This online lesson is based on a single sentence taken from Kamaan Shuwayya ‘An Nafsi (A Little More About Myself), a resource that features real-life survey responses from 10 Egyptians on 36 different topics. It is designed to help intermediate learners transition from basic phrases to more complex, natural self-expression.
Yomna is answering the question, “How do you get around?” (بِتِـرْكب أيْه في مشاويرك؟). She reflects on how her daily routine changed after she purchased a car.
The Sentence
زمان قبْل ما أجيب عربية كُنْت بَروح بِالْمُواصْلات و كُنْت بسْتغِلّ الفُرْصة و أَمْشي كْتير.
In the past, before I got a car, I would take public transportation, and I’d take the opportunity to walk a lot.
The Breakdown
- زَمان (zamān) — In the past or “a long time ago”.
- قبْل ما (ʔablə ma) — Before. In Egyptian Arabic, adding ما (ma) after “before” allows you to follow it with a verb.
- أجيب (agīb) — I get (or I bring). This comes from the essential verb جاب (gāb).
- كُنْت بَروح (kuntə barūḥ) — I used to go. This is a key intermediate structure: the past tense of “to be” (كان) combined with a present-tense verb describes an ongoing habit in the past.
- المُواصْلات (il-muwaʂlāt) — Public transportation.
- بَسْتغِلّ الفُرْصة (bastaɣíll il-fúrʂa) — I take advantage of/exploit the opportunity.
Natural Usage Tip: To sound more like a native speaker, use the word زمان to set the stage for a story about how things used to be. It immediately signals to your listener that you are comparing the past to the present.
Source: Kamaan Shuwayya ‘An Nafsi
Kamaan Shuwayya ‘An Nafsi
The second book in the series, a survey based eBook for intermediate learners that continues developing conversational skills in Egyptian Arabic through authentic native speaker responses.