Egyptian Arabic Grammar

Prepositions

Prepositions define a relationship (in time, space,etc) between a noun and something else. In both English and Egyptian, the preposition goes before the noun that it defines the relationship to. Here are some examples:

Domain EnglishEgyptianExample
time afterbaAd
بـَعدshe came after dinner
hiya gaat baAd ilAasha'
هـِي َ جا َت بـَعد ا ِلعـَشا َء
spacebehindwara
و َراَthe garden is behind the house
ilgineena wara ilbiyt
ا ِلجـِنينـَة و َرا َ ا ِلبـِيت
qualitylikezayi
ز َييI need another pen like this
mihtaag 'alam thaani zayi dah
مـِحتا َج قـَلـَم ثا َني ز َيي د َه
referenceaccording tohasab
حـَسـَبaccording to the police, the riot started at 2am
hasab kalaam ilboolees, ilshaGab 'ibtada ilsaaAa ithneen
حـَسـَب كـَلا َم ا ِلبوليس، ا ِلشـَغـَب إبتـَدى ا ِلسا َعـَة ا ِثنين
ownershiphaveAand
عـَندI have a house in Cairo
Aandi biyt fi il'ahra
عـَندي بـِيت في ا ِلقا َهـِر َة

The noun can be one of the following:

Element ExampleSentence
proper noun Ahmedshe is with Ahmed
hiya maAa 'ahmad
هـِي َ مـَع َ أحمـَد
simple nounthe housethe cat is inside the house
il'uTTa guwwa ilbiyt
ا ِلقـُطّـَة جـُوّا َ ا ِلبـِيت
compound nouna plastic bagI don't want a plastic bag
aana mish Aaayiz kees blastik
ا َنا َ مـِش عا َيـِز كيس بلـَستـِك
noun phrasethe man who...I arrived after the man who delivered the carpet
waSalt baAd ilraagil illi waSal ilsigaada
و َصـَلت بـَعد ا ِلرا َجـِل ا ِلّي و َصـَل ا ِلسـِجا َد َة
object pronounherI arrived after her
waSalt baAdaha
و َصـَلت بـَعد َهـَ
demonstrative pronounthisI need another pen like this
mihtaag 'alam thaani zayi dah
مـِحتا َج قـَلـَم ثا َني ز َيي د َه

Be careful! If it's not a noun, but a complete clause (ie it has a verb), you have to use a conjunction. In English, it's confusing because the preposition and conjunction are often the same word: in Egyptian it is necessary to insert the word ma ماَ to convert a preposition ot a conjunction. See more about this below.

Prepositions of time

English EgyptianExample
after baAd
بـَعد we will start after the feast
hanibtidi baAd ilAiyd
هـَنـِبتـِدي بـَعد ا ِلعـِيد
before 'abl
قـَبل I must paint the house before summer
laazim 'adhin ilbiyt 'abl ilSeef
لا َز ِم أدهـِن ا ِلبـِيت قـَبل ا ِلصيف
during athna'
ا َثنا َء smoking is forbidden during dinner
iltadKeen mamnooA 'athna' ilAasha'
ا ِلتـَدخين مـَمنوع أثنا َء ا ِلعـَشا َء
till lihadd
لـِحـَدّ I will be here till dinner
'ana mawgood lihadd ilAasha'
أنا َ مـَوجود لـِحـَدّ ا ِلعـَشا َء
till liGaayit
لـِغا َيـِة they are busy until 8pm
humma mawgoodeen liGaayit saaAa tamanya
هـُمّ َ مـَوجودين لـِغا َيـِة سا َعـَة تـَما َنيـَة

Prepositions of space

English EgyptianExample
from min
مـِن he is from Cairo
huwwa min ilQahra
هـُوّ َ مـِن ا ِلقا َهـِر َة
away from Aan
عـَن the dog ran away from me
ilkalb garri minni
ا ِلكـَلب جـَرّي مـِنني
at/toward Aala
عـَلى that man is looking at us
ilraagil dah baSS Aaleena
ا ِلرا َجـِل د َه بـَصّ عـَليناَ
at fi
في my husband is at home
goozi fi ilbiyt
جوزي في ا ِلبـِيت
above foo'
فوق my apartment is above the laundry
sha''ati foo' ilmaGsala
شـَقّـَتي فوق ا ِلمـَغسـَلـَة
below taht
تـَحت there are many many fish under the water
fi samak kiteer taht ilmayaah
في سـَمـَك كـِتير تـَحت ا ِلمـَيا َه
opposite 'uSaad
قـُصا َد the restaurant is opposite the railway station
ilmaTaAm 'uSaad mahaTTit il'aTaar
ا ِلمـَطـَعم قـُصا َد مـَحـَطّـِة ا ِلقـَطا َر
opposite 'ubaal
قـُبا َل
facing fi wishsh
في و ِشّ the house is facing the desert
ilbiyt fi wishsh ilSahara'
ا ِلبـِيت في و ِشّ ا ِلصـَحـَرا َء
at Aand
عـَند the customs office is at the airport
maktab ilgamaarik Aand ilmaTaar
مـَكتـَب ا ِلجـَما َر ِك عـَند ا ِلمـَطا َر
at Aand
عـَند turn right at the pharmacy
Kushsh yimeen Aand ilSayidaliya
خـُشّ يـِمين عـَند ا ِلصـَيـِد َلـِيـَة
behind wara
و َراَ the cat is behind you (f)
il'uTTa waraaki
ا ِلقـُطّـَة و َرا َكي
beside gamb
جـَمب there was an accident beside the mosque
kaan fi hadtha ganb ilgamAa
كا َن في حا َدثـَة جـَنب ا ِلجا َمعَ
in fi
في the dog is in the garden
ilkalb fi ilgineena
ا ِلكـَلب في ا ِلجـِنينـَة
inside guwa
جـُواَ we must stay inside the house
laazim ni'Aud guwa ilbiyt
لا َز ِم نـِقعـُد جـُوا َ ا ِلبـِيت
outside bara
بـَراَ do you want anything from outside?
Aaayiz haga min baraa?
عا َيـِز حـَجـَة مـِن بـَرا َ؟
on Aala
عـَلى the bread is on the table
ilAeesh Aala iltarabeeza
ا ِلعيش عـَلى ا ِلتـَر َبيز َة
between been
بين Hurghada is between the desert and the sea
ilGarda'a been ilSahara' wa ilbahr
ا ِلغـَرد َقـَة بين ا ِلصـَحـَرا َء و َ ا ِلبـَحر
along biilTool
بـِا ِلطول there are lamp posts all along the street
fi Aawameed noor biilTool ilshaariA
في عـَوا َميد نور بـِا ِلطول ا ِلشا َر ِع
surroundinghawaleen
حـَو َلين The view surrounding the house is very beautiful
ilmanZar hawaleen ilbiyt gameel 'awi
ا ِلمـَنظـَر حـَو َلين ا ِلبـِيت جـَميل قـَوي

Note that you don't need a prepositional to after words like raah را َح - go.

I am going to Cairo
aacnaa raayiH iil-Qaahirao

Miscellaneous Prepositions

English EgyptianExample
concerning 'amaa... fa...
أما َ٫٫٫ فـَ٫٫٫
like zayi
ز َيي do you have something like this?
Aandak haaga zayi dih?
عـَند َك حا َجـَة ز َيي د ِه؟
there is fi
في there is a stain on this shirt
fi bu'Aa Aala il'ameeS dih
في بـُقعـَة عـَلى ا ِلقـَميص د ِه
about Aan
عـَن I am reading a book about the revolution
ba'ra kitaab Aan ilthoora
بـَقرا َ كـِتا َب عـَن ا ِلثور َة
according to hasab
حـَسـَب according to Ahmed, it will be windy tomorrow
hasab kalaam 'ahmad, haykoon fi hawa' kiteer bukrah
حـَسـَب كـَلا َم أحمـَد، حـَيكون في هـَوا َء كـِتير بـُكر َه
contrary Aaks
عـَكس my opinion is contrary to yours
r'ayi Aaks r'ayak
رأيي عـَكس رأيـَك
except 'ila
إلاَ there is no food except this bread
mafish akl 'ila ilAayshsh dah
مـَفـِش ا َكل إلا َ ا ِلعـَيشّ د َه
except maAada
مـَعـَداَ
instead of baddal
بـَدّ َل give us chicken instead of beef
'ideena firaaK baddal illahma
إدينا َ فـِرا َخ بـَدّ َل ا ِلّـَحمـَة
despite biilraGm min
بـِا ِلر َغم مـِن he succeeded despite his injuries
nigih biilraGm min ziraaAuh ilmaksoor
نـِجـِح بـِا ِلر َغم مـِن ذ ِرا َعـُه ا ِلمـَكسور
plus zaa'id
زا َئـِد there are ten guests plus two staff
fi Aashara Duyoof zaa'id 'ithneen muwaZafeen
في عـَشـَر َة ضـُيوف زا َئـِد إثنين مـُو َظـَفين

Prepositions of ownership

This important group is discussed in more detail in the section on ownership.

English EgyptianExample
own Aand
عـَند I own a car
Aandi Aarabiya
عـَندي عـَر َبـِيـَة
have with youmaAa
مـَعَ I have a cigarette lighter
maAayah walaaAa
مـَعـَيـَه و َلا َعـَة
have got li
لي I have two legs
li rigleen
لي ر ِجلين
forAalashaen
عـَلـَشا َن there was a phone call for you
kaan fi mukalma Aalashaenak
كا َن في مـُكـَلمـَة عـَلـَشا َن َك

Subordinate clauses: maa

A preposition connects a noun to a sentence. If you want to connect a clause (something with a verb) to a sentence, you need to use a conjunction.

In English, many conjunctions are the same as prepositions: In Egyptian, some prepositions can be converted to a conjunction by adding the word ma ماَ. Here are some examples:

PrepositionConjunction
wash your hands before dinner
'iGsil ieedeek 'abl ilAasha'
إغسـِل ا ِيديك قـَبل ا ِلعـَشا َء
wash your hands before you eat
'iGsil ieedeek 'abl ma taakul
إغسـِل ا ِيديك قـَبل ما َ تا َكـُل
she arrived after the bus
hiya waSalit baAd ilmasarahiya
هـِي َ و َصـَلـِت بـَعد ا ِلمـَسـَر َحـِيـَة
she arrived after the bus had gone
hiya waSalit baAd ma ilmasrahiya 'ibtadit
هـِي َ و َصـَلـِت بـَعد ما َ ا ِلمـَسر َحـِيـَة إبتـَد ِت
he acts like the owner
biyitSarraf zayi ilmaalik
بـِيـِتصـَرّ َف ز َيي ا ِلما َلـِك
he acts as if he owns the place
biyitSarraf zayi ma yikoon ilmakaan bitaaAuh
بـِيـِتصـَرّ َف ز َيي ما َ يـِكون ا ِلمـَكا َن بـِتا َعـُه

yikoon يـِكون is added in the last example because it is something that is unlikely to happen. See kaan for more details.


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