Unit 4 · How much is it?
saaken: I live, he lives
Capitals mark the emphatic letters, 3 is ع and 7 is ح, and ' is the glottal stop that Cairo uses for q.
Egyptian often uses a participle, a verb turned into an adjective, where English has a present-tense verb. saaken means "living" and does the job of "I live", "you live" and "he lives": 'ana saaken hena, howwa saaken fi maSr. Because it's an adjective it agrees: sakna for a woman, sakneen for more than one. It's negated like an adjective too, with mish: mish saaken hena. You've already met another one: 3aayez and 3ayza (wanting).
Hear it in sentences
أَنَا عَايِز عِيش.
I'd like some bread. (said by a man)
عَايْزَة جِبْنَة يَا مُنَى؟
Do you want some cheese, Mona?
عَايْزَة إِزَازِةْ زِيت.
I'd like a bottle of oil. (said by a woman)
عَايِز عَصِير وِمَيَّة.
I'd like juice and water. (said by a man)
أَنَا مِش عَايْزَة جِبْنَة، شُكْرًا.
I don't want cheese, thanks. (said by a woman)
عَايْزَة عِيش تُوسْت وِعِلْبِةْ جِبْنَة.
I'd like toast and a box of cheese.
عَايِز عِيش تُوسْت، مِش عِيش بَلَدِي.
I want toast, not local bread. (said by a man)
مِسَافِر فِين؟
Where are you travelling to?