كان لازم نجيب كاسات اكتر مشان الزيارة.

It literally means it was necessary, but in natural English this often becomes we had to, we were supposed to, or we should have.

So كان لازم نجيب means something like:

• we had to bring
• we were supposed to bring
• we should have brought

The exact English choice depends on context.

Because after words like لازم, Levantine Arabic normally uses the imperfect form of the verb.

So the past meaning comes from كان, not from changing نجيب into a past-tense verb.

• لازم نجيب = we need to bring / we have to bring
• كان لازم نجيب = we needed to bring / we should have brought

This is very normal Arabic structure.

It is built into the verb نجيب.

The prefix نـ at the beginning of the verb marks we.

So:

• جيب is the verb idea bring/get
• نجيب = we bring / we get

Arabic often includes the subject inside the verb, so no separate word for we is needed.

No, in this kind of sentence لازم stays the same.

You can say:

• لازم أجيب = I need to bring
• لازم تجيب = you need to bring
• لازم نجيب = we need to bring

So لازم itself does not agree the way many adjectives or verbs do here.

It can mean both, depending on context.

The verb جاب / يجيب is very common in Levantine and can mean:

• bring
• get
• fetch

In this sentence, bring is the most natural translation because the thing being discussed is cups/glasses for the visit.

كاسات is the plural of كاسة.

In Levantine, كاسة usually means a cup or glass, depending on context. So كاسات can mean:

• cups
• glasses

The exact English word depends on what kind of drink container is meant.

Because كاسة / كاسات is very common in everyday Levantine speech.

A learner may know more formal or Standard Arabic words such as:

• كوب / أكواب
• كأس / كؤوس

But in colloquial Levantine, كاسة / كاسات is extremely natural.

That is a normal Levantine pattern.

Arabic often says:

• وقت أكتر = more time
• مصاري أكتر = more money
• كاسات أكتر = more cups/glasses

So the order is often noun + أكتر, which may feel backwards to an English speaker, but it is very natural in Levantine.

مشان is a very common Levantine word. It can mean:

• for
• because of
• for the sake of
• sometimes so that

In this sentence, مشان الزيارة means something like:

• for the visit
• because of the visit
• for when people come to visit

Literally, yes: the visit.

But in real conversation it can refer more broadly to the whole social occasion:

• people coming over
• guests visiting
• a planned visit

So depending on context, English might express it as:

• for the visit
• for the guests
• because people were coming over

Because الزيارة is definite, while كاسات is indefinite.

• الزيارة = the visit → a specific visit both speakers know about
• كاسات = cups/glasses → not specific cups, just some additional ones

So the sentence is talking about more cups, not the more cups.

It can be either.

This Arabic phrase often covers a range that English splits into different options:

• had to
• needed to
• were supposed to
• should have

If the speaker is simply stating necessity in the past, had to may fit.

If the speaker is looking back and noticing something was not done, should have brought may sound better in English.

Arabic leaves that nuance to context.

Yes. كاسات زيادة is also very natural in Levantine.

Both can mean more cups/glasses, but there is a slight feel difference:

• كاسات أكتر = more cups, with a stronger sense of comparison
• كاسات زيادة = extra cups, additional cups

In many everyday situations, both work.

A common Levantine-style pronunciation would be:

kān lāzem njīb kāsāt aktar mishān iz-ziyāra

A couple of notes:

• نجيب is often pronounced njīb
• الزيارة is pronounced iz-ziyāra because ز is a sun letter, so the l of ال assimilates

So the whole sentence flows very naturally as one spoken unit.