Episode 35 · It hurts here

Welcome back to Beirut! Last time, Jad and Lili helped you figure out your winter layers as the weather finally turned cold. But today, the chill seems to have caught up with someone.

You're in your kitchen boiling water for tea when there's a slow, dramatic knock at your door. You open it to find little Lili slumped against the doorframe, with Jad standing behind her, holding her school backpack and rolling his eyes.

Before you can even ask what's wrong, Lili holds up one limp arm for your inspection.

haydi ide.

هيدي إيدي — This is my hand · haydi ide

Lili is starting her medical assessment with the basics. She says, haydi ide.

هيدي إيدي — This is my hand · haydi ide

We know haydi means 'this is', for a feminine word. And ide is 'my hand'. Remember how we added that 'ee' sound to things around the house to say 'my room' or 'my house'? It works for body parts too. The word for hand is id. Add the ending, and it's ide.

هيدي إيدي — This is my hand · haydi ide

Say it with me. haydi ide. One more time: haydi ide.

هيدي إيدي — This is my hand · haydi ide

Jad sighs deeply. He nudges her gently. 'And what's wrong with your hand?' But Lili has already moved on. She clutches her forehead.

rase 3am yuja3né.

راسي عم يوجعني — My head hurts (me) · rase 3am yuja3né

Oh dear. Now it's her head. She tells you, rase 3am yuja3né. Let's break this down, because it's exactly how we express pain in Lebanese.

راسي عم يوجعني — My head hurts (me) · rase 3am yuja3né

First, rase. The word for head is ras. So 'my head' is rase. Try just that part: rase.

راسي عم يوجعني — My head hurts (me) · rase 3am yuja3né

Next she says, 3am yuja3né. Notice that 3am from last episode? It means something is happening right now. And yuja3né means 'it hurts me'. We literally say 'My head is currently hurting me'.

راسي عم يوجعني — My head hurts (me) · rase 3am yuja3né

Listen to the deep 3 sound in the middle of the verb, coming right from the throat. yuja3né. Let's put it together. Say: rase 3am yuja3né.

راسي عم يوجعني — My head hurts (me) · rase 3am yuja3né

Once more, slowly: rase 3am yuja3né.

راسي عم يوجعني — My head hurts (me) · rase 3am yuja3né

Jad looks entirely unconvinced by her performance. 'Oh, is that so?' he asks. 'If your head hurts that badly, we can't go to school. We have to go straight to Dr. Hala at the pharmacy for a very big shot.'

Lili's eyes go wide. A shot? But before she can walk back her symptoms, Jad is already thanking you for the tea and steering her across the square toward the bright green cross of the pharmacy.

Before we follow them into the clinic, let's make sure we've got those symptoms down. First, Lili held up her hand and said, 'This is my hand'.

haydi ide. haydi ide.

Then she complained about her head hurting. 'My head hurts me.'

rase 3am yuja3né. rase 3am yuja3né.

You decide to tag along to make sure she's okay. Inside Dr. Hala's pharmacy, it's quiet, cool, and smells of mint and rubbing alcohol. Dr. Hala looks up from her neat counter, her white coat immaculate.

Jad explains that Lili is in terrible pain. Dr. Hala peers over her glasses at the little girl. 'Oh? Your head, Lili?' But Lili, terrified of the fictional shot, suddenly grabs her stomach instead.

batne byuja3né.

بطني بيوجعني — My stomach hurts (me) · batne byuja3né

A miraculous shift in symptoms! She tells the pharmacist, batne byuja3né.

بطني بيوجعني — My stomach hurts (me) · batne byuja3né

The word for stomach or belly is batn. When we add our 'my' ending, it becomes batne. And notice the verb here — she didn't use 3am this time, she just said byuja3né. Both are perfectly fine and mean 'it hurts me'.

بطني بيوجعني — My stomach hurts (me) · batne byuja3né

Try it with me, saying 'my stomach': batne. And now the whole phrase: batne byuja3né.

بطني بيوجعني — My stomach hurts (me) · batne byuja3né

Once more. Tell the doctor: batne byuja3né.

بطني بيوجعني — My stomach hurts (me) · batne byuja3né

Dr. Hala gives Lili a very knowing, serious nod. She reaches under the counter... and pulls out a strawberry lollipop. 'For the stomach pain,' she says smoothly.

Jad lets out a long sigh of defeat, rubbing his own eyes. Between the morning arguments and staying up late, he looks like he's the one who needs medicine.

ana ta3bén shwayy.

أنا تعبان شوي — I'm a bit tired · ana ta3bén shwayy

Poor Jad. He admits, ana ta3bén shwayy. I'm a little tired.

أنا تعبان شوي — I'm a bit tired · ana ta3bén shwayy

We know ana is 'I'. ta3bén means 'tired' for a male speaker. (If a woman is speaking, she'd add our feminine ending and say ta3béne). And shwayy means 'a little bit'.

أنا تعبان شوي — I'm a bit tired · ana ta3bén shwayy

Listen to the heavy 3 right in the middle again. ta3bén. Practice it with me, playing the part of an exhausted Jad: ana ta3bén shwayy.

أنا تعبان شوي — I'm a bit tired · ana ta3bén shwayy

Say it naturally, just a little weary: ana ta3bén shwayy.

أنا تعبان شوي — I'm a bit tired · ana ta3bén shwayy

Dr. Hala looks at Jad. The crisp, formal pharmacist actually softens for a second. She slides a foil packet of Vitamin C across the glass counter toward him.

salemtak.

سلامتك — Get well · salemtak

She tells him, salemtak.

سلامتك — Get well · salemtak

This is a beautiful, essential phrase in Arabic. Literally, it means 'your safety' or 'your peace'. We use it anytime someone is sick, tired, or hurt. It's how we say 'Get well soon'.

سلامتك — Get well · salemtak

Because Dr. Hala is speaking to Jad, a guy, she says salemtak. If she were talking to Lili, it would sound slightly different at the end. Say it with me to wish Jad well: salemtak.

سلامتك — Get well · salemtak

One more time, with feeling: salemtak.

سلامتك — Get well · salemtak

Jad looks at the vitamins, and then back at Dr. Hala. He blinks. For the first time since you've met him, he seems completely lost for words. In fact, he suddenly looks like he might want to invent a stomach ache of his own.

'Actually,' Jad stammers to her back, 'I think... my throat is a little scratchy too.' Lili rolls her eyes at you around her lollipop.

Looks like the pharmacy might be getting a new regular patient. Before we leave them to it, let's review the new phrases you picked up today.

Lili pointed out her hand. 'This is my hand.' haydi ide. haydi ide.

Then she complained about her head. 'My head hurts.' rase 3am yuja3né. rase 3am yuja3né.

Before switching to her stomach. 'My stomach hurts.' batne byuja3né. batne byuja3né.

Jad confessed his exhaustion. 'I'm a bit tired.' ana ta3bén shwayy. ana ta3bén shwayy.

And Dr. Hala wished him well. 'Get well' (to a male). salemtak. salemtak.

Amazing work today! Now you know exactly what to say if you catch a bug in Beirut. We'll be back in the neighbourhood on Tuesday and Friday. Take care of yourself, and I'll see you next time!