Language/Egyptian-arabic/Grammar/Adverbs
As students progress in learning Egyptian Arabic, they will discover new parts of speech that will help them to form more complex sentences. In this lesson, we will focus on adverbs, words that describe how an action is performed. For example, quickly, slowly, and well are all adverbs.
Adverbs in Egyptian Arabic
In Egyptian Arabic, adverbs are formed either by adding a suffix to the adjective or by using an entirely different word. Let's look at some examples:
| Egyptian Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| آهِلًا سَهِلًا | ʾāhilan sahilan | Welcome (informal) |
| جَمِيلًا | jamīlan | Beautifully |
| بَطَيْخًا | baṭaykhan | Slowly |
In the first example, آهِلًا سَهِلًا (ʾāhilan sahilan), the adverb suffix "-an" is added to the adjective سَهِل (sahil) to form the adverb "smoothly" and "easily". In the second example, جَمِيلًا (jamīlan), the suffix "-an" is also added to the adjective جَمِيل (jamīl) to form the adverb "beautifully". In the third example, بَطَيْخًا (baṭaykhan), the adverb "slowly" is formed using an entirely different word بَطَيْخ (baṭaykh), meaning "watermelon". This is an idiomatic expression in Egyptian Arabic, which means "slowly".
Some adverbs in Egyptian Arabic are formed by simply adding the word كَدَ (kada) before an adjective, which means "like". Let's look at some examples:
| Egyptian Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| كَدَنَهْدَى | kadanahdā | Quietly |
| كَدَرَدَّا | kadardaddā | Slowly |
In the first example, the word كَدَ (kada) is added before the adjective نَهْدَى (nahdā), meaning "calm" or "quiet." In the second example, كَدَ (kada) is added before the adjective رَدَّا (raddā), meaning "slow".
It is important to note that just like in English, not all adverbs in Egyptian Arabic end in "-ly". As you continue to learn more about adverbs, you will discover many other examples of words that describe how an action is performed.
Placement of Adverbs
In Egyptian Arabic, adverbs usually come after the verb they are modifying. Let's look at some examples:
- مَاشِي بِبُطَاْءِ (māshī bi-buṭā' ) - Walking slowly
- نَتَكَلَّم كَثِيرًا (natkallam kathīran) - Talking a lot
- بِنُصْحِب بِقُوَّة (binuṣḥib bi-quwwa) - Hanging out a lot
In each of these examples, the adverb comes directly after the verb. However, in some cases, the adverb can come at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis. For example:
- بِسُرْعَة جَرِيْت مِنَ الْمَدْرَسَة (bisurʿa jareet min al-madrasa) - I ran quickly from school
In this example, the adverb بِسُرْعَة (bisurʿa), meaning "quickly", comes at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis.
Common Adverbs in Egyptian Arabic
Now that you have learned more about forming and using adverbs in Egyptian Arabic, here are some common adverbs that you will likely encounter:
- جَايِ (jay) - Coming
- رَايِح (rāyih) - Going
- هَنَا (hana) - here
- هُنَاكَ (hunāka) - there
- بَكُلْه (bakulhu) - All
- لِيْش (leesh) - Why
- تِقَرِّبًا (tiqarriban) - Approximately
You can use these adverbs with a variety of different verbs to describe how the action was performed or where it took place.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you learned about the basics of adverbs in Egyptian Arabic. You also learned how to form adverbs and the common adverbs that you will likely encounter as you continue your studies. Practice using and incorporating these adverbs into your sentences to improve your speaking and writing skills. With practice, you will become more confident in your ability to use adverbs in context.