Phrases · Dialogue 5 · 10 lines
Asking for Directions
Lost near the old city, a visitor stops a local for the way
Yusuf — A visitor who has wandered off the map · Rania — A local who knows every alley
j / k or arrow keys step through the lines
- Yusufعَفْوًا، أَنَا تَائِه. أَيْنَ الْبَلْدَة الْقَدِيمَة؟
עפואן, אנא תאאה. אין אל-בלדה אל-קדימה?ʿafwan, anā tāʾih. ayna l-balda l-qadīma?
Excuse me, I'm lost. Where is the old city?
- Raniaأَهْلًا بِك! لَا تَقْلَق، هِيَ قَرِيبَة مِن هُنَا.
אהלן בך! לא תקלק, הי קריבה מן הנא.ahlan bik! lā taqlaq, hiya qarība min hunā.
Welcome! Don't worry — it's close to here.
Levantine basīṭa — 'no big deal' — crossed straight into Israeli slang as בסיטה. And lā taqlaq 'don't worry' opens with an old friend: lā = לא.
- Yusufكَيْفَ أَصِل إِلَيْهَا مِن فَضْلِك؟
כיף אצל אליהא מן פצ'לך?kayfa aṣil ilayhā min faḍlik?
How do I get there, please?
- Raniaاِمْشِ فِي هٰذَا الشَّارِع مُبَاشَرَةً حَتَّى الْجَامِع الْكَبِير.
אמשי פי האד'א א-שארע מבאשרתן חתא אל-ג'אמע אל-כביר.imshi fī hādhā sh-shāriʿ mubāsharatan ḥattā l-jāmiʿ al-kabīr.
Walk straight down this street until the big mosque.
Levantine dughri 'straight ahead' is a Turkish loan that Hebrew borrowed too: דוגרי, straight talk.
- Yusufوَبَعْدَ الْجَامِع؟
ובעד אל-ג'אמע?wa-baʿda l-jāmiʿ?
And after the mosque?
- Raniaاِنْعَطِف إِلَى الْيَمِين، ثُمَّ خُذ أَوَّل شَارِع عَلَى الْيَسَار.
אנעטף אלא אל-ימין, ת'ם ח'ד' אול שארע עלא אל-יסאר.inʿaṭif ilā l-yamīn, thumma khudh awwal shāriʿ ʿalā l-yasār.
Turn right, then take the first street on the left.
Hebrew שמאל hides in the Levantine: Biblical speakers oriented facing east, so 'left' also meant 'north'. In MSA shimāl usually means 'north' (the everyday 'left' is yasār), but the street uses shmāl for 'left' — exactly the Hebrew sense.
- Yusufهَل هِيَ بَعِيدَة مِن هُنَا؟
הל הי בעידה מן הנא?hal hiya baʿīda min hunā?
Is it far from here?
- Raniaلَا، هِيَ قَرِيبَة جِدًّا — عَشْر دَقَائِق فَقَط.
לא, הי קריבה ג'דן — עשר דקאאק פקט.lā, hiya qarība jiddan — ʿashr daqāʾiq faqaṭ.
No, it's very close — just ten minutes.
- Yusufمُمْتَاز! شُكْرًا جَزِيلًا لَك.
ממתאז! שכרן ג'זילן לך.mumtāz! shukran jazīlan lak.
Perfect! Thank you so much.
- Raniaعَفْوًا! مَعَ السَّلَامَة.
עפואן! מע א-סלאמה.ʿafwan! maʿa s-salāma.
You're welcome! Goodbye.
maʿa s-salāma — literally 'with the peace': the same farewell logic as Hebrew לך לשלום.