The family still cut us off. I'm sorry for being judgmental but I was so provoked by this. Hey, i could marraige with an egyptian girl :) and we live in Love now too and waiti g for a kids :). I have to admit that with all the library reading that I do, I generally just read egyptology.blogspot.com which usefully collects all the latest best/noteworthy Egyptology news stories and blogposts. They contained all the required passwords and spells for use in the underworld. I used to write her love letters in Arabic too. However, other scholars say that it is makruh, which means that it is objectionable but not absolutely forbidden. People use it to express their loved one's importance and how much they love them. It is very true about husband/wife nicknames, though me and my wife don't take it to the extreme of talking in baby voices to each other. Egyptian men are simps who only want a female. We had a romantic spot in Cairo by the Nile where a lot of couples go but the place was supervised at all times by older Egyptian men. Muffin - A popular term of endearment for a loving sister. I feel like I am playing the man role here and he is getting the treatment of a woman. This guide is meant to help you with Arabic terms related to love, and the suitable ways you can use each of them. However, I liked 'It's like youre marrying the whole family not the girl' I truly agree. My wife comes from a very liberal family; and I mean that in a strictly political sense. I had so many times where Id want so much to express a certain attitude or feeling to this girl whether it was happiness, anger or sadness but I couldnt articulate it in a way that truly reflected what was going through my mind. I have been in a relationship with an American man 30 years, and i am an Egyptian Muslim girl 25, we really love each other for more than a year and a half now, we met abroad and he came to Egypt to meet my family who were so rough on him, just as you said they need a flat a shabka and a lot of money, they want him to relocate and leave his job abroad to come and live in Egypt, and turn Muslim,, my guy agreed to do all that because he really loves me, but we cant find a good job for him in Caior, he is a professional English teacher. You can't go wrong with any of these nicknames as long as he doesn't have some sort of hang-up about it because of an ex. Her family, much like mine and most US parents with 20-something kids, approached our marriage with the idea that - if you two are getting married, you must be prepared for it financially and be prepared for the independence that comes with that. This is another term of endearment that literally means My soul. I have a blog about Cairo myself :D Have a great day! Love your story, the video was heartfelt ..Im considering going Cairo to learn Arabic..hoping for a love story with a good ending. Learn Arabic in the fastest, easiest and most fun way. 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 had made my intention known that I wanted us to stay in Egypt and she was fine with doing that. He has never met me, I dropped her off home one night after a night out drinking at the bar, her brother got very mad and told her parents about that. While it is a genuine consideration, hearing things like this really plants seeds of doubt in your mind and causes you to be overly suspicious. My parents are conservative, her parents are liberal. I do really hate these traditions and stuff. Waiting for so long or destroing someone else's hopes, need to gain a lot before marrying instead of building the future together, buying so much gold while other investments would make more sense Why does this system still work when it is difficult and mainly unpleasant for both sides? And Im not just talking about Modern Standard or Quranic Arabic. I say all this to emphasize how little I could be considered as a 'worldly' guy, multi-cultural, all those similar phrases. Or perhaps a prospect . Just curious, the guys who used foreign girls for a green a cardhow did they manage to convince them and go undetected? If you're looking for more Egyptian history blogs, I'm sure you'll be able to find some good stuff there! u absolutely say facts about middle east but I you do not tell us about the reason for each of them and you can success and get married. I am glad things are working out for yougood luck with your next adventure :) Shahd. If you do a simple google translation, it will be translated to Age, however it doesnt give the same deep implication. Sit on a chair with the picture in front of you on the table. It doesnt need much explaining as it works the same way in English. Our relationship was tumultuous. I am continually being shown the love that sensible Muslims have for their fellow human beings and humanity in general. I didn't meet directly her parents, but both we know to be in the same place. making love) = love in the sense of fond attachment (i.e. I hope and pray your in a great situation right now.. God bless you. It's a poetic nod to the life-giving light of the sun. So, Anything for you would be My eyes, the most precious thing I possess and half is yours.. mozza (): Sexy, babe. Information and translations of term of endearment in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. -_-. falling in love) = love in the sense of lust or desire (i.e. Perhaps I was young enough, not knowing what will expect me etc.. but I lived a wonderful years and have two fantastic children, who live inbetween the borders of Italy and Germany. Yes, egypt is a class-based society. Create your account now and join thousands of other Arabic learners from around the world. He was getting married to his Egyptian girlfriend of two []. And I meant popping in current Egyptian dialect (mainly . Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Terms of Endearment by Larry McMurtry 1989 1st Touchstone Trade Paperback Ed at the best online prices at eBay! You may have experienced that as well, as you stated the reluctance of your own family, though you didn't go too much into detail so I won't paint a picture I don't know fully. And don't go for a child who still lives with mom and dad. Terms of Endearment: Directed by James L. Brooks. So long story short I got really tired of everyday problems and decided to get a divorce. she loves her country, friends and family very much n dunno much what is happenning outside in world ..She loves me also so much but I dunno what future will bring any suggestion and avdices are welcome :), It seems this is a trend in Egypt they want gold for engagement when you go back to ur native country they call it off. Mi rey / Mi reina . how cud u marry someone or get engaged to someone tht fast if u still dont knw him (doesnt tht raise alot of question marks?!) And yes you are marrying not just one girl but a bunch of idiots! It was also hard when he met my family, since none of them spoke nothing but our "mother language". I've always had a bit of a thing for middle-eastern girls, particularly Lebanese, and I've heard Lebanon is the most liberal of the middle-eastern/muslim countries--do you know anything about this? Thanks Donovan for your Arabic Lesson, I get called bata a lot by my Egyptian man and I hate it, I surmised it meant duck because he said it wasn`t a chicken but didn`t know the English for duck, this went on for three years, so thanks for confirming it. any advises? you must have really liked the girl to withstand all that ! 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 , . This carried the expectation that we intended to get married. 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? 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. I am just hoping to get some reply from someone with that description and somehow put you in touch with him and start communicatig can only hope for the best? Now, this one is deeply entrenched in informal contemporary culture. 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. I met my caucasian bf in University and my parents WERE NOT happy. so my father was totally the opposite, no interviews, but of course we have to get to know each other! Although he may not be the type to hinder her from practicing her faith, or to force her to follow his religious traditions, there is the matter of raising children as Muslims or Christians/Jews. This is a fantastic post. (addressing a male) eh dah law sa-ma-Hti (addressing a female). I am sorry to hear about your heartbreaking experiance, especially that money was the cause. Some of the Egyptian people are kind with big hearts, and you can only deal with them calmly and kindly (lit. I think you have already got the gist, right? I am paying for the entire wedding because he is a very poor man. Mi chiquitn (mee chee-kee-teen/teen-ah) My little one. (Batta) made me really laugh, it shouldn't be used with men but only for women, and not even for elegant women. It was often produced in solid form and worn as jewellery. I am very sorry for the it ended up with and wishing you best of luck, you gotta join us here in Hong Kong you might have a new life, thanks for these honest and clear explanations :). Term(s) of Endearment. We did not want to be pushed into marriage just because the culture does not allow "dating without engaged parties". Be prepared to always have warm cookies ready for your grandkids when they visit! At first, we went out as friends. For the rest, read this for an explanation.). Go for independent and older women. The Quran in chapter five, verse five says what means: {This day all clean things has been made lawful to you. As an Egyptian I have to say you were very spot on. I'm gonna be honest religion is a big thing, i don't think it should be but unfortunately that's how our country is. Texts indicate that the groom often gave the bride's family a gift, and he also gave his wife presents. It frustrates both of us. I can take it if it's nasty lol! ba6a (): Duck. BUT I certainly have learned more in my life since meeting my wife's family than ever before, and have come to the conclusion that there is a much higher percentage of open armed Egyptian families than I could ever imagine. As Ive already said above, men are judged quite harshly on what they own and what their status is. Rather than the usual, general topics of conversation when you stay with a host family, we were discussing our future together, all our engagement and wedding arrangements, our political and religious views, our feelings and so on. March is Steering Committee election season! Here Umm Kulthum is trying to tell her beloved that people have counted time out of her life that she has not lived, has not enjoyed, until he came in. Anyway, I loved the story! ;), 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. I think you're very lucky that you fell in love with a Christian girl. Lets take another example from the king of 90s pop, Amr Diab. There is a big advantage, I guess, to have a certain age and be a little more cool also in relation to her father. There's definitely more to language than just the dictionary definitions of the words! my boyfriend proposed three years ago and they refused him after that interview =D even my dad asked him about what the father of his grand father was doing. It sucks when you meet a guy you really like but have to nip it in the bud right there because he happens to be agnostic/atheist or even a-religious and you know your family would just die at the thought. Thanks Donovan for the interesting information. ), or be a sweet and simple term of endearment. The shabka is more than just a ring its a set of gold jewellery (necklace, bracelets, earrings, etc.) Money and assets would never come between us I thought. All posts copyright their original authors. I must say getting pre-engaged on a third date must be a scary process for someone in their early twenties. She's stuck on this damn monogamy thing. I hated how girls couldnt fall in love or date without having a ring on their finger and chaperoned everywhere they go. But we couldn't resist sharing some of the sweet, funny terms of endearment from Reddit teachers in this recent thread. I am 40 years old Egyptian woman who grew up in Egypt and moved to USA when I was 20. Given the fact that most people in the Middle East are quite religious and a huge emphasis is kept on ones spirituality as more important than anything else, theres still a heck of a lot of status given to people with wealth. However, the religion of Islam came to destroy all these habits, and most people do not practice what they preach. that's of course because our countries low economic status . Bae - A popular term of endearment used for a lover. And recently I am fallen in love with a Egyptian female. You have to accept the fact that this is not about two individuals tying the knot and living happily ever after alone together. Terms of endearment are used for a variety of reasons, such as parents addressing their children and lovers addressing each other. I have this list of "My dearest Heart," "Dearest Mine," "my love," "my dear," "my darling," "my pet" that I need to quote in my academic paper (the Japanese author is listing possible pet names [1] that his Japanese friend could use to speak with his new wife plus the ones he himself uses for his fiance), but when I tried looking up Japanese translations for them, I only found a few . making love) = love in the sense of fond attachment (i.e. Egyptian men do marry at a very high age, but so as women as well, now because of all the freakin' demanding regulations! Because I didnt have family with me and no one present to confirm who I was or if I could be trusted, the father had to contact Egyptians who knew me back in Australia to verify everything. I take my hat off to you blokes for doing that. A term of endearment is word or phrase used to address another person, animal or even object for which the speaker feels affection. Who of my own family and friends could I invite to the wedding? Im not sure how somebody else with no ties to an Arabic-speaking community could get around this. You both agree on your own 'rules', draw the lines and permit no one to cross them. I would like to see it translates as my friend is being vague about its content. Eventually, they decided to give him a chance. Unfortunately, parents usually mis-use their rights of giving advice. Habibi/ Habibti This is the most important term for describing someone you love that you must have heard even before you started learning Arabic. My husband did not get me any Gold, only a ring for a modest price, my father bought me the flat where we live in Egypt, yet the inquiries about his work and future perspective were important for the family to assure them I am not going to be abducted by a foreigner who will kindap the children and take refuge in their embassy (unfortuantely this happens sometime as well). I am Egyptian, and I just been in love with just ONE girl from Egypt before and I really liked it so much, but you made it clear. I am so sorry for us as we both really want to marry and just live our lives happily without all this extra drama and interference. Fascinating insight Donovan! Those traits were what attracted me to her in the first place. I'm feeling language envy. Join 8,027 readers in helping fund MetaFilter. I completely understand about expressing feelings to a foreigner. These texts were written on walls, coffins, statues or papyri. In this FREE ArabicPod101 lesson, you learn words and phrases, and get bonus audio lessons. The funeral and burial of an ancient Egyptian was a complex process. At her wedding she cried her eyes out while her family took pictures. 4. From time to time I do lack words when I want to express my feelings. Dates always happen in groups. And after that, teach her your language. but in my opinion it wasn't going to work out anyways,I am an Egyptian girl so I know :D. Wow, Donovan, you really understood the Egyptian culture. I went through a very similar one.My ex boyfriend is deaf, I am hearing, and I was learning sign language when I met him. Being a marine Engineer, I've travelled for a while, studied and lived in the UK, and yes reached the conclusion that we are a very throttled society with no privacy . Learning new ways to tell people that you love and appreciate them can even introduce you to new modes of feeling and new layers of understanding to how other people and cultures experience the same universal feelings of love. Thank you for shedding light on such a subject! A term of endearment is a word or phrase used to address or describe a person, animal or inanimate object for which the speaker feels love or affection. Arabic is a sentimental and a beautiful language, we call our loved ones as our soul and lives. Well, what is more precious than someones eyes? it can happen online too). He mentions every other tradition except this one? Trust me, you'd be suprised how much the egyptian teenagers and millenials have sex and hookupsi'm telling you..A LOT. Everyone keeps asking when I'm going to have a baby--and I don't even live in Brazil, I just visit! It looks like you've encountered - like you said - a really conservative family or side of the country and I'd like to talk to you about the whole thing it's not like that in a lot of families and regions. My parents are against dowry. Get my exclusive Arabic content delivered straight to your inbox. I must agree with number 7 and 12. Appetizing appellations Because they're sweet and delicious Sugar Honey Thank you for reading. Honey 7. things may or may not workout between any two. 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. This is a wrap for the Arabic guide for love expressions. He was held to be the inventor of writing, the creator of languages, the scribe, interpreter, and adviser of the gods, and the representative of the sun god, Re. I have always imagined this expression as someone melting in someone else. So my life become a bit complicated bcs of all these changes but Im enjoying everything. I believe Egyptian men became very weak and not strong enough to marry or handle an Egyptian woman! *You have to give and not expecting anything back. On the plus side it did teach me to express a lot of things that I previously didnt know how to because I was always forced to search for ways to say them. HAHA , bottom line Screw Egypt , screw dating and marriage -_- ! A partner should also be a 'best friend' with whom one can think aloud. Sorry you had to deal with this shit man, hope you enjoyed your time in egypt though (i wouldn't have if i were you honestly haha), Hello, i know that this is an old post. Literally: what is this moon! You're right about the materialistic aspect, but I will also say that it works the same way the Western world does: new money is flashy, while old money would likely appreciate things and play down their luck (for fear of the evil eye, etc). In Arabic, when it comes to love and describing the sheer beauty of a woman, we use Ammar. falling in love) = love in the sense of lust or desire (i.e. Hi Donovan, I really appreciate your sharing your experience. My "father-in-law" is very conservative and religious, and even he doesn't seem to blink an eye. 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. This was one of my biggest concerns while I was planning to get married to this girl neither she nor her family spoke a word of English and my family are monolingual English speakers with no interest in foreign cultures or travel. its because the father will give his daughter to a man that soon to be his daughter's husband and before letting go of his daughter he has to make sure that his daughter gets the best :D maybe sounds a little bit weird but its true! Sad to know your girlfriend family and dad could not have been patient and waited til you came back within a year. Encountering these Egyptian Arabic phrases is inevitable in any errand you run in Egypt. I know traditionally women don't ask men to marry them but he has mentioned several times that he wants to marry me when we're financially stable. My Arabic is getting better and better every day. Egypt is diverse community , so u cant generalize that way. This of course excludes families that may have since grown apart in contact, but in my situation, my wife's family is very family oriented, and I love that about them. And it is quite surprising that the traditions and social expectations are so hard not only on women but as well on men. Ghali or Ghalia literally means expensive but in this context, it means the precious one. So when you said there is no privacy in egypt and that religion is very important, does this mean that you didn't even hug/kiss or touch her at all? But his family wants me or rather wants my family to pay them dowry as their son has a good job and I am only a student at the moment. We're here for each other, and that quality is true for any relationship no matter what country either of you are from. So, if I call someone Ya Ghali It means O precious one.. Habib is the male beloved while Habibais the female beloved. You are a good person! I feel like our love for each other has been a vehicle for breaking down cultural barriers that often stand in the way of young couples in love. Atheism and agnosticism arent really understood and certainly not respected in most parts of the Middle East. 5 Things I Learned Speaking Arabic At An Egyptian Wedding, "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.". You should always respect them. I want people to know that alot of families in Egypt marry foreign people all the time and its no big deal at all, its just like being in canada or the U.S u can date and do what you want and never have to meet the dad unless you both wanted that, none of that crap you went through! So there are no real formalities involved with this.