:

Can you bring me a glass of water, please?
ma tosghareh can you bring me a glass of water? so it is not used for like serious situtations, it’s like families and neghbours and not a lot of young people, but I like ma tosghar, ma tosghareh. and another one, iza betrid, or iza betrideh. it means if you agree or if you want. iza betrid, iza betrideh.

Now excuse me:

Excuse me: 3afwan
Excuse me, miss I didn’t understand
3afwan, miss I didn’t understand

another one:

b3azbak or b3azbik

can I please ask you for this?
b3azbak?

So b3azbak means in a way to torture you or ask you a favor. So b3azbak, I’m asking you a favor. and it is not excuse me, it’s please
so b3azbak and b3azbik it’s for please, not for excuse me

excuse me: law sama7et, law sama7teh. and sama7et means I permit
so:
if you permit, can you get me this book?
law sama7et/law sama7teh, can you get me this book?

and now another one for excuse me. Now this is casual:
bi sharafak, bi sharafik.
sharaf means something like pride…
bi sharafak, bi sharafik

Is it ok?

is it ok to use the bathroom?
ma3leh?
ma3leh iza…?
ma3leh iza beshrab may?
ma3leh iza bekoul?
is it ok if? : ma3leh iza?

Do you have a problem?

3endak meshkleh? or 3endik meshkleh?
3endalk meshkleh/3endik meshkleh if I go and swim?

No problem

mesh meshkleh or mesh mashkal

It doesn’t matter

ma bi 2assir

if you want to go today, ok, if you want to go tomorrow, ma bi assir

you’re welcome

tekram 3aynak, tekram 3aynik
It means: yes, of course, you are welcome to use it.

And now another one, we can simply use tekram or tekrameh. but if you feel more generous, tekram 3aynak/3aynik/3aynkoun

Another one for welcome: ahla or ahla w sahla

Another one for welcome: ya 3ayb el shoum, which means, oh don’t say “thank you”.

You’re welcome: ya 3ayb el shoum
which could also mean: if someone makes something bad, especially kids “ya 3ayb el shoum“: it’s not appropriate

Another one for excuse me or sorry to bother is ma twekhezneh or ma twekhzineh, of course, you don’t need to know all these expressions. It’s just a cultural lesson and feel free to pick one or two
so excuse me or sorry to bother means ma twekhezneh or ma twekhzineh

another one is mn ba3ed eznak, mn ba3ed eznik which literally means after your permission

Don’t mention it

mesh baynetna which means it’s not between us

Example:

what! you’re saying “thank you” to me? You’re like my sister! mesh baynetna. mesh baynetna if you borrow my top.

Another one for don’t mention it: walaw! la 3younak/3younik

Example:

-Oh! did you get me this? thank you I love it!
-la 3younak/3younik

Now if someone asks me something and I want to do it:
so for example:
“Can you go tomorrow to the supermarket?”
I could reply: bi amrak/amrik
amer means command or demand. A strict demand.

Thank you in Lebanese

yeslamo

we also say, like when someone prepares food for you and want to thank them and you feel very special, you say yeslamo hal ‘idein
so if my mother cooks something for me, or my I-don’t-know-who, and I like it:
yeslamo hal ‘idein shou taybeen!
yeslamo hal ‘idein how delicious they are

If someone recently gets a baby

you will say: ykhallilak/ykhallilik yeh if the child is a boy. If it’s a girl you will say ykhallilak/ykhallilik yeha

I think I will stop because I did a lot

there’s a lot lot more of those sentences in the Lebanese Arabic Phrasebook Vol. 2
and thank you, yeslamo, ykhallileh yekoun, betshakkarkoun, bi amerkoun! ok lots of expressions! see you!

List of Words From This Lesson

Here are all of the words and sentences taught in this lesson, as well as some essential words that I hadn’t mentioned in the video and which fit right into this topic

English	Lebanese
Thank you	shukran شكرًا
Thank you	yeslamo يسلموا
Please	3mol/3meleh ma3rouf عمول/ عميلي معروف
Please	bi sharafak/bi sharafik ِبشَرَفَك/ ِبشَرَفِك
Please	mn fadlak/fadlik من فضلك
Please	ma tosghar/tosghareh ما تصغر/ي
Excuse me	3afwan عفوًا
Excuse me/Please	b3azbak/b3azbik بعزبك (بعذبك)
Excuse me/Please	law sama7et/sama7teh لو سمحت/ي
You’re welcome	tekram 3aynak/3aynik تكرم عينك
You’re welcome	tekram/ tekrameh تكرم/ي
You’re welcome	ahla اهلا
You’re welcome	ahla w sahla اهلا وسهلا
You’re welcome	ya 3eib el shoum يا عيب الشوم
You’re welcome	la 3younak/ 3younik لعيونك
Is it ok?	ma3leh? معلي؟
Do you have a problem?	3endak meshkleh? or 3endik عندك مشكلة؟
No problem	mesh meshkleh / mesh mashkal مش مشكلة/مشكل
It doesn’t matter	ma bi 2assir ما بأسّر (بأثّر)
Don’t mention it	mesh baynetna مش بيناتنا
Don’t mention it	walaw! la 3younak/3younik ولو! لعيونك
Your wish is my command	bi amrak/amrik بأمرك