المدير جدي.

manager

Breakdown of المدير جدي.

• جدي: serious

Questions & Answers about المدير جدي.

Why is there no word for is in this sentence?

In Arabic, simple present-tense sentences often leave out the verb to be.

So:

المدير جدي
literally looks like the manager serious, but it means The manager is serious.

This is totally normal in Levantine. If you wanted past or future, then you would usually add a verb, for example:

• كان المدير جدي = The manager was serious
• رح يكون المدير جدي = The manager will be serious

What does ال in المدير mean?

ال is the Arabic definite article, meaning the.

So:

• مدير = a manager / manager
• المدير = the manager

In Levantine pronunciation, ال is often said as il-, el-, or just l-, depending on dialect and speed of speech.

How do I pronounce المدير جدي in Levantine?

A common Levantine-style pronunciation would be something like:

il-mdiir jiddi
or
el-mdiir jaddi

There is some dialect variation, especially in:

• the vowel of the article (il-/el-)
• the pronunciation of