هاي قهوة.

this

Breakdown of هاي قهوة.

• قهوة: coffee

Questions & Answers about هاي قهوة.

What does هاي mean in this sentence?

هاي means this here. It is a feminine singular demonstrative, so it is used with feminine nouns.

In هاي قهوة, it points to قهوة.

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Why is هاي feminine?

Because قهوة is a feminine noun in Arabic.

A very common clue is the ending ـة. Nouns with this ending are often feminine, so the demonstrative has to match.

• هاي قهوة = feminine
• A masculine noun would usually take something like هاد in many Levantine varieties

Arabic demonstratives normally agree with the noun in gender.

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Why is there no word for is?

In Arabic, the verb to be is usually left out in the present tense.

So instead of saying something literally like This is coffee, Arabic just says:

• هاي قهوة

This is completely normal.
The idea of is is understood automatically.

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How is هاي قهوة pronounced in Levantine?

A common Levantine pronunciation is:

• haay 'ahwe