Why English speakers say "badde to rou7"

After "want," English demands a "to": "I want TO go." Lebanese attaches the bare verb straight onto badde, and the missing "to" feels wrong until you drill it.

No word for "to." badde rou7 is literally "my-want go." The second verb hooks directly onto badde with nothing between them. Slipping in a "to" is the English habit fighting you.

Moods have no "am" and they agree with YOU. ana mabsut / mabsuta (I'm happy) has no verb "to be," and the adjective agrees with the SPEAKER's gender — a man says mabsut, a woman mabsuta. English "happy" never changes, so this is easy to forget.

"No" is only a standalone answer. la2 means "no" as a full reply. It does NOT negate a word inside a sentence — that job belongs to mish or ma. Do not drop la2 into mid-clause where English would use "not."

• badde rou7 3a-l-bét. — I want to go home. (no "to")
• ana mabsut / ana mabsuta. — I'm happy. (man / woman)
• badik trou7é? — la2, ma badde. — Do you want to go? No, I don't want to.

Say it with me: badde rou7 — want plus bare verb, no "to" in the gap.