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iraqi arabic [5bdb57e0]

Tags: arabic, iraq

1. Grammar

1.1. خل + فعل

  • Let (imperative) + فعل
  • Example:

    • Let us go: خل نروح
    • Let them (f) play: خل يلعبن
    • Let them (m) sleep: خل ينامون
    • Let me sit: خل أگعد

1.2. هذا & هدي/هاي

  • Demonstrative pronouns, used the same way as فصحى

1.3. محتاج/محتاجة/محتاجين

  • To need/should
  • Example:

    • I should rest: آني محتاج اراح
    • They need food: هم محتاجين الاكل
    • She needs information: هي محتاجة معلومات

1.4. Emphasis with personal الصمائر

  • Attach the personal pronoun for emphasis
  • Example:

    • Where is the book? - وينه الكيتاب
    • Where is the professor (f)? - وينها الاستاذة

1.5. چان + فعل مضارع (past modal construction)

  • States "would have <verb>"

    • Sometimes will also take a past tense verb
  • Example:

    • I would have heard you.

      • جان أسمعك
    • You (m.s.) would have heard her.

      • جان تسمعها
    • I would have eaten.

      • جان اكلت

1.6. اللي

  • Means who/whoever/whomever/that/which depending on the context
  • Example:

    • He who tries will succeed.

      • اللي هو يحاول راح ينجح
    • He who sleeps well will work well.

      • اللي ينام زين راح يشغل رين
    • The problem he has is that he doesn't do anything.

      • المشكلة عنده اللي هو ما يسوي اي شي

1.7. إذا & لو

  • اذا means "if"

    • Combines with ما to mean "if not"
  • لو is a negative "if"
  • Example:

    • If you go to the store, I'll go too.

      • اذا تروح المحل، اني هم راح اروح
    • If he writes to me, I'll read his letter.

      • اذا هو يكتب الي، اني راح رسالته
    • If you send me the homework, I will do it.

      • اذا تدز واجب بيتي، اني راح اسويه

1.8. يخبل

  • Frequently used with راح, means to drive someone crazy
  • Example:

    • Haddad is going to drive his father crazy

      • حداد راح يخبل ابوه

1.9. معجب ب

  • Used to express admiration for something or someone, using ب
  • Example:

    • I don't admire him.

      • اني مو معجب به
    • I'm not very interested in him.

      • اني مو كلش معتم بيه

1.10. ما/م/مو

  • ما - Used with verb or verb like word

    • ّI didn't eat.

      • اني ما اكلت
  • م - Used with verb-like word

    • It is not necessary.

      • ملازم
    • We have no other.

      • ما عدنا عيره
  • مو - Used with nouns/pronouns/adj

    • Not us

      • مو احنا

1.11. Special construction of ناس

  • In colloquial, ناس is almost always treated as a feminine singular word.
  • Example:

    • The people rest.

      • الناس ترتاح
    • There are people coming from the club.

      • اكو الناس تجي الملهى
    • There are people who don't eat meat.

      • اكو الناش اللي ما تكل الحم

1.12. حتى

Two uses:

1.12.1. حتى

  • Means so/in order to
  • Example:

    • So she doesn't learn

      • حتى لا تتعلم
    • So I can sleep

      • حتى انام
    • So he can understand

      • حتى يفتهم

1.12.2. حتى او…ما

  • Conditional sentence expressing the negative result.
  • Means "even if…not/no".
  • Example:

    • Even if she is still young I do not let her go with you.

      • حتى لو بعدها زغيرة ما أخليها تجي وياك

1.13. بعدني

  • Expression of "still"/until now
  • Constructed with بعد + personal pronoun

    • Note that this takes the verbal form of the personal pronoun, so "still I" is بعدني
  • Example:

    • Fadi? He is still at work.

      • فعدي؟ هو بعده بالشتعل
    • My mother is still sleeping.

      • امي بعدها تنام
    • I am still hungry (f).

      • اني بعدني جوعنة

1.14. Verb Conjugation Tables

1.14.1. Double & Weak

  • Double verbs

    • جذر عنده two letters
  • Weak

    • جذر عنده vowel
  • Table:

    Person Gender Ending
    1st M/F يت-
    2st M يت-
    2nd F تي-
    3rd M N/A
    3rd F تن-
    1st pl M/F ينا-
    2nd pl M يتو-
    2rd pl F تن-
    3rd pl M و-
    3rd pl F ن-

2. Phrases

2.1. الله بالخير

  • God bless

2.2. شكو ماكو

  • What's up?

2.3. علع كيف + الصمائر

  • As someone likes; take it easy with
  • Example:

    • علع كيفي - As I like
    • علع كيفك بالسيارة - Take it (you, M) easy with the driving

2.4. هاي وين + الصمائر

  • Where have (you) been?
  • Example:

    • اي وين همه/ هاي وينهم - Where have they been?

2.5. لا غالي ولا رحيص

  • Neither expensive nor cheap
  • Example:

    • السيارة لا غالي ولا رحيص - The car is neither expensive nor cheap

2.6. لا شيش ولا كباب

  • Not bad/okay/so-so (lit neither the skewer nor the meat)
  • Example:

    • الاكل لا شيش ولا كباب - The food is okay

2.7. شمدري + الصمائر

  • How does (pronoun) know?
  • Example:

    • شمدريه آني جوعان - How does he know I am hungry?

2.8. الله يخلي + الصمائر

  • May god preserve/keep
  • Sometimes used as please
  • Example:

    • الله يخليك، وين التكسي؟ - Please, where is the taxi?

2.9. يا الله

  • Said when someone is about to begin something

2.10. بلله

  • Is it so? Is it true? Please
  • Example:

    • الفندق درجة اولة - The hotel is first class
    • بلله؟ - Really?
    • بلله فد جكارة - Would you give me a cig?

2.11. مو بلله؟

  • Isn't it so? Isn't it?
  • Example:

    • الغرق بلد قديم، مو بلله؟ - Iraq is an ancient country, isn't it?

2.12. علع عيني، علع راسي

  • With pleasure (lit on my head or on my eye)
  • Example:

    • علع عيني، اصعد بالسيارة - With pleasure, get in the car

2.13. علع فكرة

  • By the way
  • Example:

    • علع فكرة شلونه المطعم؟ - By the way, how was the resturant?

2.14. علع كل حال

  • In any case, anyway
  • Example:

    • علع كل حل هو راح يزوح للعرق - Anyways, he will go to Iraq

2.15. شعبل + الصمائر

  • What did you think?
  • Example:

    • شعبلك، الاكل مو زين؟ - What did you think, the food was not good?

2.16. ماشي الحال

  • Okay, not bad (lit the condition is walking)
  • Example:

    • شلوم الشغل؟ - How is the work?
    • ماشي الحال - Okay

2.17. دير بال + الصمائر

  • Take care, watch out, give attention to
  • Example:

    • دير بالك درستك - Give attention to your study!
    • ديري بالچ من لسيارة - Watch out for the car!

2.18. عاش من شاف + الصمائر

  • It has been a long time (lit lived he who saw you)
  • Example:

    • هاي وين؟ عاش من شافك - Where have you been? It has been a long time since I saw you.

2.19. الخاطر

  • For someone's sake
  • Example:

    • الخاطري، روح للعرق - For my sake, go to Iraq
    • الخاطر بسمة، اكل - For Basma's sake, eat.

3. Tools