TO LISTEN

A:   ansit  !    hal   tasma'u   shay-an  ?

      Listen! Do you hear anything?

B:   la  ,   la   asma'u  shay-an 

      No, I can’t hear anything.

A:   ansit marratan  ukhraa

      Listen again!

B:  al an   ,  na'am .   asma'u  sawtan  .  innahu  sawtu  ummee  .

     Now, yes. I can hear a voice. It’s my mother’s voice.

*                *              *

A:   undor  hunak(a)  !    mada   taraa   ?

      Look over there! What do you see?

B:   araa   Daw-an   fee  (a)l    ghaba(ti)  .

      I see a light in the forest.

*                *              *

A:   mada    taf'al(u)

      What are you doing?

B:   (ana)   ushaahidu  (a)ttilifiziun

     I am watching television.

A:   mada   tushaahidu    'ala  (a)ttilifiziun

      What are you watching on television?

B:  ushaahidu   mubaraatan  fee kurati  (a)l  qadam(i)

     I am watching a football match.

*                *              *

A:   hal   tatakallamu  bil injleeziya

      Do you speak English?

B:   na'am

     Yes, I do.

A:  qol     kalima(tan)   bil injleeziya

     Say a word in English!

B:  lov

     Love.

A:  limada   taqolo   lov

    Why do you say ‘love’?

B:  aqolo   lov   li-anni  ughrimtu  bi  fatat(in)

    I say ‘love’ because I am in love with a girl.

A:  idan   ihki   lee   'an   hubbik(a)

     So tell me about your love!

*  The   gh    sound is like   the    r   sound in French