Fablingo / Fablingo Lebanese / Level pre-A1
Episode 04 · What's your name?
Duration: 9:28
After this lesson you can:
Say your name, ask someone's name, and count 0–10 (including trading a phone number).
In this episode
Jad decides the mute newcomer is his new project and won't let you off the wall until you trade names and, so it isn't a one-off, your phone number counted out digit by digit.
Last time, you braved Sahet el-Teeneh and learned how Beirut says hello and goodbye. You survived a fast mar7aba from Jad, a warm ahla w sahla from Abu Naji, and even a crisp bonjour from Dr. Hala. Today? Jad decides the mute newcomer is his new project. Names. Numbers. No escaping. Ready?
The café steam curls in the cool morning. Abu Naji polishes cups. Jad leans on the blue-tiled wall, scrolling, earbuds half in. You hover with your key, still learning how to be here.
mar7aba! kifak l yom?
mar7aba… kifak?
éé! halla2 mnballish sa7. 3al 7ayt! ma bmshi 2abel ma nt3arraf. yalla.
shu ismak?
شو اسمك؟ / شو اسمِك؟ — what's your name? (m / f) · shu ismak? / shu ismik?
That was your cue. He asked: shu ismak? — shu ismak? to a man. To a woman, shu ismik? — shu ismik? Hear the tiny i sound. Casual, friendly, used everywhere. Common slip: saying ismak to a woman or ismik to a man — try to match who you're talking to. Say it with me: shu ismak? — shu ismak? Now slower… shu ismik? — shu ismik?
شو اسمك؟ / شو اسمِك؟ — what's your name? (m / f) · shu ismak? / shu ismik?
sh… shu ismak?
شو اسمك؟ / شو اسمِك؟ — what's your name? (m / f) · shu ismak? / shu ismik?
ana ismé Jad, w inta?
أنا اسمي...، وإنت؟ — my name is… — and you? · ana ismé…, w inta?
Perfect structure for first meetings. ana ismé… — ana ismé… literally, 'I, my name…' and then w inta? — w inta? means 'and you?' Talking to a woman, you'd hear w inti? — w inti? But what Jad said to you, as a guy, is w inta? — w inta? Try it: ana ismé , w inta? — ana ismé , w inta?
أنا اسمي...، وإنت؟ — my name is… — and you? · ana ismé…, w inta?
ana ismé Nabil… w inta?
أنا اسمي...، وإنت؟ — my name is… — and you? · ana ismé…, w inta?
tsharrafna ya Nabil! khallas, sirna jiran… w ref2at shway shway.
myaw! myaw! ta3é hon!
min… hayda?
مين هيدا؟ — هيدا جاد — who's that? — that's Jad · min hayda? — hayda Jad
Love the curiosity. For a guy or a masculine thing near you, say: min hayda? — min hayda? For a girl or feminine thing, it's min haydé? — min haydé? Jad will answer about himself with hayda Jad — hayda Jad. About Lili, he'd say haydé Lili — haydé Lili. Say it with me: min hayda? — min hayda? Again, more natural: min hayda? — min hayda?
مين هيدا؟ — هيدا جاد — who's that? — that's Jad · min hayda? — hayda Jad
min hayda? … hayda Jad. w min haydé?
مين هيدا؟ — هيدا جاد — who's that? — that's Jad · min hayda? — hayda Jad
haydé Lili. shatra bil hroub!
Nice flow. You greeted back, asked for a name with shu ismak? / shu ismik?, introduced yourself with ana ismé…, w inta?, and pointed people out with min hayda? — hayda Jad. Keep them on your tongue; Jad isn’t done.
halla2 ar2am. bala ar2am ma fi mwa3id, ma fi 2ahwe, ma fi shi! rakkiz.
wa7ad, tnein, tléte, arb3a, khamse.
واحد، تنين، تلاتة، أربعة، خمسة — one, two, three, four, five · wa7ad, tnein, tléte, arb3a, khamse
Fingers up with him. wa7ad — wa7ad, feel that heavy 7 in your throat; tnein — tnein, quick t-néyn; tléte — tléte with an é; arb3a — arb3a, that deep 3 is 3ayn; khamse — khamse with a breathy kh. Say them with me, slow: wa7ad… tnein… tléte… arb3a… khamse. Now a bit faster, natural street speed.
واحد، تنين، تلاتة، أربعة، خمسة — one, two, three, four, five · wa7ad, tnein, tléte, arb3a, khamse
wa7ad… tnein… tléte… arb3a… khamse.
واحد، تنين، تلاتة، أربعة، خمسة — one, two, three, four, five · wa7ad, tnein, tléte, arb3a, khamse
sette, sab3a, tmené, tis3a, 3ashra. yalla, ma3é.
Just for your ear: sette — sette, sab3a — sab3a, tmené — tmené, tis3a — tis3a, 3ashra — 3ashra. We’ll use them in phone digits. Don’t sweat perfection; rhythm first.
tayyeb, ra2mak? ana bballish, ba3dein inta.
ra2mé… sifr, tis3a, sab3a…
رقمي... صفر، تسعة، سبعة... — my number is… zero, nine, seven… · ra2mé… sifr, tis3a, sab3a…
ra2mé — ra2mé: my number. Hear that 2? It’s the catch in your throat, the hamza. Then you list digits: sifr — sifr (zero), tis3a — tis3a (nine), sab3a — sab3a (seven)… and so on. Common mistake: dropping that little catch in ra2mé. Say it with me: ra2mé… sifr, tis3a, sab3a… — ra2mé… sifr, tis3a, sab3a… Slower once… now natural.
رقمي... صفر، تسعة، سبعة... — my number is… zero, nine, seven… · ra2mé… sifr, tis3a, sab3a…
ra2mé… sifr, tmené, wa7ad, tnein, khamse.
رقمي... صفر، تسعة، سبعة... — my number is… zero, nine, seven… · ra2mé… sifr, tis3a, sab3a…
bravo! bas shway asra3. yalla 3id: sifr, tléte, tléte, sab3a, 3ashra? la2 la2, ma fi 3ashra ra2em wa7ad! heh.
He’s joking because a phone number is read digit by digit — no 'ten' as a single digit. So for 10 you’d actually say wa7ad sifr if it came as digits. Keep tapping the rhythm: click-click, digit-digit.
shu ismak?
شو اسمك؟ / شو اسمِك؟ — what's your name? (m / f) · shu ismak? / shu ismik?
saba7 l kheir ya shabab. min hayda?
مين هيدا؟ — هيدا جاد — who's that? — that's Jad · min hayda? — hayda Jad
hayda Nabil. jaré l jdid. Nabil, hay Maya.
ana ismé Nabil, w inta?
أنا اسمي...، وإنت؟ — my name is… — and you? · ana ismé…, w inta?
inti ma3é ana! b2ellik: w inti? ana Maya. tsharrafna.
Nabil, khod sekkara… l yom ma fi 7sab, bas bkra fi tadrib zyéde ma3 Jad!
ana botilbak: sifr, tis3a, wa7ad, sab3a, khamse… inta kammil.
tnein, tléte, sette, tmené.
Look at you: names both ways, pointing people out, and digits rolling: wa7ad la khamse, plus sette to 3ashra in your ear, and the phone format ra2mé… sifr, tis3a, sab3a… You’re ready to save contacts like a local.
ana awwal ma jit 3al 7ay, ma 7ada 7efez ismé shahrein. bala isem btdal gharib. khallasna hal 2essa ma3ak bser3a.
shu ismé ana?
شو اسمك؟ / شو اسمِك؟ — what's your name? (m / f) · shu ismak? / shu ismik?
inti… shu ismik?
شو اسمك؟ / شو اسمِك؟ — what's your name? (m / f) · shu ismak? / shu ismik?
ana ismé Lili! w ra2mé… serr!
saba7 l nour. kifak ya Jad?
mar7aba doktora.
bil mnesabe, l layle fi mbara bil ma2ha. eza baddak, mni7joz tawle. 3endak ra2mé halla2… w ma tt-harrab! yalla?
yep, b7akik. sifr, tléte, tléte… 7feztoun!
Today you stopped being a stranger. You asked and answered names, pointed people out, and counted through a phone number like a Beiruti. Revisit the phrases, then go try them on someone — a barista, a neighbor, even a cat-owner named Lili.
Two lessons a week — Tuesday and Friday — I’m right here on the stairs if you need me. Hit follow so you don’t miss when Jad drags you to that match. Yalla, bye — and practice out loud: shu ismak? ana ismé… ra2mé… sifr…
Vocabulary
| Phrase | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| شو اسمك؟ / شو اسمِك؟ | what's your name? (m / f) | |
| أنا اسمي...، وإنت؟ | my name is… — and you? | |
| مين هيدا؟ — هيدا جاد | who's that? — that's Jad | |
| واحد، تنين، تلاتة، أربعة، خمسة | one, two, three, four, five | |
| رقمي... صفر، تسعة، سبعة... | my number is… zero, nine, seven… |
Grammar in this lesson
The zero-copula self-intro ana ismé…; the shu / min question words; subject pronouns ana / inta / inti + recognition of huwwe/hiyye via hayda/haydi; the demonstrative hayda; numbers 0–10.