Time
Time can be expressed in several different ways:
- units of time - days, weeks etc
- parts of the day - morning/afternoon
- time of day - 6.30
- relative time (before/after) - today/yesterday etc
- days of the week
- dates
Units of time
English | Egyptian | Plural | ||
moment | lahZalaHZao | لـَحظـَة | lahZaatlaHZaat | لـَحظا َت |
second | thanyathaanyao | ثا َنيـَة | thawaanithawaany | ثـَوا َني |
minute | di'ee'adiqyqao | د ِقيقـَة | da'aayi'daqaayiq | د َقا َيـِق |
hour | saaAasaaAao | سا َعـَة | saAaatsaaAaat | سا َعا َت |
day | yoomywm | يوم | 'ayaamaacyaam | أيا َم |
week | 'usbooAuucsbwA | أ ُسبوع | 'asaabiyAaacsaabiyA | أسا َبـِيع |
month | shahrshahr | شـَهر | shuhoorshuhwr | شـُهور |
year | sanasanao | سـَنـَة | sineensinyn | سـِنين |
lifetime | AumrAumr | عـُمر | 'aAmaaraacAmaar | أعما َر |
Parts of the day
The main events in the day are sunrise and sunset. Midnight, noon and the six prayer times can also be used to specify an approximate time.
English | Egyptian | |
last prayers till dawn | illeeliil-lyl | ا ِلّيل |
dawn until sunset | ilSubhiil-SubH | ا ِلصـُبح |
after sunset | masa'masaaC | مـَسا َء |
dawn | fagrfagr | فـَجر |
noon | ilDuhriil-Duhr | ا ِلضـُهر |
after noon | baAd ilDuhrbaAd iil-Duhr | بـَعد ا ِلضـُهر |
sunset | ilmaGribiil-maGrib | ا ِلمـَغر ِب |
midnight | nuS illeelnuS iil-lyl | نـُص ا ِلّيل |
Time of day
In English, it is normal to use half and quarter hours to describe time. In addition, in Egyptian, thirds are used. Here is a list of the words that can be used:
English | Egyptian | |
half | nuSnuS | نـُص |
a third | tilttilt | تـِلت |
a quarter | rubArubA | ر ُبع |
and | wawa | وَ |
less | 'ilaiiclaa | إلاَ |
Here are all the times at five minute intervals:
English | Egyptian | |
seven o'clock | sabAasabAao | سـَبعـَة |
five past seven past | sabAa wa KamsasabAao wa Kamsao | سـَبعـَة و َ خـَمسـَة |
ten past seven | sabAa wa AasharasabAao wa Aasharao | سـَبعـَة و َ عـَشـَر َة |
quarter past seven | sabAa wa rubA sabAao wa rubA | سـَبعـَة و َ ر ُبع |
twenty past seven | sabAa wa tiltsabAao wa tilt | سـَبعـَة و َ تـِلت |
twenty five past seven | sabAa wa nuS 'ila KamsasabAao wa nuS iiclaa Kamsao | سـَبعـَة و َ نـُص إلا َ خـَمسـَة |
half past seven | sabAa wa nuSsabAao wa nuS | سـَبعـَة و َ نـُص |
twenty-five to eight | sabAa wa nuS wa KamsasabAao wa nuS wa Kamsao | سـَبعـَة و َ نـُص و َ خـَمسـَة |
twenty to eight | tamanya 'ila tilttamaanyao iiclaa tilt | تـَما َنيـَة إلا َ تـِلت |
quarter to eight | tamanya 'ila rubaAtamaanyao iiclaa rubaA | تـَما َنيـَة إلا َ ر ُبـَع |
ten to eight | tamanya 'ila Aasharatamaanyao iiclaa Aasharao | تـَما َنيـَة إلا َ عـَشـَر َة |
five to eight | tamanya 'ila Kamsatamaanyao iiclaa Kamsao | تـَما َنيـَة إلا َ خـَمسـَة |
Relative time
English | Arabic | |
the day before yesterday | 'awil 'imbaarihaacwil iicmbaariH | أو ِل إمبا َر ِح |
yesterday | 'imbaarihiicmbaariH | إمبا َر ِح |
today | ilnahardaiilnahaardao | ا ِلنـَها َرد َة |
tomorrow | bukrahbukrah | بـُكر َه |
the day after tomorrow | baAd bukrahbaAd bukrah | بـَعد بـُكر َه |
English | Arabic | |
last week | iloosbwaA 'ili faatiil-uusbwaA iicly faat | ا ِلا ُسبو َع إلي فا َت |
this week | iloosbwaA dihiil-uusbwaA dih | ا ِلا ُسبو َع د ِه |
next week | iloosbwaA 'ili gaaiiil-uusbwaA iicly gaay | ا ِلا ُسبو َع إلي جا َي |
English | Arabic | |
now | dilwa'tidilwaqty | د ِلو َقتي |
soon | ||
later | baAdeenbaAdyn | بـَعدين |
not yet | lissahlissah | لـِسّـَه |
early | badribadry | بـَدري |
late (at night) | waKriwaKry | و َخري |
Days of week
English | Arabic | |
Sunday | yoom ilaaahadywm iil-aaaHad | يوم ا ِلا َ َحـَد |
Monday | yoom il'ithneenywm iil-iicthnyn | يوم ا ِلإثنين |
Tuesday | yoom iltalaatywm iil-talaat | يوم ا ِلتـَلا َت |
Wednesday | yoom il'arbaAaywm iil-aacrbaAa | يوم ا ِلأربـَعَ |
Thursday | yoom ilKameesywm iil-Kamys | يوم ا ِلخـَميس |
Friday | yoom ilgumaAaywm iil-gumaAao | يوم ا ِلجـُمـَعـَة |
Saturday | yoom ilsabtywm iil-sabt | يوم ا ِلسـَبت |
Dates
Dates are normally written with day as a number, month as a word and year as a number, for example:
The month names are:
English | Arabic | |
January | yanaeyiryaenaeyir | يا َنا َيـِر |
February | fibraayirfibraayir | فـِبرا َيـِر |
March | maerismaeris | ما َر ِس |
April | 'abreelaacbryl | أبريل |
May | maywmaeyw | ما َيو |
June | yooneewywnyw | يونيو |
July | yooleewywlyw | يوليو |
August | 'aGustTusaacGustTus | أغـُستطـُس |
September | sibtimbirsibtimbir | سـِبتـِمبـِر |
October | 'uktoobaruucktwbar | أ ُكتوبـَر |
November | noovimbirnwvimbir | نوڤـِمبـِر |
December | deesimbirdysimbir | ديسـِمبـِر |