Also after hanging out with this circle a lot they have been discouraging him to teach me Arabic but I learn my Arabic from some Egyptian girl friends I have and they don't have much advice to give me. As an Arab and ex-muslim, i would sadly approve most of the above mentioned, people in middle east are still attached to religion, their acts, ideas, even their daily talks are affected by religion. In Egypt someone is always watching and judging. This occurred a few years ago already, correct? What makes a great difference though is the social background. It can be frustrating to be feeling something and not able to properly express it to somebody. I know I live in the western world (US, specifically), but I guess I thought that the rest of the world would still be pretty liberal. I bought my girlfriend the dibla but never made it as far as the khaatim. it depends on the social and educational classes. You can make money, but you can't make people! He's a Muslim and I'm a Christian. His family thinks every single American is rich. Can somebody imagine, that even knowing all of this, surely not in detail and, depending on the her families traditions, why I shouldn't run away? Sometimes nieces and nephews are addressed as son/daughter / to show closeness. "I think it's a really human, natural behavior . Egyptians have an entirely separate culture and history of their own; when it comes to relations with the Arab world = they only speak Arabic, and it ends there. Hearing about the cultural differences and challenges they face has really made me reflect a lot on what I learned from almost getting married to a girl while I was living in Egypt a girl who didnt speak any English. For those of you that have found someone that is worth keeping, I encourage you to stand up for yourself. If youve had a similar experience please share it below! looooooool %90 of people here believe that women must get married early and stay at home.They do not accept the fact that im too ambitious to be married :s and trust me when i say i won't get married to an egyptian guy they are so boring&too much controlling.I'm not finishing my masters to stay at home! Fairly certain he will have a good read. Premarital sex does happen in Egypt and across the Arab world in secret (sadly this puts girls reputations and even lives in danger). To be completely frank and upfront, I spent most of my high school years in love with traditional cultures, Native American traditions, Eastern ideas, Indian raga music, aspects of Hinduism, and the Grateful Dead = so you can draw your conclusions from there. With my cousin too? Of course, she's miserable now. I no longer believe in the idea that late 80s/early 90s (my generation) middle eastern babies are cloaked in this closed off world deemed as the 'arab counties'. It should give you some idea of whats usually expected in Egyptian society if you ever meet the man or woman of your dreams. Lesson learned: Unlike the infrequent visits to the in-laws that people are used to in the Western world, you can expect to see them constantly in Egypt. I realized that she comes from a below-average background the moment you said she called you "ba6a". The 20 years I lived in Egypt, it felt like living in a prison. i read your article and yes there are true things ,but you know not all egyptian girls are the same ,you just weren't lucky ,iam sorry for that but you had an experience and i can tell you about tourists who married egyptians,i know them ..one of them was my father . When you start to face all this, and start to realize what "need to be done" in order to get into relation here in Egypt, yes, you must a have a GOOD REASON, A LOT OF PATIENCE, and more over a INCREDIBLE PASSION FOR DIFFERENT CULTURES. First things first, lets learn how to say the word love and I love you in the most basic and common form. Amr Diab describes his lovers eyes as two moons. I am Iraqi, and I was seeing an American for 2 years. Ma atyaback (male) or ma atyabeck (female) is something everyone has heard. Terms of endearment are used for a variety of reasons, such as parents addressing their children and lovers addressing each other. [Arabic] I'm an egyptian girl, and almost half of this isn't true. Plus, there's a lot of Egyptian guys who will kill you since males outnumber females in Egypt due to females being killed in mass numbers. You were there, present. You've had me waiting for this post for months, if not longer. Dating outside of your group can have nasty consequences for a lot of people. ( I wonder if its normal for Egyptian grooms family to be demanding ? This is the most important term for describing someone you love that you must have heard even before you started learning Arabic. "Habib" is the male beloved while "Habiba"is the female beloved. But I still hope and pray for the best. Yes, in colloquial Arabic (at least here in Egypt) we can use masculine form to address feminine as an endearment. You are my life, a light that has started my day, How much of my life before you was wasted, Oh my love, how much of my life has gone by, And my heart has seen no happiness before you. For the engagement ceremony youre expected to buy a much nicer ring the khaatim (). For more information, please see our And it is quite surprising that the traditions and social expectations are so hard not only on women but as well on men. And yes, my English simply skyrocketed when I was dating him. I know nothing about Eygption culture or way of life which is wrong of me i met an eygption girl on holiday in eygpt, things were going good. And am grateful that he knows how to speak english. Now, I do not care about this nor do I care to have one, but he kept this in the dark from me. . a girl that ill raise your kids ..manage your life and will be your support all the life. Yes, egypt is a class-based society. And I meant popping in current Egyptian dialect (mainly . Mimmo - "Child" Polpetto - "Meatball" All these are in the masculine "o" ending - you can change the "o" to an "a" to make it a feminine word when talking to girls. As you know by now, Arabic usually takes the extra mile when it comes to phrases. I can vouch for numbers 7 and 12, having dated both a Spanish and Russian girl. I said no, so that is why he is coming to America. You can imagine the thoughts running through my mind. You can either use it singularly, or add on to the person's first name. Through Umm Kulthums words from one of her eternal classics and one of my all time favorites, called Enta Omri, All that I once saw before my eyes saw you. As for language, that was a compromise also, we speak English at home: my second language, my husband's third). Ive been here in Korea for two weeks and Ive been hearing quite a bit about cross-cultural relationships as there seem to be so many foreigners here dating Korean men and women. I think the route I would have went is you either come to my country or we're done. Ameli, meaning my hope is used to describe a significant other in your life that gives you strength. One of the best blogs I ever read before. and your egyptian male friends how was the situation according to them and are you still in touch with them or not. [removed] TravelingPseudonym 9 yr. ago. My boyfriend is from Egypt. I'm an Egyptian girl, and I agree with 90% of what you mentioned. For example, Hajji Ahmed or Hajja Fatima. . If you really love that girl, go make an effort and study/learn their language. Literally: O moon, how beautiful do you look today! Feeling hopefrom thepeople you love, youre surrounded by or youre supported by is extremely important in relationships. also if it happens that I visit Australia and have a bad experience with a bunch of people this doesn't really mean that all the Australian Society are like them. Brother Waleed Ahmed Najmeddine, a consultant at Ask About Islam, added: Interfaith marriages are generally not allowed in Islam except under certain conditions: {Do not marry unbelieving women (idolaters), until they believe: A slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving woman, even though she allures you. Even then he was hesitant and had to phone an Egyptian friend of mine in Australia (the woman who taught me Arabic who I also call my second mother) to verify that I was telling the truth. I regret my experience, it destroyed my life, families make it difficult, they are involved in everything and control every. He has taken the wider family away to luxury hotels etc Im wondering how they are able to be a couple in such a conservative society and how the family can go along with this relationship. If they are not as committed as they are at the moment and they were to then marry someone from outside the faith then this will entail a lesser commitment at the household level. ;), man iam egyptian but most of the opticals that you had is one of the reasons that i dont think of getting married any time soon .. man well wrote really like it, man iam Egyptian but most of the optical that you had is one of the reasons that i dont think of getting married any time soon .. man well wrote really like it. You can call your friends or family members so, because Habib(a) literally means the one who is loved. So, you can say for example: Baba Habibi or Mama Habibti. Back To Lists Must-Know Terms for Family Members 32 words View 7 comments With friendship a premium in the Arab world, don't be surprised if you are graduated by your mate to "akhy" and "ukhty" status in no time. I was also wondering if I could be in the same situation with my Muslim bf and how do I avoid or fix mother-son relationship troubles? Thank u for the nice article. When it comes to learning family members in Arabic from Arabic textbooks, you usually find a family tree showing mother, father, sister, etc. It was one of those songs that we all learned how to dance to as teenagers. The opinions of pre-marital sex is present in all religions. Jun 28, 2018 at 9:28 PM. Here's a list of 8 Arab expressions of endearment, other than habibi and habibti, to practice using this Valentine's Day. It means 'chubby one' or 'fatty' and is used in a friendly, loving way. However, other scholars say that it is makruh, which means that it is objectionable but not absolutely forbidden. I am about to marry an Algerian man. But 1 year later, or so, we became a couple.I remember very clearly the struggle of trying to say something and not knowing how to. You were running through my mind. We did not want to be pushed into marriage just because the culture does not allow "dating without engaged parties". This is especially interesting as most intercultural experiences of this kind, that I heard of, are about a european woman and a man from that part of the world. With respect to the Muslim man marrying a non-Muslim woman from among the People of the Book (Jews and Christians); Prophet Muhammads wife Maria was a Copt from Egypt. and there are many places you can be alone at on a date, this romantic spot on the nile you went to is the most unromantic place anyone could ever go to! The Quran in chapter five, verse five says what means: {This day all clean things has been made lawful to you. You really get to see for yourself if it's about love and commitment orlust. They thought that was pretty funny Also, once they asked me if I would ever date a Muslim guy. man i'm egyptian and i want to say that what you write here is the truth the only truth and nothing but the truth , good work keep going :)). I'm an Egyptian Muslim girl and I can definitely say that most (if not all) of what's mentioned here is true! NjNiZDFiMGNmMDU3NDAxNzhhMDFiY2Q0MWM2Y2Y1ZjY1MTQxODA5ZWMzZTNi -_-. Glad to read your article. Most likely you will hear or . There are many ways you can alter this term to express endearment more uniquely. He was getting married to his Egyptian girlfriend of two []. posted by HopperFan at 10:43 PM on March 30, 2009. This is the most important term for describing someone you love that you must have heard even before you started learning Arabic. When the time comes though, for us to meet each other's families, for sure it will be difficult for us. But as any relationship blooms, I make sure I give my all to my wife and make sure she is taken care of, shown respect, and most of all knows of my complete devotion to her. No, this is not similar to Hubby but just from reading the previous example we have Hob meaning love and then i for the possessive. My dad even says that even after my guy does all that he might not let us get married because he doesnt trust my guy because he is no Egyptian,, like really ? We're not materialistic, you don't have to jump into the marriage talk right away, and definitely it's not all about the gold and what you have to offer in terms of finances. we are unbelievable , you are better off ! is something not easy i get to know that only who have a true feeling, efforts. NmZhZjU0NzlmZjViNzBlZTRiM2NmNzdkNDExM2FjOTg5MjRhNGMzYmJkYTJj We have been married for almost 9 years and we have 2 beautiful kids. yeah im an egyptian girl but i was born&raised in kuwaitwhen i came to egypt first time i was pretty much chocked by all that stuff.now im 24 years old and the only question i hear is :when you will get married? "Bernie was eating dinner at a friend's house. The honorific "ji" is sometimes added as a suffix to create the double honorific "babuji", which in northern and eastern parts of India is a term of respect . And permitted to you are chaste women, be they from among the believers, or from among those who have received the Book before you, provided you become their protectors in wedlock after paying them their bridal-due, rather than going around committing fornication and taking them as secret-companions. Good luck next time. There are no general endearments, except perhaps "vennen/vennen min/lille venn". All we wanted was reassurance that they love each other I apologize to you for what happened to you here, but not all of us so, I love Egypt and generally I found Egyptians nice and friendly. I wouldn't have put up with it. With your significant other, you can use romantic Italian terms like: Gioia mia - "my joy" Biscottino - "little biscuit" Pasticcino - "cupcake" MmQwOTBjN2RlZWYxOWJlY2Y5M2U0MjdjYWEyNTAxMjVkNTBhODZkY2Q5ZWI3 Even though I'm from the Gulf I do find it a bit wierd and once I approached her about my views we ended up with a big fight and we don't talk anymore even though I'm trying to fix things. Our relationship seems to run a lot smoother. :). :)Update:Also, the Arabic word for mom?lol like you could call them by the name and say "ya ____(insert . eventually he dated me to have sex only, he tried so much although i explained i can't do it, because of religion and culture reasons but he never respect that , lied alot to me so i had to say goodbye to him , although until now i can say i never loved someone like him,he has no religion but i believed that love has no limits. By late I mean its common for men in Egypt not to be regarded as ready for marriage until theyre well into their mid-thirties. (Al-Maidah, 5:5). YzUwOWU4YTAyZTAyM2M3M2I5YmNjZmY4OTE3ZTI1YjFlZTE1NzhlMzgxY2Rh As an Egyptian single guy approaching his 37th year, I really enjoyed reading this. i know it is annouying but the parents find it the best way to secure their daugther's futur as divorce is widly spead now among the youth. I don't understand I love this girl to death, we talked about having kids and getting married, I felt like she was the one. For example, I grew up learning Arabic and English. What are cute ways to address babies? So, if I call someone Ya Ghali It means O precious one.. MWYwMWNhMjc2ZDk2NTFlMDZjOGNkNGQ5NzBkZTdkZTQ5ZWJlOGQwOGZjZDIz 21. I myself hate the involvement of the families but I dated Spanish guy and I found the same!! I would like to see it translates as my friend is being vague about its content. Do you have a favorite expression that we forgot to mention here? Comparing someone to the moon is one of the most romantic ways of expressing love in Arabic. Mon nounours 23. but talking frank, not all the families are like that in Egypt. But once again, with ya albi meaning "my heart" and ya roohi "my soul", they should only be used with close friends and associates. It changed my life. MzkxZjk0OGZhYjA0ZDBiZWJlNzVkOGRkYzM2MzNjZDI2ZTc3MGY1NGZkMWJj Archived post. She just mentioned recently she's getting divorced and I congratulated her. For example, you would perhaps call the attendant filling your gas tank or the waiter "boss". Five oclock. I totally agree with you though , you should marry someone like you , in terms of religious beliefs , mothertongue and general beliefs .. Not to mention unless you're head over heels for someone , it's pointless trying to get through all that red tape .. Dear Donovan , . I could easily list off a dozen more terms and expressions but I think this will do. pronounced "hoe-bee" and it means " my love.". But we were in love and it all worked out just fine in the end.We are no longer together, but we remain friends. I suppose its the materialistic benefits he has also set her up in business. Ma biche 24. However, I was very immersed in Egyptian culture, as my parents did their best to make sure my siblings and I had similar religious and cultural upbringing to what we would have had in Egypt. Your article was very interesting to read. I love it there. Now that we are engaged, everyone is so happy! Hi Donovan, Thank you for sharing! Being a foreigners made things even worse for you. I have learned so much from him, and he calls me his son. Sad to know your girlfriend family and dad could not have been patient and waited til you came back within a year. After all, it is one of the most important decisions of a lifetime. Interesting, in Nigeria we have same similar issues, most especially the northern part. I said Id write about it eventually and here it is; forbidden love between a Middle Eastern girl with no English and a bloke from Australia learning Arabic, as well as the important lessons learned from the whole experience. This post made me realize that it will be incredibly difficult to find an Egyptian girl who thinks anything like I do, and yet if I fake it with someone then I will be married to the same oppressive culture I escaped from in her family, entrenched in her mind, passed on to the children. Cookie Notice We learned earlier on in the process that it was not going to happen. OTRmM2MyNDgyMGZmNGY0Zjk2ODkwNmNhMTFlMTBhYzE3NWFkZDM1MjE2Y2Q1 Well, I love you as much as the whole world! Though I do see scarfs as such a beautiful thing, and Middle Eastern women are an exemplification of beauty. Because that permission was given in the Quran for men to marry the chaste women of the People of the Book, many think that literarily it is OK to marry any Chritsian or Jewish lady.Omar (may Allah be pleased with him), the second caliph, saw that this was happening a lot and the Muslim women couldnt find husbands because the men are marrying other women, which happens now too, so he put a stop to that and some follow his opinion and say now it is not a good idea and so it is objectionable. If you had married her would you have to have switched to the Muslim religion? A term of respect used to those often performing a service, whether labour-intensive or in the hospitality industry. I found this amazing application for mobile (I am an iPhone fan, but they have it also for android), it's an online Arabic-English dictionary a very useful one when you want to look up a word in Arabic. Hey there! English better question him. NTBiNzRiNTIyYzU0ZmFhODUzMDQ2YTEwZjkwYTQwMDJhZDJlYTIzNTc0MmFk You haven't missed much. YWE4ZmQzYTJiMDg5NGU0NmEyMzIxMmMzZDdiNjE4MTcwZTJhOGI3ZTU5YzNh It differs from person to person. Hi Donovan, I'm from Egypt .. and all that are right , totally right and normal . but if you are serious about the relationship you can go back when you ready,as soon as possible of course, when they say its over, its NOT over yet until you gave up. Arabic terms of endearment for child I need an Arabic word you would use to call your kid when you wake them up in the morning."Wake up, _____" For example, in English, you could use honey or kiddoThanks! Thank you! I have always imagined this expression as someone melting in someone else. I say all this to emphasize how little I could be considered as a 'worldly' guy, multi-cultural, all those similar phrases. Haha, it's really easy to not take into consideration one's culture. If you respect one another, each of you will learn so much from each perspective that is brought to the table.