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Lower Intermediate - Leather shoes

In this lesson we are buying shoes, there's a time and place for haggling though, and it's not where we are today. Join us for this lesson as we set foot into the world of shoe shopping in the Arabian peninsula and enter an upmarket shop (the kind of place where they don't display the prices on the box!).
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9 Comments

  		•
    hexagonmoon says
    Sat 12th Dec 09@10:22 am

    Loads of great words in this lesson. I'm wondering what is the function of أجل? I've seen it in another context, من أجل, meaning "for"...
  • ArabicLover says
    Sat 12th Dec 09@11:56 pm

    As far as I know it means yes but if it’s preceded by من then it means for reason of. When you look at the context of the sentence, it’s meaning will become clearer. For example if an answer to a yes or no question starts with أجل then it must mean yes.
  • Ehab says
    Sun 13th Dec 09@07:08 am

    Fine, the word (أجل) that is used in (من أجل) is different from the one that means Yes.

    The difference is clear in the pronunciation. (Ajal-Yes) that we used in this lesson has fat7a on the (jeem) letter, while (Men Ajl) which means (for or because of) has just sokoon on the jeem.

    Ajal > yes
    Men Ajl > because of

    As most scripts in Arabic (newspapers, books...) don't include 7arakaat, then what ArabicLover suggested would be a solution, basically just understand the context and work it out.
  • dcundy says
    Fri 18th Dec 09@12:58 am

    Why don't you use the dual form for a pair of shoes?
  • Ehab says
    Fri 18th Dec 09@09:02 pm

    Well, Shoes in Arabic is considered as one quantity, not dual nor plural. In fact the dual form of shoes is حذاءان and the plural is أحذية.
    All these words that sound dual in English (trousers, scissors... ) are considered as singular in Arabic.
  • Arthur says
    Sat 22nd May 10@04:04 am

    Learn something new everyday.I've been at this for about a year.Went through Arabic books...for Dummies....for which I was especially well qualified. I even managed to work through Rosetta Stone and observed that every time they asked a question...to which the reply was yes "Na am" they never mentioned Ajal...not that I recall. But at my age I frequently find myself wearing socks that defy logic...so my wifw has complained more than once...
    Really appreciate your teaching skills. It is a great program.

    Thanks...I'll be listining.
    Regards.
  • quest says
    Thu 24th Jun 10@02:20 pm

    Salam....Jazaka-Allah Khair brothers for this website & for teaching those who are earnestly trying to learn THE most beautiful language.

    Can we also use in the sentence: Let me try Size 40.. for the word "Let me" - "Khallenee" instead of "Da3ny"

    Jazaka-Allah Khair!
  • ArabicLover says
    Thu 24th Jun 10@06:00 pm

    Ahlan quest,

    Yes you can use خليني - Khaleeny instead of Da3ny in the third sentence, but khaleeny is a colloquial word. Da3ny is classical. Hope this helps
  • quest says
    Fri 25th Jun 10@02:43 pm

    Jazaki-Allah Khair! yes, it helps. Also for telling me that Da3ny is Classical.

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