Wow, and good heavens
Arabic conversation runs on short reactions. يا سلام(yâ salâm) (wow!) greets good news or something lovely. غير معقول(ghayru ma'qûlin) (unbelievable!) is stronger and fits good and bad news alike; said of a price, it means unreasonable.
| Wow! This café is very beautiful. | يا سلام! هذا المقهى جميل جدا.yâ salâm! hâdhâ al-maqhâ jamîlun jiddan |
| This price is unbelievable! | هذا السعر غير معقول!hâdhâ ssi'ru ghayru ma'qûl! |
يا لطيف(yâ latîf) (good heavens!) reacts to bad news: an accident, a loss, a fright.
| Good heavens! I lost the house key. | يا لطيف! فقدت مفتاح البيت.yâ latîfu! faqadtu miftâḥa al-bayti. |
Really? I swear!
والله(wallâhi) has two uses. Asked as a question, والله؟ means really? At the start of a statement it is an oath, I swear, and makes what follows emphatic.
| Really? Is this true? | والله؟ هل هذا صحيح؟wallâhi? hal hâdhâ sahîh? |
| I swear, I don't know. | والله، لا أعرف.wallâhi, lâ a'rifu |
What's wrong? Don't worry
| you hear | you answer | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ما بك(mâ bika) | لا شيء | what's wrong? — nothing |
| أنا قلق | لا تقلق(lâ taqlaq) | don't worry |
| سأحمل حقيبتك | لا داعي(lā dâ'iya) | there's no need |
| الفيلم ممل | معك حق(ma'aka haqq) | you're right |
ما بك is spelled the same to a man and to a woman (ما بكَ / ما بكِ), and so is معك حق. لا تقلق is a negative command, so a woman hears لا تقلقي. لا داعي is the absolute negation you just learned; the thing that is not needed follows with لـ.
| What's wrong? — Nothing, don't worry. | ما بك؟ — لا شيء، لا تقلق.mâ bika? — lâ shay'a, lâ taqlaq. |
| Thanks, but there's no need for this. | شكرا، لكن لا داعي لهذا.shukran, lâkin lâ dâ'iya lihâdhâ. |
Frankly, please, thanks
بصراحة(bisarâhatan) (frankly) opens an honest opinion, often a critical one. أرجوك(arjûka) (I beg you) is a more urgent please than من فضلك. تحت أمرك(tahta amrika) (under your command) is what a waiter or a host says: at your service. ألف شكر(alfu shukrin) (a thousand thanks) is warmer than شكرا جزيلا, and takes the same reply.
| Frankly, I didn't like the film. | بصراحة، لم يعجبني الفيلم.bisarâhatin, lam yujibnî alfilmu |
| I want a cup of tea. — At your service, sir. | أريد كوب شاي. — تحت أمرك يا سيدي.ureedu kooba shay. — tahta amrika yâ sayyidee. |
| A thousand thanks, my friend! — Don't mention it. | ألف شكر يا صديقي! — لا شكر على واجب.alfu shukrin yâ sadîqî! — lâ shukra 'alâ wâjib. |
