Questions & Answers about حط الصحن جنب الكاسة، ولا تتركه عالكرسي.
What does حط mean exactly in Levantine Arabic?
حطّ is the everyday Levantine verb for put / place / set down. In this sentence, it is a command. It is much more natural in spoken Levantine than the formal MSA verb ضع.
Why is حط the form used here?
Because this is the imperative addressed to one man. In Levantine, the plain form حطّ is a command to a singular masculine listener.
If you changed who you were speaking to, the form would change:
- to one man: حطّ
- to one woman: حطّي
- to more than one person: حطّوا
What do الصحن and الكاسة mean in everyday Levantine?
- الصحن means the plate or the dish
- الكاسة means the cup or the glass, depending on context
A useful thing to notice is that كاسة is grammatically feminine, while صحن is masculine.
Why is الصحن written with ال but not pronounced exactly like al-saḥan?