WHY

WHY

Dialogue 13

A: Why are you laughing?

لِماذا تَضْحَكُ؟

Limādhā taḍḥaku?

B: I am laughing because there is a funny story on television.

أَضْحَكُ لِأَنَّ هُناكَ قِصَّةً مُضْحِكَةً عَلَى التِّلْفازِ

Aḍḥaku li-anna hunāka qiṣṣatan muḍḥikatan ʿalā at-tilfāzi.

A: Why is your sister crying?

لِماذا تُبْكِي أُخْتُكَ؟

Limādhā tubkī ukhtuka?

B: She is crying because she has a headache.

هِيَ تُبْكِي لِأَنَّها تُعانِي مِنْ صُداعٍ. / لِأَنَّ رَأْسَها يُؤْلِمُها

Hiya tubkī li-annahā tuʿānī min ṣudāʿin. / Li-anna ra'sahā yu'limuhā.

A: Why do you go to the mosque?

لِماذا تَذْهَبُ إِلَى المَسْجِدِ؟

Limādhā tadhhabu ilā al-masjidi?

B: I go to the mosque to perform my prayer.

أَذْهَبُ إِلَى المَسْجِدِ لِأُصَلِّيَ

Adhhabu ilā al-masjidi li-uṣalliya.

A: Why do you go to the market?

لِماذا تَذْهَبُ إِلَى السُّوقِ؟

Limādhā tadhhabu ilā as-sūqi?

B: I go to the market to do my shopping.

أَذْهَبُ إِلَى السُّوقِ لِأَقْضِيَ حاجاتِي

Adhhabu ilā as-sūqi li-aqḍiya ḥājātī.

A: Why aren't you married? (to a male)

لِماذا لَسْتَ مُتَزَوِّجاً؟

Limādhā lasta mutazawwijan?

A: Why aren't you married? (to a female)

لِماذا لَسْتِ مُتَزَوِّجَةً؟

Limādhā lasti mutazawwijatan?

B: I cannot answer that question.

لا أَسْتَطِيعُ الإِجابَةَ عَلَى هَذَا السُّؤالِ

Lā astaṭīʿu al-ijābata ʿalā hādhā as-su'āli.

A: Why don't you want to marry Khadija?

لِماذا لا تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَتَزَوَّجَ خَدِيجَةَ؟

Limādhā lā turīdu an tatazawwaja Khadījata?

B: I don't want to marry her because she is not beautiful.

لا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَتَزَوَّجَها لِأَنَّها لَيْسَتْ جَمِيلَةً

Lā urīdu an atazawwajahā li-annahā laysat jamīlatan.

A: Why don't you want to marry Ahmed?

لِماذا لا تُرِيدِينَ أَنْ تَتَزَوَّجِي أَحْمَدَ؟

Limādhā lā turīdīna an tatazawwajī Aḥmada?

B: I don't want to marry him because he is not kind.

لا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَتَزَوَّجَهُ لِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَطِيفاً

Lā urīdu an atazawwajahu li-annahu laysa laṭīfan.

A: Why don't you go to the cinema? / Why don't you want to go to the cinema?

لِماذا لا تَذْهَبُ إِلَى السِّينِما؟ / لِماذا لا تُرِيدُ الذَّهابَ إِلَى السِّينِما؟

Limādhā lā tadhhabu ilā as-sīnimā? / Limādhā lā turīdu adh-dhahāba ilā as-sīnimā?

B: I don't go to the cinema because I can watch video films at home.

لا أَذْهَبُ إِلَى السِّينِما لِأَنَّني أَسْتَطِيعُ مُشاهَدَةَ الأَفْلامِ فِي البَيْتِ

Lā adhhabu ilā as-sīnimā li-annanī astaṭīʿu mushāhadata al-aflāmi fī al-bayti.

Glossary (Dialogue 14):

*   why: لِماذا - Limādhā.

*   a story: قِصَّةٌ - Qiṣṣah.

*   funny: مُضْحِكٌ - Muḍḥik.

*   kind: لَطِيفٌ - Laṭīf.

*   the head: رَأْسٌ - Ra's.

*   to have a pain (to hurt): يُؤْلِمُ / يُعانِي مِنْ - Yu'limu / Yuʿānī min.

*   a prayer: صَلاةٌ - Ṣalāh.

*  the market: سُوقٌ - Sūq.

*   to do one's shopping: يَقْضِي حاجاتَهُ - Yaqḍī ḥājātahu.

*   married (m): مُتَزَوِّجٌ - Mutazawwij.

*   married (f): مُتَزَوِّجَةٌ - Mutazawwijah.

*   a question: سُؤالٌ - Su'āl.

*   this (m.s.): هَذا - Hādhā.

*   this (m.s. before vowel): هَذا - Hādhā.

*   this (f.s.): هَذِهِ - Hādhihi.

*   these (pl.): هَؤُلاءِ - Hā'ulā'i.

*   because: لِأَنَّ - Li-anna.

*   beautiful (f): جَمِيلَةٌ - Jamīlah.

*   beautiful (m): جَمِيلٌ - Jamīl.

*   beautiful (m, before vowel): جَمِيلٌ - Jamīl.

*   to laugh: يَضْحَكُ - Yaḍḥaku.

*   to cry: يَبْكِي - Yabkī.

*   to do: يَفْعَلُ / يَقومُ بِـ - Yafʿalu / Yaqūmu bi-.

*   to answer: يُجِيبُ - Yujību.

*   to be able to: يَسْتَطِيعُ - Yastaṭīʿu.

*   to want: يُرِيدُ - Yurīdu.

*   to get married: يَتَزَوَّجُ - Yatazawwaju.