Episode 30 · The blue door, the big house

Ahlan! Welcome back to Fablingo Lebanese. Last time, we got a little lost and had our first formal chat with Dr. Hala. But today, we're finally home.

You're back in Téta Nabiha's old flat. Do you remember where it is? Right where we started...

Exactly. But as you push the door open, a tiny shadow slips in right under your arm. It's Lili, Abu Naji's granddaughter.

She immediately hops onto your sofa, crosses her arms, and looks around critically. It's time to gently remind her whose apartment this is.

Let's break that down. hayda is our word for 'this'. And bét means house. By adding the 'ee' sound at the end, it becomes 'my house': béte.

Say it with me. This is my house: hayda béte.

هيدا بيتي — This is my house · hayda béte

A little slower, making sure to hit that 'é' sound at the end of hayda. Try again: hayda béte.

هيدا بيتي — This is my house · hayda béte

Lili nods, accepting this fact. She hops off the sofa and starts pacing the living room, stretching her little arms out wide.

In Lebanese, describing things is beautifully simple. You just say the thing, then the description. Literally, 'the house big'. el-bét kbir.

We know bét is house. To say 'the house', we add the prefix 'el-'. Say: el-bét kbir.

البيت كبير — The house is big · el-bét kbir

Wait, do you remember when you bought fruit with Lili? She pointed at an apple and said hal-teffé7a kbiré. Why kbiré for the apple, but kbir for the house?

Because house is a masculine word, so the adjective stays plain: kbir. Try it naturally: el-bét kbir.

البيت كبير — The house is big · el-bét kbir

You look around the spacious old room with its high arches, agreeing with her assessment.

البيت كبير — The house is big · el-bét kbir

Before Lili wanders off into another room, let's review what we've learned so far. This is my house: hayda béte... hayda béte. And, the house is big: el-bét kbir... el-bét kbir.

Lili is already on the move. She runs toward the tall wooden double doors that open out onto the balcony overlooking the street.

The door is el-béb. And azra2 is blue. Notice that little catch in your throat at the very end of azra2? That’s the Beiruti qaf, pronounced like a sharp stop.

Say it with me. The door is blue: el-béb azra2.

الباب أزرق — The door is blue · el-béb azra2

Again, making sure the adjective comes second. el-béb azra2.

الباب أزرق — The door is blue · el-béb azra2

Lili isn't done with the tour. She darts away from the balcony and down the hall, peeking into a tiny little pantry room.

A room is el-ghurfé. It has that deep, gargling 'gh' sound at the beginning. And because it ends in that feminine 'eh' sound, the word for small must match it.

So instead of the masculine 'zghir', we say zghiré. Say the whole phrase: el-ghurfé zghiré.

الغرفة صغيرة — The room is small · el-ghurfé zghiré

Try it one more time. The room is small: el-ghurfé zghiré.

الغرفة صغيرة — The room is small · el-ghurfé zghiré

You squeeze into the doorway next to her, looking at the tiny shelves, and agree completely.

الغرفة صغيرة — The room is small · el-ghurfé zghiré

Tour complete. Lili walks back out to the balcony, leans on the railing, and looks back at you. She seems to have reached a verdict on Téta's place.

Notice there's no 'el-' on the front this time. So instead of 'the house', it's just 'a house'. A nice house: bét 7ilo. 7ilo is our favorite word for nice, beautiful, or sweet. Be sure to breathe out sharply on that heavy 7.

Say it with me. A nice house: bét 7ilo.

بيت حلو — A nice house · bét 7ilo

You look around the space you inherited, feeling a real sense of belonging for the first time.

بيت حلو — A nice house · bét 7ilo

You did great today. Let's do one final walk-through of what we learned. This is my house: hayda béte... hayda béte. The house is big: el-bét kbir... el-bét kbir. The door is blue: el-béb azra2... el-béb azra2. The room is small: el-ghurfé zghiré... el-ghurfé zghiré. A nice house: bét 7ilo... bét 7ilo.

Now that you've got a nice big house, maybe it's time to invite someone over? Maya loves making plans... Join us next time. We release new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Ila al-liqa!