Hello all!
This is a video that I should have made a long time ago. I’m sure that whoever comes to Lebanon will hear all these sentences.
There are many different ways to say “Please“, “You’re welcome“, and “Thank you” in Lebanese.
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 |