بدل ما ابعت ورقة، بعت ملف عالايميل.

Instead of sending a paper, I sent a file by email.

Breakdown of بدل ما ابعت ورقة، بعت ملف عالايميل.

• ايميل: email
• بعت: to send
• ملف: file
• على: by

Questions & Answers about بدل ما ابعت ورقة، بعت ملف عالايميل.

What does بدل ما mean here?

In Levantine, بدل ما is a very common way to say instead of when it is followed by a verb.

So:

بدل ما ابعت ورقة = instead of sending a paper/document

It introduces the action that was expected, possible, or under consideration, and then the second clause tells you what actually happened instead.

Is ما here a negative word, like not?

No. Here ما is not negating the verb.

In this sentence, بدل ما works as one fixed expression meaning instead of. So you should read it as one chunk, not as instead + not.

Could I say بدل من instead of بدل ما?

In everyday Levantine, before a verb, بدل ما is the natural choice.

So بدل ما ابعت sounds very normal in speech.

بدل من is more formal and more associated with Standard Arabic-style phrasing, or with noun phrases rather than full verb clauses. So for this sentence, بدل ما is the most idiomatic colloquial form.

Why is the first verb ابعت but the second one بعت?

Because they are different verb forms:

• ابعت = imperfect form, used here after