COLLOQUIAL ARABIC COURSE
18 Lessons and Lesson Supports
Eastern Dialect

STUDY APPROACH:

You will find 18 Lessons of Colloquial Arabic covering many topics of conversation

in daily interactions.

Take each lesson as a separate entity, study the text and compare it with the Classical

version of the text. This will give you a clear picture of how Colloquial Arabic has

been derived from Classical.

Statements are colored:

The Red colored statements are those of the initiator of the conversation.

The statements in blue are the Classical version of the Colloquial.

Those in black are the response.

The Green is the English translation.

Note: The English translation reflects the meaning of the words and the structure of the statement in order to show the student how the meaning was derived. When the statement is understood then your good translation comes in handy.

Each lesson is supported by a sound track. Listen to the text over and over again to familiarize yourself with the delivery. You may then change the conversation to feminine, plural or use different personal pronouns.

The Lesson Supports give you a review of the words, grammar and structure.

Good luck.

Characteristics of the Greater Syrian Dialect:

1)      There are variations between the Syrian, Lebanese, Jordanian and Palestinian dialects but there are more similarities because of a common geography, history and culture.

2)      In each country you may also find few dialects. For instance the Palestinians living in the North region speaks Palestinian dialect with a Lebanese influence. Those in Southern Gaza Strip speak Palestinian dialect with Egyptian flair.

3)      Sometimes two neighboring towns speak the same dialect with some differences.

(WE TRY HERE TO INTRODUCE A COMMON DIALECT WHICH CAN BE USED AND UNDERSTOOD IN THIS GREAT SYRIA REGION)

4)     The pronunciations of some letters:

a.     The letter ث   is used exchangeable with the letter ت

b.    The letter ذ    is used exchangeable with the letter د

c.     The letter ظ   is used exchangeable with the letter ض

d.    ض  is pronounced like د   in some cases.

e.     The letter ق   is pronounced in some location as is or as أَ   or (g)

f.      The letter ك   is pronounced in some locations as is or like “ch”

5)     Grammar:

Personal Pronouns:

أنَا , أَنْتَ , أَنْتِ, أَنْتُمَا , هُوَ , هِيَ , هُمَا , نَحْنُ , أَنْتُم , أَنْتُنَّ , هُم , هُنَّ      Classical

أَنَا , إِنْتِ , إِنْتِ ,--- ,هُوِّي , هِيِّي ,---, إِحْنَا (نِحْنَا) , إِنْتُو, --- , هُمِّ , ---.  Colloquial

As you see أَنْتَ , أَنْتِ  in Classical are إِنْتِ  (for both) in Colloquial.

There are no duals أَنْتُمَا , هُمَا ; instead we use , هُمِّ إِنْتُو  for both Masc.& Fem.

أنْتُم & أَنْتُنَّ  in Classical become إِنْتُو  in Colloquial (Masc. Plural is for both masc.& Fem). 

هُمْ , هُنَّ  in Classical become هُمِّ  in Colloquial ( Masc. Plural is for both masc. & Fem.)

Personal Pronouns when connected to a noun, preposition or an adverb:

بَيْتِي , بَيْتَكَ , بَيْتِكِ , بَيْتَكَمَا , بَيْتُهُ , بَيْتُهَا , بَيْتُهُمَا , بََيْتُنَا , بَيْتُكُم , بَيْتُكُنَّ , بَيْتُهُم , بَيْتُهُنَّ   

بِيْتِي , بِيْتَكْ , بِيْتِكْ , --- , بِيْتُو , بِيْتْهَا , --- , بِيْتْنَا , بِيْتْكُو, ---- , بِيْتْهُم , -----

There are no duals أَنْتُمَا , هُمَا ; instead we use , هُمِّ إِنْتُو  for both Masc.& Fem.

أنْتُم & أَنْتُنَّ  in Classical become إِنْتُو  in Colloquial (Masc. Plural is for both masc.& Fem). 

هُمْ , هُنَّ  in Classical become هُمِّ  in Colloquial ( Masc. Plural is for both masc. & Fem.)

(Note: In some Syrian Dialect in particular Lebanon, بِيْتْهَا  becomes بِيْتاَ   )

With Prepositions:

مِنِّي , مِنَّك , مِنِّكْ , ---, مِنّو , مِنْهَا , --- مِنَّا , مِنْكُو --- , مِنْهُم , ----

 (Also مِنْهَا in some Syrian dialect is مِنَّا)

Same with An Adverb:

فُوقِي , فُوقَكْ , فُوقِكْ ---, فُوقُو , فُوقْهَا ,--- فُوقْكُو , ---- , فُوقْهُمْ , ----

6) Masculine and Feminine: Same as Classical, However the (ه) Taa Marboutal is pronounced as (ي)

          حُلْوَةٌ   In Classical

          حِلْوِي  In Colloqial

6)      The Perfect Tense:

كَتَبْتُ , كَتَبْتَ , كَتَبْتِ , كَتَبَ , كَتَبَت , كَتَبَا , كَتَبَتَا , كَتَبْتُمَا , كَتَبُوا , كَتَبْنَ , كَتَبْتُم , كَتَبْتُنَّ

كَتَبْتْ , كَتَبْتْ , كَتَبْتِ , كَتَبْ , كَتْبَتْ , كَتَبُوا , كَتَبُوا , كَتَبْتُو , كَتَبُوا , كَتَبُوا , كَتَبْتُو , كَتَبْتُو

(هُمَا) masc. And feminine, Plural masc. (هُم)And plural feminine (هُنَّ)take the form of masc. Plural ( هُم)

أَنْتُم , أَنْتُمَا and أَنْتُنَّ   take the form of masc. Plural.

7)     The Imperfect Tense:

أَدْرُسُ , تَدْرُسُ , تَدْرُسِيْنَ , تَدْرُسَانِ , يَدْرُسُ , تَدْرُسُ , يَدْرُسَان, نَدْرُسُ , تَدْرُسُونَ , تَدْرُسْنَ , يَدْرُسُونَ , يَدْرُسْنَ  in Classical.

بَدْرُسْ , بْتُدْرُسْ , بْتُدُرْسِي , بْتُدُرْسُوا , بُدْرُسْ , بْتُدْرُس , بُدُرْسُوا , بْنُدْرُس (مْنُدْرُسْ) , بتُدُرْسُوا , بتُدُرْسُوا , ُبدُرْسُوا , بُدُرْسُوا .

a)     We add the letter ب  or م  (in نَحْنُ).

b)    The ن   of the five verbs drops.

(هُمَا) masc. And feminine, Plural masc. (هُم)And plural feminine (هُنَّ)take the form of masc. Plural ( هُم)

أَنْتُم , أَنْتُمَا and أَنْتُنَّ   take the form of masc. Plural.

8)     The Imperative:

أُدْرُسْ , أَدْرُسِي , أُدْرُسَا , أُدْرُسُوا , أَدْرُسْنَ   In Classical

أُدْرُسْ , أَدُرْسِيْ , أُدُرْسُوا , أُدُرْسُوا, أُدُرْسُوا  In Colloquial

Notice: أَنْتُمَا , أَنْتُم , أَنْتُنَّ take the Masc. Plural Form. 

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