Tap a sentence to hear it. Tap the round button to hear a whole line.
Sound key. aa, ii, uu = long vowels · ḥ = a harder, breathy h · ʿ = the throaty ‘ayn’ · ʼ = a tiny catch in the throat, as in ‘uh-oh’ (also how people in Amman say the letter ق) · kh = like ‘ch’ in Scottish ‘loch’ · ṭ ṣ ḍ = heavier t, s, d · sh, j as in English. Transliteration is a guide; the audio is the model.
Page 1
مَرْحَبا! أَنا سامي.
Marḥaba! ʼAna Saami.
Hello! I'm Sami.
أَنا أَرْدُنّي. أَنا مِن إِرْبِد.
ʼAna ʼardunni. ʼAna min ʼIrbid.
I'm Jordanian. I'm from Irbid.
أَنا طالِب. أَنا جَديد هون.
ʼAna ṭaalib. ʼAna jadiid hoon.
I'm a student. I'm new here.
هاد الدَّرَج. الدَّرَج كْبير وحِلْو.
Haad id-daraj. Id-daraj Kabiir w ḥilu.
These are the stairs. The stairs are big and nice.
هاي عَمّان. عَمّان كْبيرَة!
Haay ʿAmmaan. ʿAmmaan kbiira!
This is Amman. Amman is big!
Page 2
هاي العِمارَة. العِمارَة قَديمَة وحِلْوَة.
Haay il-ʿimaara. Il-ʿimaara ʼadiima w ḥilwa.
This is the building. The building is old and nice.
هاي سِتّ عَ البَلْكونَة.
Haay sitt ʿal-balkoona.
This is a lady on the balcony.
السِتّ
صَباح الخَيْر! مين إِنْتَ؟
Ṣabaaḥ il-khayr! Miin ʼinta?
"Good morning! Who are you?"
سامي
صَباح النّور! أَنا سامي. وإِنْتي؟
Ṣabaaḥ in-nuur! ʼAna Saami. W ʼinti?
"Good morning! I'm Sami. And you?"
السِتّ
أَنا أُمّ هُدى. أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا!
ʼAna ʼUmm Hudaa. ʼAhlan wa sahlan!
"I'm Umm Huda. Welcome!"
هِيِّ لَطيفَة وحِلْوَة.
Hiyyi laṭiifa w ḥilwa.
She is kind and nice.
Page 3
سامي
رَقَم الشَّقَّة سَبْعَة.
Raʼam ish-shaʼʼa sabʿa.
"The flat number is seven."
أُمّ هُدى
سَبْعَة؟ حِلْو! أَنا رَقَم تَلاتَة. أَنا قَديمَة هون!
Sabʿa? Ḥilu! ʼAna raʼam talaata. ʼAna ʼadiima hoon!
"Seven? Nice! I'm number three. I'm old here!"
أُمّ هُدى
إِنْتَ طالِب؟
ʼInta ṭaalib?
"Are you a student?"
سامي
أَيْوَه، أَنا طالِب. أَنا مِن إِرْبِد.
ʼAywa, ʼana ṭaalib. ʼAna min ʼIrbid.
"Yes, I am a student. I am from Irbid."
أُمّ هُدى
هاد الشّاي. الشّاي سُخْن وحِلْو. تَفَضَّل!
Haad ish-shaay. Ish-shaay sukhn w ḥilu. Tafaḍḍal!
"This is the tea. The tea is hot and sweet. Please, help yourself!"
سامي
شُكْرًا يا أُمّ هُدى!
Shukran yaa ʼUmm Hudaa!
"Thank you, Umm Huda!"
عَمّان حِلْوَة!
ʿAmmaan ḥilwa!
Amman is nice!
Words in this story
The 30 words on the flashcards.
مَرْحَباhello
أَناI
إِنْتَyou (m.)
إِنْتيyou (f.)
هُوِّhe
هِيِّshe
هادthis (m.)
هايthis (f.)
أَرْدُنّيJordanian
مِنfrom
طالِبstudent
جَديدnew
قَديمold
هونhere
كْبيرbig
حِلْوnice, sweet
لَطيفkind
عِمارَةbuilding
بَلْكونَةbalcony
سِتّlady, Mrs.
صَباح الخَيْرgood morning
صَباح النّورgood morning (reply)
مينwho
أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًاwelcome
رَقَمnumber
شَقَّةflat
شايtea
سُخْنhot
تَفَضَّلplease, go ahead
شُكْرًاthank you
Grammar spotlight
No verb “to be”.Pronouns.This: هاد (m.) and هاي (f.).The article ال.