Egyptian Arabic Conversation 25: Ramadan

Today we are back with Egyptian Arabic conversation 25.

In each Conversations post, we will provide you with:

1. a screenshot from an actual conversation between two Egyptians
2. the translation of each line of text, including English, Franco and Arabic script
3.  context on the conversation and further explanation

We think learning Egyptian Arabic from actual, authentic conversations between Egyptians is both fun and effective. We hope you like it too!

Let’s get started with Egyptian Arabic Conversation 25: Ramadan.

Egyptian Arabic Conversation 25 : Ramadan

Before diving into Conversation 25, check out the following posts about Ramadan.

• Ramadan In Egypt: The Ultimate Guide
• 20 Most Important Ramadan Phrases
• Ramadan For Beginners

These will give you some useful context for the rest of this article. 

You can also check out our guide to reading Franco-Arabic (what the numbers that Egyptians write actually mean). 

Egyptian Arabic Conversation 25: Translation

T: Are we going to have an Iftar in Ramadan all together or what? : mesh hanftar f ramadan kolna ma3 ba3d wala eh?

مش هنفطر في رمضان كلنا مع بعض ولا ايه؟

Y: Check and tell me. : Zabbat w 2oly.

.زبط وقلي

And I will see what’s happening. : wana 7ashoof eldenya feha eh.

.وانا هشوف الدنيا فيها ايه 

A: (Laughs)

Y: I’m just warming up. : baskhan bas.

.بسخن بس

A: We have our first “check and tell me” here : awl “zabat w ouli”  m3ana hna.

.اول “زبط و قلي” معانا هنا

Egyptian Arabic Conversation 25: Important Vocabulary

Are we going to have an Iftar in Ramadan all together? : mesh hanftar f ramadan kolna ma3 ba3d?

مش هنفطر في رمضان كلنا مع بعض؟

Iftar is the first meal that most Muslims will eat after the sun sets during Ramadan.

Or what? : Wala eh?

ولا ايه؟

This is a super common and useful phrase.

Check and tell me. : Zabbat w 2oly.

.زبط وقلي

This is a very common phrase Egyptian use when making plans.

More background on this on the last phrase.

And I will check what’s happening. : wana 7ashoof eldenya feha eh.

.وانا هشوف الدنيا فيها ايه 

This literally means: “And I will see the world in it what.”

Or, in a way that we understand:

“I will see what’s in the world.”

Egyptians use the word “world” (eldenya / الدنيا) in many different ways. 

I’m just warming up. : baskhan bas.

.بسخن بس

A funny way to say “I’m just getting started.”

And lastly-

We have our first “check and tell me” here : awl zabat w ouli  m3ana hna.

.اول “زبط و قلي” معانا هنا

This is a slightly complicated (and nuanced) expression. To fully understand it, you need to understand two things about Egyptians and Egyptian culture:

• Egyptians are notorious for being a bit unreliable with plans (said with all the love in our hearts, even Egyptians would agree).
• Ramadan is a time of visiting family, meeting with friends, and going to various events. Because of that, Ramadan especially is a time when it’s difficult to get people to commit fully to specific plans. 

Taking these two things into account…

When the person says:

awl zabat w ouli  m3ana hna. / .اول “زبط و قلي” معانا هنا (Literally: “First ‘check and tell me’ we have here)…

They are basically making fun of the person who said it first.

Learn this phrase and use it correctly…

And Egyptians will be extremely impressed.

That’s a promise!

Context + Further Explanation

Like we touched on above…

This conversations is basically about “making plans without making plans.”

Most likely, the whole conversation stopped here without further planning. This is a very typical situation when it comes to arranging Ramadan Iftar gatherings with friends in Egypt.

But again-

Ramadan is a busy time!

…

Happy learning,

Cleo Lingo