Episode 37 · Do you have an appointment?

Welcome back to Sahet el-Teeneh. The dust in Téta's old flat is mostly cleared, but a few days of sweeping has left you with a scratchy throat.

It's nothing serious, but you decide it's a good time to officially register at the neighbourhood clinic. Plus, it's a chance to practice some more formal Arabic.

You step inside. Dr. Hala is at her pristine desk, adjusting her reading glasses. She looks up, perfectly polite but entirely no-nonsense.

mar7aba. 3indak maw3id?

عندك موعد؟ — Do you have an appointment? · 3indak maw3id?

Let's look at what she just asked. You might remember the first word, 3indak, from asking if Sett Sana's shop had bread.

عندك موعد؟ — Do you have an appointment? · 3indak maw3id?

It means 'do you have'. Now she adds maw3id, which means an appointment. The 3 in maw3id is that deep, tightened sound in the throat.

عندك موعد؟ — Do you have an appointment? · 3indak maw3id?

If you're a man, she asks with an 'a' sound at the end of the first word. Try saying it like she did: 3indak maw3id?

عندك موعد؟ — Do you have an appointment? · 3indak maw3id?

It is written exactly the same way, but if she were asking a woman, she'd drop the vowel to an 'i' sound: 3indik maw3id?

عندك موعد؟ — Do you have an appointment? · 3indak maw3id?

la2. baddé maw3id bukra.

بدّي موعد بكرا — I'd like an appointment tomorrow · baddé maw3id bukra

That was great! You recycled baddé, which you used before to order coffee, to politely say 'I want' or 'I would like'.

بدّي موعد بكرا — I'd like an appointment tomorrow · baddé maw3id bukra

Then you added maw3id for appointment, and bukra, which is the Beiruti word for tomorrow. It's an incredibly useful word to know.

بدّي موعد بكرا — I'd like an appointment tomorrow · baddé maw3id bukra

Say it with me, nice and smooth: baddé maw3id bukra.

بدّي موعد بكرا — I'd like an appointment tomorrow · baddé maw3id bukra

Again, just natural and relaxed: baddé maw3id bukra.

بدّي موعد بكرا — I'd like an appointment tomorrow · baddé maw3id bukra

Dr. Hala opens a large, very serious-looking leather diary. She runs a finger down the page, considering the schedule.

While she checks, let's review what we have so far. To ask if someone has an appointment, we say: 3indak maw3id?... 3indak maw3id?... That's 'Do you have an appointment?'

And to ask for one tomorrow, we say: baddé maw3id bukra... baddé maw3id bukra... which means 'I'd like an appointment tomorrow.'

You realize you probably need to ask if you should bring your passport, or maybe Téta's old neighbourhood residency card. But you want to interrupt politely.

mumkin su2al?

ممكن سؤال؟ — May I ask a question? · mumkin su2al?

This is the perfect way to get someone's attention respectfully in Beirut. mumkin means 'is it possible' or 'may I'.

ممكن سؤال؟ — May I ask a question? · mumkin su2al?

And su2al means a question. Notice that tiny catch in your throat in the middle of the word? That's the 2, the glottal stop. You actually do this in English when you say 'uh-oh'.

ممكن سؤال؟ — May I ask a question? · mumkin su2al?

Let's put it together to ask politely. Say it with me: mumkin su2al?

ممكن سؤال؟ — May I ask a question? · mumkin su2al?

One more time: mumkin su2al?

ممكن سؤال؟ — May I ask a question? · mumkin su2al?

tfaddal, ismak?

تفضّل، إسمك؟ — Please — your name? · tfaddal, ismak?

Ah, she gave you the floor! tfaddal is a beautiful word. It means 'go ahead', 'please', or 'be my guest'. She uses it to say, 'Yes, you may ask.'

تفضّل، إسمك؟ — Please — your name? · tfaddal, ismak?

Then she asks for your details for the form. ismak means 'your name', addressing a man.

تفضّل، إسمك؟ — Please — your name? · tfaddal, ismak?

If Dr. Hala was addressing a woman, she would add an 'é' sound to the first word, and drop the vowel on the second: tfaddalé, ismik?

تفضّل، إسمك؟ — Please — your name? · tfaddal, ismak?

Try saying it the way she did to a man. Notice the heavy d sound, deep in the mouth. Say: tfaddal, ismak?

تفضّل، إسمك؟ — Please — your name? · tfaddal, ismak?

isme... w nimreté...

إسمي... ونمرتي... — My name is… and my number is… · isme… w nimreté…

You just gave her exactly what she needed! The 'e' sound at the end of a word in Lebanese often means 'my'. So isme means 'my name'.

إسمي... ونمرتي... — My name is… and my number is… · isme… w nimreté…

And you added w for 'and', followed by nimreté, which means 'my number'. Any time you fill out a form or register for anything, you'll use this.

إسمي... ونمرتي... — My name is… and my number is… · isme… w nimreté…

Let's practice giving your details. Say it with me: isme... w nimreté...

إسمي... ونمرتي... — My name is… and my number is… · isme… w nimreté…

A little faster now, exactly how you'd say it at a desk: isme... w nimreté...

إسمي... ونمرتي... — My name is… and my number is… · isme… w nimreté…

Dr. Hala neatly writes everything down in her perfect cursive, entirely unbothered by your question about the passport. She rips off a tiny white appointment card and hands it across the desk.

You take it, feeling quite proud of your successful clinic visit. Then you look down. You have an appointment tomorrow... but you realize you have absolutely no idea how to ask what time it is.

We'll figure out the time in our next visit! For now, let's review today's clinic Arabic. To ask 'Do you have an appointment?' we say: 3indak maw3id?... 3indak maw3id?

To request one, 'I'd like an appointment tomorrow': baddé maw3id bukra... baddé maw3id bukra.

To politely interrupt, 'May I ask a question?': mumkin su2al?... mumkin su2al?

When someone offers the floor and asks for your name: tfaddal, ismak?... tfaddal, ismak?

And to give your details, 'My name is... and my number is...': isme... w nimreté...... isme... w nimreté...

You're really settling in! Join us on Tuesday as we finally tackle how to read the clock in Beirut, so you don't miss your check-up. See you then!