Waiting rooms and long queues test our patience. To describe what we do "while waiting for" or "until" something happens, Arabic uses the temporal conjunction ريثما.
Using ريثما with the Present Tense
The conjunction ريثما always governs a verbal clause. When you are currently waiting for an event, or giving an instruction for someone to wait, follow ريثما with a present tense verb.
| The client waits in the lounge until her turn comes. | تنتظر المراجعة في الصالة ريثما يحين دورها.tantaziru al-murâjiatu fî as-sâlati raythamâ yahînu dawruhâ |
| Please wait patiently for a little while until I prepare the coffee for you. | من فضلك تريث قليلا ريثما أجهز لك القهوة.min fadlika tarayyath qalîlan raythamâ ujahhizu laka alqahwata. |
Using ريثما with the Past Tense
When you are recounting a completed event in the past, simply follow ريثما with a past tense verb to express what you did "until" the expected event finally occurred.
| My sister passed the time solving a difficult puzzle until the train came. | تسلت أختي بحل أحجية صعبة ريثما جاء القطار.tasallat ukhtî bihalli uhjiyyatin sa'batin raythamâ jâ'a alqitâru |
| The patient passed the time with a puzzle until his turn came. | تسلى المريض بأحجية ريثما جاء دوره.tasallal-marîdu bi'uhjiyyatin raythamâ jâ'a dawruhu |
Passing the Time
When describing the experience of waiting, you will often use a specific set of vocabulary to express things dragging on (طال), passing the time (تسلى), or getting restless and fidgeting (تململ).
| The wait dragged on a lot, and the girl began to fidget. | طال الانتظار جدا، وبدأت البنت تتململ.tâla al-intizâru jiddan, wa bada'ati al-bintu tatamalmalu |
| I pass the time with crosswords until my female colleague arrives so that I avoid boredom. | أتسلى بالكلمات المتقاطعة ريثما تصل زميلتي حتى أتجنب الملل.atasallâ bil-kalimâti al-mutaqâti'ati raythamâ tasilu zamîlatî hattâ atajannaba al-malala. |
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