Time
Time can be expressed in several different ways:
- units of time - days, weeks etc
- parts of the day - morning/afternoon
- time of day - 6.30
- relative time (before/after) - today/yesterday etc
- days of the week
- dates
Units of time
English | Egyptian | Plural | ||
moment | lahZa | لـَحظـَة | lahZaat | لـَحظا َت |
second | thanya | ثا َنيـَة | thawaani | ثـَوا َني |
minute | di'ee'a | د ِقيقـَة | da'aayi' | د َقا َيـِق |
hour | saaAa | سا َعـَة | saAaat | سا َعا َت |
day | yoom | يوم | 'ayaam | أيا َم |
week | 'usbooA | أ ُسبوع | 'asaabiyA | أسا َبـِيع |
month | shahr | شـَهر | shuhoor | شـُهور |
year | sana | سـَنـَة | sineen | 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.
English | Egyptian | |
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 noon | baAd 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:
English | Egyptian | |
half | nuS | نـُص |
a third | tilt | تـِلت |
a quarter | rubA | ر ُبع |
and | wa | وَ |
less | 'ila | إلاَ |
Here are all the times at five minute intervals:
English | Egyptian | |
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
English | Arabic | |
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 |
English | Arabic | |
last week | iloosbwaA 'ili faat | ا ِلا ُسبو َع إلي فا َت |
this week | iloosbwaA 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 | ||
later | baAdeen | بـَعدين |
not yet | lissah | لـِسّـَه |
early | badri | بـَدري |
late (at night) | waKri | و َخري |
Days of week
English | Arabic | |
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:
The month names are:
English | Arabic | |
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 |