Egyptian Arabic Grammar

Time

Time can be expressed in several different ways:

Units of time

EnglishEgyptianPlural
moment lahZa
لـَحظـَةlahZaat
لـَحظا َت
second thanya
ثا َنيـَةthawaani
ثـَوا َني
minute di'ee'a
د ِقيقـَةda'aayi'
د َقا َيـِق
hour saaAa
سا َعـَةsaAaat
سا َعا َت
day yoom
يوم'ayaam
أيا َم
week 'usbooA
أ ُسبوع'asaabiyA
أسا َبـِيع
month shahr
شـَهرshuhoor
شـُهور
year sana
سـَنـَةsineen
سـِنين
lifetime Aumr
عـُمر'aAmaar
أعما َر

Parts of the day

The main events in the day are sunrise and sunset. Midnight, noon and the six prayer times can also be used to specify an approximate time.

EnglishEgyptian
last prayers till dawn illeel
ا ِلّيل
dawn until sunset ilSubh
ا ِلصـُبح
after sunset masa'
مـَسا َء
dawn fagr
فـَجر
noon ilDuhr
ا ِلضـُهر
after noonbaAd ilDuhr
بـَعد ا ِلضـُهر
sunset ilmaGrib
ا ِلمـَغر ِب
midnight nuS illeel
نـُص ا ِلّيل

Time of day

In English, it is normal to use half and quarter hours to describe time. In addition, in Egyptian, thirds are used. Here is a list of the words that can be used:

EnglishEgyptian
halfnuS
نـُص
a thirdtilt
تـِلت
a quarterrubA
ر ُبع
andwa
وَ
less'ila
إلاَ

Here are all the times at five minute intervals:

EnglishEgyptian
seven o'clock sabAa
سـَبعـَة
five past seven past sabAa wa Kamsa
سـَبعـَة و َ خـَمسـَة
ten past seven sabAa wa Aashara
سـَبعـَة و َ عـَشـَر َة
quarter past seven sabAa wa rubA
سـَبعـَة و َ ر ُبع
twenty past seven sabAa wa tilt
سـَبعـَة و َ تـِلت
twenty five past seven sabAa wa nuS 'ila Kamsa
سـَبعـَة و َ نـُص إلا َ خـَمسـَة
half past seven sabAa wa nuS
سـَبعـَة و َ نـُص
twenty-five to eight sabAa wa nuS wa Kamsa
سـَبعـَة و َ نـُص و َ خـَمسـَة
twenty to eight tamanya 'ila tilt
تـَما َنيـَة إلا َ تـِلت
quarter to eight tamanya 'ila rubaA
تـَما َنيـَة إلا َ ر ُبـَع
ten to eight tamanya 'ila Aashara
تـَما َنيـَة إلا َ عـَشـَر َة
five to eight tamanya 'ila Kamsa
تـَما َنيـَة إلا َ خـَمسـَة

Relative time

EnglishArabic
the day before yesterday'awil 'imbaarih
أو ِل إمبا َر ِح
yesterday 'imbaarih
إمبا َر ِح
today ilnaharda
ا ِلنـَها َرد َة
tomorrow bukrah
بـُكر َه
the day after tomorrow baAd bukrah
بـَعد بـُكر َه
EnglishArabic
last week iloosbwaA 'ili faat
ا ِلا ُسبو َع إلي فا َت
this weekiloosbwaA dih
ا ِلا ُسبو َع د ِه
next week iloosbwaA 'ili gaai
ا ِلا ُسبو َع إلي جا َي
English Arabic
now dilwa'ti
د ِلو َقتي
soon baAd shuwayao
later baAdeen
بـَعدين
not yet lissah
لـِسّـَه
early badri
بـَدري
late (at night) waKri
و َخري

Days of week

EnglishArabic
Sunday yoom ilaaahad
يوم ا ِلا َ َحـَد
Monday yoom il'ithneen
يوم ا ِلإثنين
Tuesday yoom iltalaat
يوم ا ِلتـَلا َت
Wednesday yoom il'arbaAa
يوم ا ِلأربـَعَ
Thursday yoom ilKamees
يوم ا ِلخـَميس
Friday yoom ilgumaAa
يوم ا ِلجـُمـَعـَة
Saturday yoom ilsabt
يوم ا ِلسـَبت

Dates

Dates are normally written with day as a number, month as a word and year as a number, for example:

25th January 2011
25 yanaeyir 2011
٢٥ يا َنا َيـِر ٢٠١١

The month names are:

EnglishArabic
January yanaeyir
يا َنا َيـِر
February fibraayir
فـِبرا َيـِر
March maeris
ما َر ِس
April 'abreel
أبريل
May mayw
ما َيو
June yooneew
يونيو
July yooleew
يوليو
August 'aGustTus
أغـُستطـُس
September sibtimbir
سـِبتـِمبـِر
October 'uktoobar
أ ُكتوبـَر
November noovimbir
نوڤـِمبـِر
December deesimbir
ديسـِمبـِر

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