Hello guys, how are you? Today’s post is a special one! It’s not a formal lesson, but a walking tour around the famous Sassine Square in the Ashrafieh neighborhood of Beirut.
Join me as we explore the area, visit the ABC Mall, find some famous food spots, and even discover some great resources for learning Lebanese. Come on!
Full Transcript: Walking Around Ashrafieh
1. Arriving in Sassine Square
Hello guys, how are you? Today we are the 15th of March and guess what? It is 31 degrees today in Beirut. We are suffocating, but tomorrow they they are telling there is a big storm coming. But every time they say storm, it is just winter. Anyway, we are in Ashrafieh today and we’re hitting the Sassine Square, the famous one. Uh, here directly it is ABC Mall. It’s a big mall. ABC Mall. And uh, it’s not a lesson, it is just walking around Ashrafieh. Come on.
2. Famous Food Spots (Tawook & Chocolate)
A very famous Lebanese restaurant, it’s called Malek el Tawook (ู ูู ุงูุทุงููู) or the king of Tawook. The king of Tawook is a Lebanese restaurant and they make Tawook. Tawook is chicken, it is grilled with fries and everything with high fat, high fat. Falafel once again, you know.
How are you? (To a child counting in English) “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven.”
Hiba: oulon bel 3arabeh (ูููู ุจุงูุนุฑุจู) – “Say them in Arabic.”
(Child counts in Arabic) “waHad, tnen, tleteh, arb3a, khamseh, sitteh, sab3a, tmeineh, tis3a, 3ashra, Hda3sh, tna3sh, tleta3sh, arbata3sh, khamsta3sh, sitta3sh, sabata3sh, tmenta3sh, tisata3sh, 3ishreen.” (Lesson on numbers in Lebanese)
Hiba: Yislamo. (ูุณูู ูุง). Shou esmak? (ุดู ุงุณู ูุ) – “Thank you. What’s your name?”
Child: 3issa.
I want to tell you something. Here we are at the best chocolate place in Lebanon. It is very very very good, very delicious. It is called Noura. Noura is so chic. It is expensive but so good.
3. A Chat with Popcorn Sellers
Hiba: neHna baddna popcorn. popcorn. (ูุญู ุจุฏูุง ุจูุจ ููุฑู) Hi. Hi. Leh 3am tbi3o bop corn? (ููู ุนู
ุชุจูุนูุง ุจูุจ ููุฑูุ)
Kids: “Projet de Financement”.
Hiba: Projet de financement! Tayyeb ento b ayya madraseh? (ุทูุจ ุฅูุชู ุจุฃู ู
ุฏุฑุณุฉุ)
Kids: Nazareth.
Hiba: Umm, tayyeb khabbrouna shi, neHna 3am nsawwer halla’ 3al YouTube, 3am n3allem lebneneh, shou btkhabbrouna 3an lebnen? (ุทูุจ ุฎุจุฑููุง ุดู ูุญู ุนู
ูุตูุฑ ููู ุนุงูููุชููุจุ ุนู
ูุนูู
ูุจูุงููุ ุดู ุจุชุฎุจุฑููุง ุนู ูุจูุงูุ) What can you tell us about Lebanon?
Kids: It’s a beautiful country. There are beautiful people in Lebanon.
Hiba: Like you! Selling popcorn. And how much is it?
Kids: 1000. 1000.
Hiba: 1000. raH eshtereh tnein. (ูุง 1000. ุฑุญ ุฃุดุชุฑู ุงุซููู.)
Kids: Ya heik l lebneniyyeh ya bala. (ูุง ููู ุงููุจูุงููุฉ ูุง ุจูุง.)
Hiba: Okay. Thank you popcorn.
Kids: Merci.
Hiba: Merci, khalas. Bye.
Kids: Bye.
Full English Translation of the Dialogue
Hiba: We want popcorn. Popcorn. Hi. Hi. Why are you selling popcorn?
Kids: “A financing project.”
Hiba: A financing project! Okay, what school are you in?
Kids: Nazareth.
Hiba: Umm, okay, tell us something. We are filming for YouTube right now, we’re teaching Lebanese. What can you tell us about Lebanon?
Kids: It’s a beautiful country. There are beautiful people in Lebanon.
Hiba: Like you! Selling popcorn. And how much is it?
Kids: 1000. 1000.
Hiba: 1000. I’ll buy two.
Kids: That’s the Lebanese way or nothing!
Hiba: Okay. Thank you popcorn.
Kids: Thank you.
Hiba: Thank you, that’s it. Bye.
Kids: Bye.
4. Inside ABC Mall (Top Floor)
So, we entered the ABC Mall and you are in the top floor where there are a lot of restaurants. I’m going to show you my favorite uh, not place, but my favorite thing to eat and it is frozen yogurt. Let’s come, let’s walk. All the pizza. Here is the place where they have frozen yogurt with fruits, fresh fruits, and it is delicious.
And uh, a restaurant that opened recently in ABC… It is very very very good place where you can eat pizza, a very typical Italian pizza, and it is called Margarita.
And if you want, if you want to taste the man’ousheh (ู ูููุดุฉ), the Lebanese man’ousheh, you can come to Zaatar w Zeit (ุฒุนุชุฑ ูุฒูุช). And zaatar (ุฒุนุชุฑ) means thyme. Zaatar w Zeit. They are eating man’ousheh. Zaatar means thyme and zeit (ุฒูุช) means olive oil. So it is called thyme and olive oil. thyme and olive oil.
5. Learning Resources at Librairie Antoine
Okay, I found something very very interesting for you in Librairie Antoine in ABC, in Ashrafieh. And it is called the Lebanese dialect or le dialecte libanais, l’arabe littรฉral. And you can check it. It is the Lebanese dialect. And there are other stuff too for you. There is in French and there is one in English. Speak Lebanese with one CD, one cassette, and one book. One of the rare resources when you can learn Lebanese.
So, and um, if you want other stuff, I selected some of the books where you can learn Lebanese dialect. You can find it in my blog. Uh, if you come to Lebanon, check Librairie Antoine if you are interested in learning Lebanese. And my video for now is done. Thank you, have a great week.
Key Vocabulary & Places
| Lebanese Phrase | Transliteration | English Meaning |
| ู ูู ุงูุทุงููู | Malek el Tawook | “King of Tawook” (restaurant) |
| ุทุงููู | Tawook | Chicken (shish tawook) |
| ุดู ุงุณู ูุ | Shou esmak? | What’s your name? |
| ููู ุนู ุชุจูุนูุงุ | Leh 3am tbi3o? | Why are you selling? |
| ุฑุญ ุฃุดุชุฑู ุงุซููู | RaH eshtereh tnein | I will buy two |
| ู ูููุดุฉ | Man’ousheh | Lebanese thyme/cheese flatbread |
| ุฒุนุชุฑ ูุฒูุช | Zaatar w Zeit | “Thyme and Oil” (restaurant) |
| ุฒุนุชุฑ | Zaatar | Thyme |
| ุฒูุช | Zeit | Oil (Olive Oil) |
