الطفل بيلعب.

to play

Breakdown of الطفل بيلعب.

• طفل: child

Questions & Answers about الطفل بيلعب.

How do I pronounce the whole sentence?

A common Egyptian-style pronunciation is roughly eṭ-ṭefl byilʿab.

A few notes:

• الطفل is not pronounced al-tifl in everyday Egyptian; the article changes in pronunciation before ط.
• ط is a heavier, emphatic t.
• ع in بيلعب is a throat sound with no exact English equivalent.

So if you want a practical beginner approximation, et-tefl biyilab will often be understood, even if it is not perfect.

What does الـ in الطفل mean?

It is the definite article, meaning the.

So:

• طفل = child
• الطفل = the child

In Egyptian Arabic, الـ is often pronounced el- or il-, but its pronunciation changes before certain letters.

Why isn’t الطفل pronounced exactly the way it is written?

Because ط is a sun letter.

When الـ comes before a sun letter, the l sound of the article disappears in pronunciation, and the next consonant is doubled.

So:

• Written: الطفل
• Pronounced: roughly eṭ-ṭefl

This is very common in Arabic. The spelling stays the same, but the pronunciation changes.