Unit 10 · Getting around and eating out
Asking for things politely
Capitals mark the emphatic letters, 3 is ع and 7 is ح, and ' is the glottal stop that Cairo uses for q.
3aayez or 3ayza plus a noun is the plain way to ask for something: 3aayez 3aSeer lamoon, "I'd like a lemon juice". momken plus a noun is softer: momken el-minyu? "could I have the menu?". Put law sama7t (to a man) or law sama7ti (to a woman) in front of either and it's polite. In a taxi, ya 'osTa gets the driver's attention, and 3ala feen? is the first thing he'll ask you: "where to?"
Hear it in sentences
وَسَط، مِن غِير تَلْج.
Medium, no ice.
تَاكْسِي! يَا أُسْطَى، فَاضِي؟
Taxi! Are you free, driver?
- hey; O (before a name)
- title for a taxi driver
مُمْكِن الْمِنْيُو لَو سَمَحْت؟
Could I have the menu, please? (to a man)