Hello guys, مرحبا.
Today a special video where I reply to your questions. Of course, some of your questions because you’re very generous talking to me, sending comments, and seriously, I love reading all of those, even though I don’t always reply. But this is what keeps me going, all your lovely comments.
I picked some of your questions and let’s name them.
1. Regional Pronunciation: “Baddi” vs “Baddeh”
Reem have asked: “Hi Hiba, I noticed many Lebanese people say baddi with ‘i’ at the end, instead of baddeh. At the end it’s ‘eh’. Does pronunciation vary depending what region, city you are from in Lebanon? If so, what regional Lebanese dialect are you from?”
So yes, it depends, but a little bit. Especially if you’re in Beirut, we have almost the same dialect. But because all of us come from many, from different families—for example, I am from Beqaa (بقاع), which is in the west of Lebanon, but I lived all my life in Beirut, so I don’t have a dialect, uh, yeah, I don’t have a dialect. I have the neutral one.
I’ll give you an example, Reem. Let’s say the word ‘why’.
- In Lebanese it’s leish (ليش).
- In my mom’s city, she comes from Beit Chebab (بيت شباب), a very lovely place. It is in the Metn (المتن), in the mountain of Lebanon. Uh, leish becomes eish (إيش).
Not only in Beit Chebab, in many regions, but I’m giving an example.
I will give you another example. The word ‘I told him’, the verb ‘I told him’.
- In Lebanese it will become eltello (قلتله) if he is a man.
- The people from Beirut may say oltollo (قلتله). They will make the “e” “o”, oltollo.
I’m giving you an example, Reem. So, I hope I replied to your question.
2. How to Say “Can I Borrow?”
Another one is from Jaden Clifton, and thank you for your nice word. Uh, he’s asking me: “Hi, I am wondering if you can also say feek estelif alamak for ‘can I borrow your pen?’ I learned estelif for ‘borrow’.”
So, Jaden, ‘can I borrow your pen?’ In Lebanese it will become:
- Feeneh est3eer alamak (فيني استعير قلمك) if I am talking to a man.
- Feeneh est3eer alamik if she is a girl.
So estelif, the word estelif or silfeh… I’m not sure there’s a word estelif, but silfeh means loan, loan. So silfeh for this sentence, ‘can I borrow your pen?’ is uh, is heavy.
So no, we don’t use feek estelif alamak. And feek is ‘you can’. ‘Can I’ is feeneh.
So Jaden, I prefer if you use feeneh est3eer alamak instead of feek estelif alamak. Again, the word silfeh exists and it means loan.
3. Lebanese vs. Iraqi Arabic
Sara Ali, “Hi Sara,” and she’s asking me: “مرحبا هبة (MarHaba Hiba), do Lebanese people find it hard to understand the Iraqi Arabic? I speak Iraqi Arabic and would like to visit Lebanon one day.”
Okay, and she continues. Uh, no, it’s not difficult. We understand the Iraqi dialect. I mean, not all of it. Uh, of course, there are some, some words that we skip that we don’t understand, but in general, we surely understand you and you surely understand us.
I mean, of course, we do understand. For example, who doesn’t like Kadim Al Sahir (كاظم الساهر), the famous Iraqi singer? And we understand him, we wait for him, we love his songs.
4. Slang Greetings: “SabaHo”
Shona Lirio asked: “I was informed that good morning is SabaHo.”
And it is true. Good morning in Lebanese and in Arabic means SabaH el kheir (صباح الخير). But in the slang, we use SabaHo.
SabaHo for a man, SabaHo for a woman. It is very acceptable, but only if you are friends or you are good neighbors, not if you are talking to your director or not in a formal way. Okay.
5. Resources for Learning Levantine Arabic
Another question from Uzabel. “Hi Uzabel, sorry for your name.” Asked: “Are there any books or written material in Levantine Arabic? I want to take the next step.”
So yes, we do have our book, our precious book, and it is called Lebanese Arabic Phrasebook, which you can find in Amazon, and check the link below. You can order it from Amazon.
The question continues: “I have mainly been using MTV Lebanon on YouTube. Are there any places to read or watch Syrian and Lebanese media on YouTube?”
Yes, I mean, the local Lebanese channels are:
- MTV
- LBC
- TL (Télé Liban), the national Lebanese television.
- Al Jadeed (الجديد), which means the new TV.
- Future TV
You can check all of this.
6. Dating Culture and Sweets
Beatriz Perez: “Is there a video that you can make about dating a Lebanese man or learning about the culture? I am currently talking to a Lebanese man and would be a great help.”
It’s not a question, it’s a suggestion. And yes, I could do that. Why not? Okay.
Man or girl asked: “Hi dear, I love your videos. I’m going to meet my Lebanese boyfriend… I am wondering what kind of sweet you think Lebanese men love to eat. He is from Beirut.”
Okay. Uh, so Lebanese men are like, okay. I mean, I don’t know the specific answer for this, but I will give you an example. For example, a lot of us would like to go to Tripoli (طرابلس), and eat the delicious local pastries, like Knafeh (كنافة). And it’s very common to after a big party where you have a hangover, to go and to eat Knafeh. I’m sorry for the loud noise.
The Knafeh is the Lebanese or the Middle Eastern dessert. Uh, so it’s made from ashta (قشطة) or cheese and we have the syrup, sugar syrup on it.
So Knafeh, and if you want an easy dessert to impress him—and I wish you are still with him—uh, you can make the Meghleh recipe. It’s a pudding, it’s very easy, and I will give you the ingredients right after I finish.
7. The Meaning of “Dakhilak”
Shehab Babu asked: “What is the meaning of dakhilak (دخيلك) in Lebanese Arabic?” The sentence is: dakhilak ya rabbeh Hmeeleh binteh.
Dakhilak is used for begging. Dakhilak means please, dakhilak. It may come in a sarcastic way like, “Oh, please, dakhilak.” But the serious one is dakhilak, please, or dakhilik if you are talking to a woman.
- Dakhilak ya rabbeh (دخيلك يا ربي): Please my God.
- Hmeeleh binteh (احميلي بنتي): aHmeeleh means protect, binteh means my daughter.
8. “Shou illi khallekon…”
Zack Austreicher: “Hiba, I have a question. I heard the sentence below in the Lebanese dialect and I’m trying to figure out the meaning. Shou illi khallekon tghanno bi hayda el taree’?“
You are right, Zack. Shou illi khallekon tghanno bi hayde el taree’a means ‘what made you sing in this way?’
Because shou illi khallekon is in the past. If you want to put it in the present:
- Shou illi bikhallikon (شو اللي بيخليكن)
- We add the b, shou illi bikhallikon.
And not “bi hayda el taree'” because taree’ means road, taree’a means a way. So bi hayde el taree’a. Shou illi bikhallikon tghanno bi hayde el taree’a?
9. The Meghleh Recipe
Final question from Jumanama: “مرحبا هبة (MarHaba Hiba), will you be able to share the Meghleh recipe?”
Of course, dear, I’m going to put it right now and I am wishing you a lovely video, lovely week, lovely everything. Please, I want to say a final thing. Every video has subtitles. You just have to go to the settings, put the subtitles on, annotations on, okay? And the subtitle will come. So, uh, enjoy the Meghleh. Ciao.
Meghleh Ingredients:
- 1 cup Rice Flour
- 7 cups Water
- 1 1/2 cups Sugar
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Anis
- 1 tsp Caraway
Directions:
Put all ingredients together, and bring to a boil.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
| Lebanese Phrase | Transliteration | English Meaning |
| ليش | Leish | Why (Standard Lebanese) |
| إيش | eish | Why (Mountain/Village dialect) |
| قلتله | eltello | I told him (Standard) |
| قلتله | oltollo | I told him (Beirut accent) |
| فيني استعير…؟ | Feeneh est3eer…? | Can I borrow…? (Correct usage) |
| سلفة | Silfeh | A loan (financial) |
| صباحو | SabaHo | Morning! (Slang/Casual greeting) |
| دخيلك | Dakhilak | Please / I beg you (literally: your intruder/protégé) |
| احميلي بنتي | Hmeeleh binteh | Protect my daughter for me |
| شو اللي خلاكن… | Shou illi khallekon… | What made/forced you (Plural/Past) |
| شو اللي بيخليكن… | Shou illi bikhallikon… | What makes you (Plural/Present) |
| طريقة | Taree’a | Way / Method |
| طريق | Taree’ | Road |
