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Thanks for this lesson and of course for all the latest additions. My MP3 is revved up, so I can do some last-minute cramming on the plane. We leave for Beirut tomorrow. Excited but a little apprehensive all the same - hope I'm not too tongue-tied!

Hay Karen,

إن شاء الله توصلي بالسلامة

Let us know what it's like and whether you used the Arabic you have learnt here. I hope to go to Beirut one day as well

Hi guys,

Very nice podcast indeed .I like Levantine Arabic a lot(and I am practicing it for 6 months already by myself (especially Syrian Dialect

Just would like to confirm few things

1)word بعد=ba3ad means "still" .

I will give few examples to make sure I am right.

ex:Are you still here?بعدك هون؟=Ba3adek hoon?
or
ex:I am still learning ....بعدني عم بدرس=Ba3adne 3am bedros.

2)تلفن=talfan=to phone\to telephone

حدا تلفنني؟=Hadaa telefenlee?=Anyone telephone you?

I guess that Syrian's use expression

"I('ll) call you"=انا بحمكي معك=Ana ba7kee ma3ak.

All the best guys

Will do! Thank so much.

الله يسلمكم

Thank you for this levantine lesson. I am also interested in Syrian dialect. Can anyone please tell me how I can learn this dialect more..any ideas or websites or books?

Thanks!

Dear quest,

It's quite easy to find information about Syrian Arabic on the Net. Among other things, there is a "Syrian Colloquial Arabic Coursebook". Have a look at the website of syrianarabic.com.

Thank you for your response. I know and had already checked out the website, only the first few chapters are free, we have to pay to download the rest. I was wondering if there other good, intermediate level books with CD's that someone has already tried out and can recommend.

usefull lesson, thanks! next sunday/monday I will be in Beirut it will be an evaluation test, but also the ref. of a good restaurant would be usefull to know, from the friends leaving there ciao

Dear rbandini,
Just got back from Beirut. Sierra and Elias are the experts on the good restaurants in the centre of course, but we liked Petit Café right by the Pigeon Rocks. The interior is rather plain, but it has a spectacular view of the rocks and good Lebanese fare. Would love to hear your impression of Beirut. Have a good trip!

DEAR Karen unfortunatelly I am just back and I read only now your message, but anyway my feedback is been iper positive, I went to a place between tyre and Sidon , wonderfull land in a orange plantation ( balkis plantation and orange juices, Balkis, works also with our technology producin top quality fresh orange juices ) . I also enojed staying in Beyrout , maybe you doesn't know we, mediterranian, have a common root and I felt "at home" in lebanon. Your suggestion is been noted on the agenda and it I won't miss the caffè during my next trip thanks

Wow, I can't believe I missed all these comments. First of all, KAREN and RBANDINI, glad to hear that you both enjoyed Beirut/Beyrout and are discovering your own favorite places here

Just want to remind you all that Syrian is included within Levantine dialect. The Levant includes Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine. While there are variations between the four dialects - not to mention the regional variations within countries - it is possible to both understand and be understood using the Levantine variety. For example, watching the Syrian-dubbed Turkish soap opera Noor helped me to improve my speaking and listening in Lebanon a lot.

Bravo CZAREK25 for volunteering some example sentences! بعدك هون would more literally mean "are you still here?" بعدني عم بدرس is correct.

حدا تلفنني actually means: Did someone call *me*? To say: Did someone call *you*? would be حدا تلفنك؟.

And to say "I'll call you" in Levantine, you'd say رح اتصِل فيك (pronounced ra7 ta9il feek) from the verb اتصل which is the form VIII verb of وصل if you're curious.

If you want to use احكي then you could use رح نحكي to mean "well talk." Any other questions?

Dear rbandini, dear Sierra, dear all
Reading your comments makes me feel like going back to Lebanon again as soon as possible! We passed banana plantations when we travelled to the south but unfortunately we had a tight schedule to keep to, so we couldn't stop. But I'd be curious to see the country again a couple of years from now - I'm sure I won't recognize a thing. So much construction activity - so many plans. Let's hope the situation remains stable.
We are thinking of traveling to Jordan next, so all of you keep those great lessons coming - we are hooked! Your podcasts have been immensely helpful in understanding, although my blond hair was a giveaway and most people were unresponsive to my attempts at speaking Arabic (apart from the taxi drivers and shop owners in the souks) :-(

Love this lesson! Shukran kteerrrrrrr!
i will use some of the sentences next time i talk on the phone with my in laws in Palestine!