Robert Glover - No More MR Nice Guy
Robert Glover - No More MR Nice Guy
Robert Glover - No More MR Nice Guy
I tried to include as many useful greetings and courteous expressions as I could on this page, focusing on the expressions used in Egypt (so when I say
"Colloquially people say such-and-such," I'm referring to Egypt). In some cases, I gave a standard variant and then detailed the colloquial usage below.
Also, I gave everything in the masculine form, just because it's easier than including the feminine and plural forms for everything.
Do make sure to memorize the proper responses to each expression; it can be quite awkward if someone tells you something nice and you don't know what
to say back! If you don't know the right response, no one will get angry at you, but if you do know what to say, it can make a really nice impression.
Conveniently, usually the main verb in the response comes from the same root as the main word used in the first expression — for example, "ma3a
s-salāma," "salāmtak," "Hamdillāh 3as-salāma" and "sallimli 3a...," which all have words from the s-l-m root. They all have the same response, "allāh
ysallimak," with another s-l-m root word. So if you keep that in mind, it helps in remembering the right response.
How are things going?: أﺧﺒﺎر؟ ( اﻳﻪeih axbār); ( أﺧﺒﺎرك اﻳﻪ؟axbārak eih); ة اﻳﻪ؟/( ﻋﺎﻣﻞ3amil/3amla eih)
These expressions are kind of like "What's up?" as it's used in the U.S.; you don't really proceed to explain what's going on in your life — and don't say
ﻣﺎﻓﻴﺶ أﺧﺒﺎر, mafīš axbār, "No news," like I did once; people will laugh at you! If you want to say "Nothing new," you can say ﻻ ﺟﺪﻳﺪla gedīd. People
usually just say something like "al-Hamdulillāh" or ( ﻛﻮﻳﺲkwayyis, "Good") or ( ﻛﻠﻮ ﺗﻤﺎمkullu tamām, "Everything's fine").
Good night: ﺧﻴﺮ ( ﺗﺼﺒﺢ ﻋﻠﻰtiSbaH 3ala xeir) - lit. Wake up healthy
Response: أﻫﻠﻪ ( واﻧﺖ ﻣﻦwinta min ahlo)
Goodbye: اﻟﺴﻼﻣﺔ ( ﻣﻊma3a s-salāma) - said to the person leaving; lit. Go in peace
Response: ﻳﺴﻠﻤﻚ ( اﻟﻠﻪallāh ysallimak) - said by the person leaving; lit. May God protect you
Often when people are leaving they just say "salām" or "as-salāmu 3aleikum" and those remaining say "ma3a s-salāma."
Welcome to Egypt: ﻣﺼﺮ ( ﻧﻮّ رتnawwart maSr) - lit. You have lit up Egypt
Response: ﻛﻔﺎﻳﺔ ( ده ﻧﻮركda nūrak kifāya), lit. Your light is enough - or ( ﻣﺼﺮ ﻣﻨﻮّ رة ﺑﻴﻚmaSr menawwara bīk), lit. Egypt is lit up by you - or ﻣﻨﻮّ رة
( ﺑﺄﻫﻠﻬﺎmenawwara bi-ahlaha), lit. It is lit up by its people
You can also say "Menawwara" on its own to welcome someone anywhere.
You honor us with your visit: ﻋﺰﻳﺰة ( ﺧﻄﻮةxaTwa 3azīza) - lit. dear step
Response: ( ﺷﻜﺮاšukran) or ﻳﺨﻠﻴﻚ ( اﻟﻠﻪallāh yxallīk)
Get well soon: ( ﺳﻼﻣﺘﻚsalāmtak) or ﻳﺸﻔﻴﻚ ( اﻟﻠﻪallāh yišfīk) - lit. "May God heal you"
Response: ﻳﺴﻠﻤﻚ ( اﻟﻠﻪallāh ysallimak) - this is the response to ﺳﻼﻣﺘﻚ. However, اﻟﻠﻪ ﻳﺸﻔﻴﻚhas no set response; you can just say ( ﺷﻜﺮاšukran)
Also, when someone compliments you or something you did, you can tell them, ( ﺷﻜﺮا\ﻣﺮﺳﻲ \ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻳﺨﻠﻴﻚšukran/mersi/allāh yxallīk), followed by
( ده ﻣﻦ ذوﻗﻚda min zoo'ak), lit. "That's from your taste." This is used much like the English "Thank you, you're too kind."
Thank you: ﺧﻴﺮك ( ﻛﺘﺮkattar xeirak) - lit. May God increase your good fortune
Response: ﺳﺎﺑﻖ ( ﺧﻴﺮكxeirak saabi') - lit. Your goodness preceded mine
Thank you: اﻳﺪك ( ﺗﺴﻠﻢteslam iidak) - lit. (May God) bless your hand
Response: ( واﻳﺪكwa-iidak) - lit. And your hand
Used to thank a cook for a great meal, or more generally to thank someone for a present.
Sorry: ( آﺳﻒāsif)
Another way to say "Sorry" is ( ﻣﺘﺂﺳﻒmut'asif), which follows the same pattern of variants as ﻣﺘﺸﻜﺮ.
Used to express admiration or praise: اﻟﻠﻪ ( ﻣﺎ ﺷﺎءma ša' allāh) - lit. God has willed it.
This might be used when someone shows you a picture of their kids or grandkids; when someone introduces you to their kids; if someone shows you
something great they just bought; when you enter someone's home for the first time and admire its decor; or if you want to compliment someone's beautiful
appearance. It's like saying, "Wow, how beautiful!"
Used to refer to events taking place in the future: اﻟﻠﻪ ( إن ﺷﺎءin ša' allāh) - lit. if God wills
This is used a lot, anytime you talk about something taking place in the future. "See you tonight in ša' allāh." "I'll do it tomorrow in ša' allāh." "Can you finish
the report by Thursday?" "In ša' allāh." And so on.
Used when you see s.o. with a new haircut, or if s.o. has just taken a bath or shower:
( ﻧﻌﻴﻤﺎna3īman)
Response: ( اﻟﻠﻪ ﻳﻨﻌﻢ ﻋﻠﻴﻚallāh yin3am 3aleik)
Bon appetit: واﻟﺸﻔﺎ ( ﺑﺎﻟﻬﻨﺎbil-hana wiš-šifa) - lit. with pleasure and health
Response: ﻳﻬﻨّﻴﻚ ( اﻟﻠﻪallāh yihannīk)
Said by a guest to the host at the end of a meal: داﻳﻤﺎor ﻋﺎﻣﺮ ( داﻳﻤﺎdayman or dayman 3āmir) - lit. May you always prosper
Response: ﺣﻴﺎﺗﻚ ( داﻣﺖdāmit Hayātak) - lit. May your life last long
Say hello to (s.o.) for me; give them my regards: ﻋـ ّ (sallimli 3a...)
ﺳﻠﻢ ﻟﻲ
Response: ﻳﺴﻠﻤﻚ ( اﻟﻠﻪallāh ysallimak)
Good luck: ﻳﻮﻓﻘﻚ ( رﺑﻨﺎrabbena ywaffa'ak) - lit. May God make you succeed
( ﺑﺎﻟﺘﻮﻓﻴﻖ إن ﺷﺎء اﻟﻠﻪbit-tawfī' in ša' allāh)
The standard way to say "Good luck" is ( ﺣﻆ ﺳﻌﻴﺪHaZZ sa3īd).
Used for birthdays and all kinds of holidays: ﻃﻴﺐ ( ﻛﻞ ﺳﻨﺔ واﻧﺖkulle sana winta Tayyib) - lit. May you (and your family) be well every year.
Response: ﻃﻴﺐ ( واﻧﺖwinta Tayyib)
This is the Egyptian variant of the standard ( ﻛﻞ ﻋﺎم وأﻧﺘﻢ ﺑﺨﻴﺮkull 3ām wa-antum bexeir). For someone's birthday, you might say ﻛﻞ ﺳﻨﺔ واﻧﺖ
ﺳﻨﺔ ان ﺷﺎء اﻟﻠﻪ١٠٠ ( ﻃﻴﺐ وﻋﻘﺒﺎلkulle sana winta Tayyib wa-3o'bāl mīt sana in ša' allāh) — "Happy birthday, and many more."
Congratulations on an engagement
In addition to simply saying ﻣﺒﺮوكor ﻣﺒﺮوك أﻟﻒ, you can say the following to congratulate someone on an engagement. Note that people often will say
ﻣﺒﺮوكand pair it with one of the following:
Congratulations on a wedding
Again, in addition to ﻣﺒﺮوكand ﻣﺒﺮوك اﻟﻒ, you can say:
( ﺑﺎرك اﻟﻠﻪ ﻟﻜﻤﺎ وﺑﺎرك ﻋﻠﻴﻜﻤﺎ وﺟﻤﻊ ﺑﻴﻨﻜﻤﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺧﻴﺮbāraka allāhu lakuma wa-bāraka 3aleikuma wa-jama3a beinakuma fi xeir)
"May God bless you, surround you with blessings, and bring you both together in virtue and prosperity." As it was first said by the prophet
Muhammad, this expression is used by Muslims.
(( رﺑﻨﺎ ﻳﺘﻤﻢ ﻟﻚ\ﻳﻜﻤﻞ ﻟﻚ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺧﻴﺮ )وﻳﻜﺮﻣﻚ ﺑﻮﻻدة ﺳﻬﻠﺔrabbina ytammimlik/ykammillik 3ala xeir [wa-ykrimik bi-wilāda sahla])
"May God grant a successful conclusion (to the pregnancy) (and favor you with an easy delivery)."
( رﺑﻨﺎ ﻳﺮزﻗﻚ ﺑﻄﻔﻞ ﺳﻠﻴﻢ ﻣﻌﺎﻓﻲ\ﺑﺒﻴﺒﻲ زي اﻟﻘﻤﺮrabbina yirzu'ik bi-Tifl salīm mu3āfi/bi-beibi zayy il-'amar)
"May God provide you with a strong, healthy child/a beautiful baby." The first option is more standard, the second is more colloquial.
( رﺑﻨﺎ ﻳﻘﻮﻣﻚ )اﻧﺘﻰ واﻟﺒﻴﺒﻰ( ﺑﺄﻟﻒ ﺳﻼﻣﺔrabbina y'awwamik [inti wel-beibi] bi'alf salāma)
"May God deliver you (and the baby) in safety."
(( رﺑﻨﺎ ﻳﺤﻔﻈﻪ ﻣﻦ ﻛﻞ ﺳﻮء )وﻳﺠﻌﻠﻪ ﻗﺮة ﻋﻴﻦ واﻟﺪﻳﻪrabbina yiHfaZu min kull sū' [wa-yig3alu qurrit 3ein wālideih])
"May God protect him from all evil (and make him his parents' delight)." This is more standard than colloquial. If the baby is a girl, then it'd be رﺑﻨﺎ
(( ﻳﺤﻔﻈﻬﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻛﻞ ﺳﻮء )وﻳﺠﻌﻠﻬﺎ ﻗﺮة ﻋﻴﻦ واﻟﺪﻳﻬﺎrabbina yiHfaZha min kull sū' [wa-yig3alha qurrit 3ein wālideiha]).
Condolences
The following expressions can be used by both Muslims and Christians in Egypt. They are followed by condolences used specifically by Muslims and
Christians.
Be strong; keep your chin up: ﺣﻴﻠﻚ ( ﺷ ّﺪšidd Heilak) - lit. Pull your strength
Response: اﻟﻠﻪ ( اﻟﺸﺪة ﻋﻠﻰiš-šidda 3ala-llah)
This expression can be used as a condolence, or anytime someone is about to face a challenging event, like a test or job interview.
May his/her spirit/memory remain in your life: ﺣﻴﺎﺗﻚ ( اﻟﺒﻘﻴﺔ ﻓﻲil-ba'iyya fi Hayātak)
Response: اﻟﺒﻘﻴﺔ ( ﺣﻴﺎﺗﻚHayātak il-ba'iya)
Another condolence. Some say it's a reference to the rest of the deceased's lifespan, which was cut short, being added to yours. On that basis, it could be
viewed as sacriligeous; some would say that everyone only lives their alloted lifespan, and God doesn't cut anyone's life shorter than it's meant to be. See
here, for example. So you may want to stick with other condolences such as ﺣﻴﻠﻚ ﺷﺪif you want to be really safe.
( ﻳﺮﺑﻨﺎ ﻳﺠﻌﻠﻬﺎ آﺧﺮ اﻻﺣﺰان\ﻳﺎ رب ﺗﻜﻮن آﺧﺮ اﻻﺣﺰانrabbina yig3alha ākhir il-aHzān/ya rabb tikūn ākhir il-aHzān)
"May God make it the last of [your] sorrows/May it be the last of [your] sorrows." The first option is more standard, the second is more colloquial.
(( رﺑﻨﺎ ﻳﻘﺪس روﺣﻪ )و ﻳﺪﻳﻨﺎ ﺑﺮﻛﻪ ﺻﻠﻮاﺗﻪrabbina y'addas rūHu [wa-yiddīna barakit Salawātu])
"May God sanctify his soul (and give us the blessing of his prayers)."
( ﻣﻘﺪﻣﺎstandard pronunciation
Note: "In advance" (as in "thanks in advance," "congratulations in advance," or "happy birthday in advance") is
"muqaddaman," colloquial pronunciation "mu'addaman"). So you could say ﻣﻘﺪﻣﺎ ﻛﻞ ﺳﻨﺔ واﻧﺖ ﻃﻴﺐ, ﻣﺒﺮوك ﻣﻘﺪﻣﺎ,ﺷﻜﺮا ﻣﻘﺪﻣﺎ, etc.
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