Phrases · Dialogue 6 · 12 lines
At the Restaurant
A table for two, a vegetarian question, and the bill
Layla — Out to dinner with her husband · Samir — The waiter, proud of his kitchen
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- Laylaمَسَاء الْخَيْر. طَاوِلَة لِشَخْصَيْن مِن فَضْلِك.
מסאא אל-ח'יר. טאולה לשח'צין מן פצ'לך.masāʾ al-khayr. ṭāwila li-shakhṣayn min faḍlik.
Good evening. A table for two, please.
- Samirأَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا! تَفَضَّلَا، هٰذِهِ طَاوِلَة قُرْب الشُّبَّاك.
אהלן וסהלן! תפצ'לא, האד'ה טאולה קרב א-שבאך.ahlan wa-sahlan! tafaḍḍalā, hādhihi ṭāwila qurb ash-shubbāk.
Welcome! Right this way — here is a table by the window.
- Laylaمُمْتَاز. مَاذَا تَقْتَرِح عَلَيْنَا؟
ממתאז. מאד'א תקתרח עלינא?mumtāz. mādhā taqtariḥ ʿalaynā?
Perfect. What do you suggest for us?
- Samirمَشَاوِينَا مَشْهُورَة، وَطَبَق الْيَوْم هُوَ الْمَقْلُوبَة.
משאוינא משהורה, וטבק אל-יום הו אל-מקלובה.mashāwīnā mashhūra, wa-ṭabaq al-yawm huwa l-maqlūba.
Our grilled meats are famous, and the dish of the day is maqluba.
ṭabaq al-yawm 'dish of the day' is a bare iḍāfa — exactly Hebrew smichut, as in מנת היום: no 'of', and no article on the first noun.
- Laylaسُؤَال مِن فَضْلِك: أَنَا لَا آكُل اللَّحْم. هَل عِنْدَكُم طَعَام نَبَاتِيّ؟
סאאל מן פצ'לך: אנא לא אכל א-לחם. הל ענדכם טעאם נבאתי?suʾāl min faḍlik: anā lā ākul al-laḥm. hal ʿindakum ṭaʿām nabātī?
A question, please: I don't eat meat. Do you have vegetarian food?
laḥm is the classic false friend: Arabic 'meat', Hebrew לחם 'bread'. One ancient word for the staple food — each language picked its own staple (compare בית לחם with بيت لحم).
- Samirطَبْعًا! عِنْدَنَا مَقْلُوبَة بِالْخُضَار بِدُون لَحْم، وَهِيَ لَذِيذَة جِدًّا.
טבען! ענדנא מקלובה באל-ח'צ'אר בדון לחם, והי לד'יד'ה ג'דן.ṭabʿan! ʿindanā maqlūba bi-l-khuḍār bidūn laḥm, wa-hiya ladhīdha jiddan.
Of course! We have maqluba with vegetables, no meat — and it is delicious.
- Laylaرَائِع. مَقْلُوبَة بِالْخُضَار لِي، وَالْمَشَاوِي لِزَوْجِي.
ראאע. מקלובה באל-ח'צ'אר לי, ואל-משאוי לזוג'י.rāʾiʿ. maqlūba bi-l-khuḍār lī, wa-l-mashāwī li-zawjī.
Wonderful. The vegetable maqluba for me, and the grill for my husband.
- Samirوَمَاذَا تَشْرَبَان؟
ומאד'א תשרבאן?wa-mādhā tashrabān?
And what will you two drink?
- Laylaمَاء وَعَصِير لَيْمُون مِن فَضْلِك.
מאא ועציר לימון מן פצ'לך.māʾ wa-ʿaṣīr laymūn min faḍlik.
Water and lemonade, please.
- Samirحَالًا. صَحَّتَيْن!
חאלן. צחתין!ḥālan. ṣaḥḥatayn!
Right away — and enjoy your meal!
ṣaḥḥatayn — 'health, twice over': the dual -ayn that Hebrew keeps in פעמיים and יומיים. Israelis borrowed the whole word as סחתיין.
- Laylaكَانَ كُلّ شَيْء لَذِيذ. الْحِسَاب مِن فَضْلِك.
כאן כל שיא לד'יד'. אל-חסאב מן פצ'לך.kāna kull shayʾ ladhīdh. al-ḥisāb min faḍlik.
Everything was delicious. The bill, please.
al-ḥisāb 'the bill' — root ح-س-ب 'to count', Hebrew ח-ש-ב: the bill is literally the חשבון.
- Samirتَفَضَّلِي، وَشُكْرًا لَكُمَا!
תפצ'לי, ושכרן לכמא!tafaḍḍalī, wa-shukran lakumā!
Here you are — and thank you both!