The word ba'a بـَقى

You will often hear the word ba'a بـَقى in Egyptian conversation. The normal translation 'to become' is only very approximate: here are some examples that show the range of possible meanings.

to become

This is the normal translation of ba'a بـَقى:

television has become really boring iltilifizyoon fiAlan ba'a mumillا ِلتـِلـِفـِزيون فـِعلاً بـَقى مـُمـِلّ

Starting and stopping

You can use ba'a بـَقى when you start, stop or change some habitual activity. Used like this, it is a modal, and so you follow it with a verb in the imperfect form.

I started to drink juice ba'eet 'ashrab AaSeerبـَقيت أشر َب عـَصير

If you negate ba'a بـَقى, it implies that you stopped something:

I stopped smoking cigarettes maaba'itsh 'ashrab sagaayarما َبـَقـِتش أشر َب سـَجا َيـَر

You can express a change in some activity- from one thing to another, by saying what you used to do and then using ba'a بـَقىfor what you have started to do:

I used to drink coffee but I have started to drink juice [instead] kunt bashrab 'ahwa wa ba'eet 'ashrab AaSeerكـُنت با َشر َب قـَهو َة و َ بـَقيت أشر َب عـَصير

You can tell somebody to stop doing something by using a negative imperative:

stop being devious with people maatib'aesh waaTi maAa ilnaesما َتـِبقا َش وا َطي مـَع َ ا ِلنا َس

Usual state or outcome

You can use biyi'ba بـِيـِقبى with words like Aaedan عا َد َةً and Gaelban غا َلـِباً suggest how things usually or probably are.

usually the beach is empty on Sunday Aaedan ilshaT' biyib'a faaDi yoom il'ahadعا َد َةً ا ِلشا َطئ بـِيـِبقى فا َضي يوم ا ِلأحـَد

Hypothetical future...

You can suggest how things could or might be using hayib'a هـَيـِبقى

as long as you go to work, you will have money Tool ma 'inta bitirooh ilshuGl, haeyib'a maAaak filoosطول ما َ إنت َ بـِتـِروح ا ِلشـُغل، ها َيـِبقى مـَعا َك فـِلوس

You can suggest how things might have been using kaen hayib'a كا َن هـَيـِبقى

things would have been different if Naaser were alive ilhagaet kaenit hatib'a muKtallifa law naaSir kaenit Aaeyishا ِلحا َجا َت كا َنـِت هـَتـِبقى مـُختـَلّـِفـَة لـَو نا َصـِر كا َنـِت عا َيـِش

the duration of a situation

I have been in Egypt for five years ba'a li Kamas sineen fi maSrبـَقى لي خـَمـَس سـِنين في مـَصر

to say when something will happen

the workshop will take place at 5 on friday ilwarsha hayib'a maAadha Kamsa yoom ilKameesا ِلو َرشـَة هـَيـِبقى مـَعا َدها َ خـَمسـَة يوم ا ِلخـَميس

Mike Green 09Oct2015