Today we are back with Egyptian Arabic conversation 28.
In each Conversations post, we will provide you with:
- a screenshot from an actual conversation between two Egyptians
- the translation of each line of text, including English, Franco and Arabic script
- 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 28: Vegan.
Egyptian Arabic Conversation 28: Vegan
Conversation #28 happens between a group of friends (although it could also be a family).
Here is the screenshot:
Before diving into Conversation 28, check out our guide to reading Franco-Arabic (what the numbers that Egyptians write actually mean).
This makes it a lot easier to read the transliteration of each phrase below.
Egyptian Arabic Conversation 28: Translation
Below you will find a full translation of the entire WhatsApp conversation, along with voice notes for each line.
We are waiting for you (plural) tomorrow guys. : Mastanynko bokra ya shabab.
.مستنينكو بكرة يا شباب
Who will order chicken and who will order meat? : Meen haytlob ferakh w meen haytlob la7ma?
مين هيطلب فراخ ومين هيطلب لحمة؟
Us three will order chicken. : Ehna telata hantlob ferakh.
.احنا 3 هنطلب فراخ
And me and Mai will order meat. : Wana w mai hantlob la7ma.
.وانا و مي هنطلب لحمة
Marian is vegan, get her any grass haha. : Marian vegan, hatolha ay ngeela haha.
.مريان فيجن، هاتولها اي نجيلة هاها
Egyptian Arabic Conversation 28: Important Vocabulary
We are waiting for you (plural). : : Mastanynko.
.مستنينكو
A few things to understand about this one word which is seemingly saying quite a lot:
- Saying “we are waiting”: mastanyn / مستنين
- Implying that the “waiting” is being done “for you” (plural): add ko / كو to the end of the verb
Do these two things, and you end up with “We are waiting for you (plural)”:
Mastanynko. / .مستنينكو
Guys. : Ya shabab.
.يا شباب
A common way to address your friends.
It’s kind of like Egyptian Arabic slang: casual, but extremely common.
Who will order…? : Meen haytlob…?
مين هيطلب…؟
This is an example of conjugating an Egyptian Arabic verb in the future tense.
Chicken + meat. : ferakh + la7ma.
.فراخ + لحمة
We go over the difference between these in our post on how to order an Egyptian shawerma sandwich.
Us three… : Ehna telata…
…احنا 3
Vegan. : Vegan.
.فيجن
No special word for this.
Just say the English “vegan” with a slightly Egyptian accent.
Get her any grass. : Hatolha ay ngeela.
.هاتولها اي نجيلة
Obviously an “anti-vegan” joke here.
Check out the last section for a bit more information.
Context + Further Explanation
Even though we think the joke about the grass is funny, it brings up two points that we want to mention:
- It’s surprisingly easy to be a vegan or vegetarian in Egypt. There are a ton of dishes that have no meat, and with the amazing produce in the country, there are a ton of fruit and veggie dishes you can prepare (or buy).
- That said, there is still a bit of “anti veganism” sentiment in Egyptian culture. Egypt as a rule is relatively conservative, and anything “new” can face its own kind of discrimination.
Thought you should know both of those things.
When all else fails – just order koshary. 🙂
…
Happy learning,
Cleo Lingo