Forgetting Al-Kitaab and Learning Palestinian Arabic: If you study Arabic in the United States, you are using the textbook Al-Kitaab from Georgetown University Press. Youโve gotten to know Maha pretty well. You wish sheโd find some friends so she could quit being so wi7da. After all, New York is a big city!
You also know her cousin/husband Khalid, who stayed in Al-Qahira for gaami3a. And you know her wise father, who was a doctor if memory serves. You also think all Arabs speak al-fus7a, and that the main difference between the ways Lebanese and Egyptians speak is that the former likes to party on al-jumi3a and the latter likes to pray on al-gumi3a.
When visiting Palestine, feel free to set the Maha-Khalid saga aside until next semester, and be open to breaking many the many rules you were taught in Al-Kitaab.
Donโt get me wrong โ if you absorbed every single vocabulary word and grammatical construct through Al-Kitaab 2, you will be able to express yourself in a reasonably sophisticated way. However, if Khalid and Maha are the only Arabic speakers youโve ever known, you will think Palestinians are speaking a different language altogether.
Here are a few tips for my fellow Al-Kitaabers to ease your transition into the Palestinian dialect.
ุฉ
The โtaa marbutaโ is said more like โehโ rather than โahโ.
ู
The โqaafโ is said like the ุก โhamzaโ, e.g.
| Arabic Spelling | Phonetic Fus7a Spelling | Phonetic Palestinian Spelling | Meaning |
| ูููุฉ | Qahua | ‘ahueh | coffee |
| ูู ุงูุญูููุฉ… | fii-il-7aQiaQah โฆ | fii-il-7aโiaโeh โฆ | actually โฆ |
| ุงููุฏุณ | al-Quds | al-โuds | Jerusalem |
| ุงูููุช | al-waQt | al-waโt | the time |
Verb Conjugations
In the first person, โbiโ is almost always added. Also, instead of using the word ููุนููู to mean โto doโ, must people use ุนูู ููู which literally means โto workโ.
Also, in the past tense, the pronoun is usually required, since the final short vowel is often skipped and so ambiguities can occur without the pronoun.
Some snazzy verb conjugation tables:
| Present Tense Fus7a | Present Tense Phonetic Palestinian | Meaning |
| ุงูุง ุฃููุนูููู | ุงูุง ุจูุนูู ููู | I do |
| ุฃูุชู ุชูููุนููู | ุฅูุชู ุจูุชูุนูู ููู | You (m) do |
| ุฃูุชู ุชูููุนููู | ุฅูุชู ุจูุชูุนูู ููู | You (f) do |
| ููู ูููุนููู | ููู ุจูุนู ููู | He does |
| ููู ุชูููุนููู | ููู ุจูุชูุนูู ููู | She does |
| ููุญููู ููููุนููู | ุฅุญูุง ู ููุนูู ููู | We do |
| ุฃููุชูู ุชูููุนููููู | ุฅูุชู ุจูุชูุนูู ููู | You all do |
| ููู ููููุนูููู | ููู ุจูุนูู ููู | They do |
| Past Tense Fus7a | Past Tense Phonetic Palestinian | Meaning |
| ุงูุง ูููุชู | ุงูุง ูููุชู | I was |
| ุฃูุชู ูููุชู | ุฅูุชู ูููุชู | You (m) were |
| ุฃูุชู ูููุชู | ุฅูุชู ูููุชู | You (f) were |
| ููู ูุงูู | ููู ูุงูู | He was |
| ููู ูุงููุชู | ููู ูุงููุช | She was |
| ููุญูู ูููุง | ุฅุญูุง ูููุง | We were |
| ุฃููุชูู ูููุชูู | ุฅูุชููููุชูู | You all were |
| ููู ูุงููุง | ููู ูุงูู | They were |
ุก
The โhamzaโ is usually ignored, substituting instead the whole vowel, e.g.:
| Arabic Spelling | Phonetic Fus7a Spelling | Phonetic Palestinian Spelling | Meaning |
| ูู ูุฌูุก | hoa yajiโ | Hoo yajii | He is coming |
| ุงูุง ุงูุฑุฃ | ana aQaraโ | Ana aโaraa | I am reading |
Some Useful Words
Some words are just different from what you learned in Al-Kitaab. A great many words. Here are a few I didnโt get at first.
| Al-Kitaab | Palestine | Meaning |
| ุบุฏุงู | ุจููุฑุฉ | Tomorrow |
| ุฃู ุณ | ุงูุจุงุฑูุญุฉ | Yesterday |
Talk To People!
You must talk to people in Arabic. Start with your bad Arabic, and it will become good Arabic. Palestinians are thrilled that you want to learn their language and will be patient as you stumble toward the word you want to say.ย Just speak Arabic!
Any questions
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact atย Rafat@excellencenter.org
Whatsapp:+972599479880
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