Gulf Arabic Vocabulary:
I Feel Like A Winner Among You.

This lesson is based on the words of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai (check his Instagram) at a televised youth meeting. Check the video below.

شاب، شباب
shaabb (pl. shabaab) – young person

صدق
Sidg (also Sidj ) – truth, something correct, right (for example, somebody says something you believe in, and you say ‘ay, Sidj, Sidj’)

مجاملة
mujaamala – courtesy saying, polite saying, compliment

لما
lamma – when (as a conjunction, NOT as a question)

طاقة، طاقات
Taaqa (pl. Taaqaat) – energy
طاقة سلبية
Taaqa silbiyya – negative energy
طاقة إيجابية
Taaqa ijaabiyya – positive energy
طاقة كهربائية
Taaqa kahruba’iyya – electrical energy
طاقة نووية
Taaqa nawawiyya – nuclear energy
طاقة بديلة
Taaqa badiila – alternative energy

قسم
qisam – to swear in God (Present: أقسم، تقسم aqsum, taqsum… )

كأني
ka’anni – as if I am
(The hamza or apostrophe is not pronounced in this case by most people except those who want to follow a higher, more literary style.)
كأنك
ka’annak – as if you (m.) are
كأنج
ka’annich – as if you (fem.) are
كأنها
ka’annaha – as if she is
etc. etc.
Another more Bedouin-sounding variant is by using ‘ch’ for ‘k’ and changing the 'aa' sound into 'i':
جني chinni, جنك chinnak, جنج chinnich, جنها chinha

شعور
shu^uur – feelings
شعر
shi^ar - to feel (Present: أشعر، تشعر ash^ur, tish^ur )

ضيع
Dayya^ - to waste
أشعر انج تضيعين وقتج
ash^ur innich tiDayyi^iin wagtich – I feel that you (fem.) are wasting your time

ذكر
dhikar – to remember, to recall; also to mention

كأس، كؤوس
ka’s (pl. ku’uus) – cup (word from literary Arabic)
عالم، عالمين
al-^aalam (pl. ^aalamiin) – world
Islamic phrase: الحمد لله رب العالمين al-Hamdu li-llaah, rabb al-^aalamiin – Glory to Allah, the Lord of the worlds (the ‘worlds’ being الدنيا ad-dunya or, in Gulf Arabic, id-dinya – this world and الآخرة al-aaxira – the hereafter).

تواجد
tawaajid – presence, being
For example, at the end of a TV show the host might say to his female guest the following:
شكراً لج على تواجدج معنا في هذه الحلقة
shukran lich ^ala tawaajidach ma^ana fi haadhi l-Halqa – Thank you (fem.) for being with us in this edition (of a TV show).

فائز، فائزين
faa’iz (pl. faa’iziin) – winner
(Again, the hamza or apostrophe is not pronounced by most people, or it just turns into a 'y' sound - faayiz )


Audio transcript:

بقول لكم شي شباب
bagul-lkum shey shabaab.
I'll tell you something guys (lit. young people).
صدق
Sidg.
Something true.
هذا الشي مو مجاملة ولكن دائماً أنا لما أقعد في ناس
haadha sh-shey muu mujaamala walaakin daa’iman ana lamma ag^id fii naas...
This is not a compliment but I always when I sit in a group of people
يعني... في.. في... داخل... عند ناس شباب عندهم الطاقة هذه إيجابية
ya^ni..fii… fii… daaxil… ^ind naas shabaab ^indhum iT-Taaqa haadhi ijaabiya
I mean... in.. in... inside... among young people who have this positive energy
أقسمكم بالله اني أشعر كأني فائز
aqsumkum b-illah inni ash^ur ka’anni faa’iz.
I swear to God before you that I feel like I am a winner
وهذه الشعور أنا ما شعرت من.. يعني.. من زمان
w haadhi ish-shu^uur ana ma shi^art min … ya^ni … min zimaan.
and these feelings I haven't had since ... well... for a long time.
آخر مرة أذكرها في كأس العالم
aaxir marra adhkarha fii ka’s al-^aalam.
Last time I remember (was) at the World Cup.
فالحين تواجدي وياكم كأني فايز
fa a(l)Hiin tawaajidii wiyyakum ka’anni faayiz.
So, now my being/presence with you (makes me feel) like I am a winner.
فهذا اللي بغيت أقول لكم
fa haadh(a) illi bagheyt agul-lkum.
So that's what I wanted to tell you.



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