Phrases · Dialogue 2 · 11 lines
At the Coffee Shop
Ordering coffee and knafeh at a café in Nazareth.
Layla — the barista · Yusuf — a customer
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- Laylaأَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا! تَفَضَّل.
אהלן וסהלן! תפצ'ל.ahlan wa-sahlan! tafaḍḍal.
Welcome! Come in.
tafaḍḍal — the all-purpose 'come in / go ahead / here you are,' from the same root ف-ض-ل as min faḍlika.
- Yusufصَبَاح الْخَيْر. أُرِيد قَهْوَة مِن فَضْلِكِ.
צבאח אל-ח'יר. אריד קהוה מן פצ'לך.ṣabāḥ al-khayr. urīd qahwa min faḍliki.
Good morning. I'd like a coffee, please.
- Laylaقَهْوَة عَرَبِيَّة أَم قَهْوَة بِالْحَلِيب؟
קהוה ערביה אם קהוה באל-חליב?qahwa ʿarabiyya am qahwa bi-l-ḥalīb?
Arabic coffee, or coffee with milk?
- Yusufعَرَبِيَّة بِدُون سُكَّر.
ערביה בדון סכר.ʿarabiyya bidūn sukkar.
Arabic, without sugar.
- Laylaهَل تُرِيد شَيْء حُلْو مَعَ الْقَهْوَة؟
הל תריד שיא חלו מע אל-קהוה?hal turīd shayʾ ḥulw maʿa l-qahwa?
Would you like something sweet with the coffee?
- Yusufنَعَم، قِطْعَة كُنَافَة مِن فَضْلِكِ.
נעם, קטעת כנאפה מן פצ'לך.naʿam, qiṭʿat kunāfa min faḍliki.
Yes, a piece of knafeh, please.
qiṭʿat kunāfa is an iḍāfa — exactly Hebrew smichut: the taa marbuta surfaces as t, like the ־ת of חתיכת.
- Laylaتَفَضَّل، الْقَهْوَة وَالْكُنَافَة.
תפצ'ל, אל-קהוה ואל-כנאפה.tafaḍḍal, al-qahwa wa-l-kunāfa.
Here you are — the coffee and the knafeh.
ṣaḥtēn — 'double health,' bon appétit — is a living dual form, like Hebrew ־יים in יומיים.
- Yusufشُكْرًا. كَم الْحِسَاب؟
שכרן. כם אל-חסאב?shukran. kam al-ḥisāb?
Thanks. How much is the bill?
ḥisāb, the bill — Hebrew חשבון: root ح-س-ب ↔ ח-ש-ב, to reckon; Arabic س regularly matches Hebrew ש.
- Laylaخَمْسَة وَعِشْرُون شَيْقِل.
ח'מסה ועשרון שיקל.khamsa wa-ʿishrūn shayqil.
Twenty-five shekels.
- Yusufتَفَضَّلِي. الْقَهْوَة لَذِيذَة جِدًّا!
תפצ'לי. אל-קהוה לד'יד'ה ג'דן!tafaḍḍalī. al-qahwa ladhīdha jiddan!
Here you go. The coffee is delicious!
- Laylaعَفْوًا! أَهْلًا بِكَ فِي أَيّ وَقْت.
עפואן! אהלן בך פי אי וקת.ʿafwan! ahlan bika fī ayy waqt.
You're welcome! Come back any time.