Arabic

I have noticed that there are a few people on the boards who are considering or are already trying to learn the language. As I am a native (uhm.. sort of >.> ) and can speak the language well I shall be happy to aid anyone who wishes to have someone they can poke whenever they are in a rut of any sort. Feel free to post questions and queries here.

Why don't you gve the basics, like hello/goodbye etc.? I'm always interested in learning something that isn't part of school.

Yup. I'd like to know the very basics. Hello, Goodbye, Thank-you, Please... That stuff. I'm not going to study it seriously, because learning a language is too hard and time consuming, but I would like to learn a few Arabic words, as I have Arabic heratige.

I only remember one word that I heard in my friend's house (they speak english when they aren't speaking to me). Mishnoon! YESH!

Mishnoon? >_> What does that mean?

I'd like you to tell me what the best TWO ways to say "You're Welcome" (or, "Don't thank me") are. The most appropriate ways. When the Imam was teaching that, he kinda lost me, because he went through like...five different ways, and it was time to leave...so he was rushing...and the Salat had already begun...and..yeah.

So yes, if you could do that, great ;0)

And thanks!

*coughs*

First of all, just to clear some things up. Original arabic is a very beautiful elegant language. However, through the years and non-arabs flocked to arabia the language became a lot more diluted, and continues to be but differently in different regions. You have some very prominent *accents* and *slangs* like: Egyptian, Syrian, Western (Libya, Tunisia, Algeria etc) and Khaleeji ( United Arab Emirates, Iraq etc).
The different slangs in each of those places is so varied that one from one region cannot understand someone from another region.

Also, hardly anyone speaks classical (original) arabic anymore.. unless you're reading the news or writing then you revert back to classical. Which is why I get made fun of every time I go back, and called all sorts of names including newsreporter ._.

ANYways, the point of this whole long rant is to say! ( wait for it.. you've waited this long) that I shall first write the classical arabic way of saying the phrase then some frequently used expressions from other regions.

Hokays, listen up because here come some of the basics!

Assalamo Alaykom: this is mainly a muslim greeting but christian arabs use it too .. in fact, all arabs and it means Peace be Upon you ( or the general elaborate Hi!). The reply to this phrase is usually: Wa Alaykom Assalam ( peace be upon you, too)

Ahlan Wa Sahlan: Greetings and salutations. uhm .. thats if you want to be literal. It is just used as a *hi* x3 but often used more when greeting visitors ( the most who use this expression are the syrians and lebanese.. with their accent it'll sound more like: ahleen o sahleen (literally: 2 greetings and 2 salutations x3 ). You can also ust use the first bit ahlan for a casual hi

Marhaba(n): guess what? another way to say hi =D (greetings) ( you'll have absolutely NO excuse left to not say hi in arabic now x3)

Oh, and to end Lesson One, here is how you say Good morning: Sabah al - khair
And Good evening: Masa Al- khair


Oh and Dave, if someone thanks someone ( shokran) the most forward and first reaction would be to say *3afwan*
another way to say *no problem* would be: la - ba's (no need to worry, never mind etc)
No problem ( less official) could also be: Maa - leesh
hmm.. as for *don't thank me* we usually use a phrase that translates to: *Theres no thanks due to an obligation done* la shokra ala wajeb

I'll move on if you guys have no questions regarding what I've put up so far

Eh, I just realized that you probably wouldn't double-post, and so were waiting for some type of "go-ahead" from one of us.

Is it possible for you to write them in Arabic, also? The script, I mean. That would help me the most, at this point (is very glad that he learned to read and write Arabic before learning to speak it).

Oh, and I am most interested in the strict Arabic. I have friends over here who can fill me in on the Egyptian, Syrian, and all those other regions' dialects. HowEVER, since my novel involves Libya solely (at least...so far), I wOULd enjoy some special Libyan "slangs" and such. Wouldn't mean much to the majority of my readers...but I don't cater to majorities, anyways, hah.

And I really appreciate your efforts to help us learn more Arabic :0)
Maybe you could get Fox (if you can't do it) to provide voice recordings of what you post.

(P.S.--and what about those Flash voiceovers?? hehe)

EDIT: Oh yes, and a friend of mine recommended that I get the Al-Mawreed dictionary. You know anything about it? I'm gonna order it if you don't know anything negative about it or know of a better one. That same friend is helping me with my conversational Arabic :0)

Sorry for the period of quietness but the photoshop version I have doesn't do arabic! *gasps and stabs photoshop*
I completely agree with you that I should show the letters and the written form. And since I now have my new computer ( yay! Go I-mac! ^-^) I'll hopefully be able to make those voice recordings.
Bear with me :p

Al-mawred- english-arabic is a really great dictionary. We have both versions ( ar-eng and eng-ar) and they are great. Just make sure you get a very beefy version. Mother has a small *mokhtar as-sihah* one but I think that one's too advanced or rather, assumes that one already knows all the basics.

( And don't worry about voiceovers, the last one didn't have dialogue after all but the need is still there especially a wee bit down the line ^_^ )

Good, because I'm looking forward to doing those voiceovers :0P

And alright, I'm gonna purchase a "beefy one" at my earliest convenience :0) Thanks for the support.