Adjectives

1. كبير

   Kbīr

   Big

   Usage

   Describes size; "kbīr" can also mean older.

   Grammar Note

   Adjectives follow the noun and agree with it. Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

2. صغير

   Ṣghīr

   Small

   Usage

   Used for things and for children.

   Grammar Note

   Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

3. تقيل

   Tʾīl

   Heavy

   Usage

   About the weight of luggage. Standard "thaqīl" is pronounced "tʾīl".

   Grammar Note

   The colloquial spelling follows the sound: ث becomes ت.

4. خفيف

   Khafīf

   Light (weight)

   Usage

   Light in weight; also used for light food.

   Grammar Note

   Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

5. غالي

   Ghāli

   Expensive

   Usage

   Used when haggling; "ghāli ktīr" means "too expensive".

   Grammar Note

   Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

6. رخيص

   Rakhīṣ

   Cheap

   Usage

   Low in price.

   Grammar Note

   Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

7. سخن

   Sakhen

   Hot (to the touch)

   Usage

   Hot drinks or food. For a feminine noun: "sukhne".

   Grammar Note

   For hot weather use a different expression ("el-jaww ḥarr").

8. بارد

   Bārid

   Cold (to the touch)

   Usage

   Cold drinks or water.

   Grammar Note

   Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

9. جديد

   Jdīd

   New

   Usage

   New things or places.

   Grammar Note

   Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

10. قديم

    ʾAdīm

    Old (thing)

    Usage

    For things and buildings, not for people.

    Grammar Note

    "ق" is pronounced ʾ in urban speech.

11. شب

    Shabb

    Young

    Usage

    Refers to a young man; for a young woman say "ṣabiyye".

    Grammar Note

    Works as noun or adjective.

12. كبير بالعمر

    Kbīr bil-ʿumr

    Old (person)

    Usage

    A polite way to say an older person.

    Grammar Note

    Literally "big in age".

13. نضيف

    Nḍīf

    Clean

    Usage

    About rooms or toilets; feminine: "nḍīfe".

    Grammar Note

    Standard "naẓīf" is pronounced and written "nḍīf" in speech.

14. وسخ

    Wisikh

    Dirty

    Usage

    For rooms or things; aimed at a person it is an insult.

    Grammar Note

    Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

15. منيح

    Mnīḥ

    Good

    Usage

    "mnīḥ ktīr" is "very good". Feminine: "mnīḥa".

    Grammar Note

    A pan-Levantine word.

16. سيء

    Sayyiʾ

    Bad

    Usage

    Poor in quality. More colloquially: "mū mnīḥ" (not good).

    Grammar Note

    A Standard-Arabic word, written "سيء".

17. قريب

    ʾArīb

    Near

    Usage

    "ʾarīb min hōn" means "near here".

    Grammar Note

    Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

18. بعيد

    Baʿīd

    Far

    Usage

    "baʿīd?" asks "is it far?".

    Grammar Note

    Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

19. بكير

    Bakīr

    Early

    Usage

    Early in time: "lissa bakīr" means "still early".

    Grammar Note

    Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

20. متأخر

    Mitʾakhkhir

    Late

    Usage

    For lateness or late hours; feminine: "mitʾakhkhre".

    Grammar Note

    Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

21. كتير

    Ktīr

    Many

    Usage

    Many or much; as an adverb it also means "very".

    Grammar Note

    One of the most frequent words in Syrian speech.

22. قليل

    ʾLīl

    Few

    Usage

    Few or little.

    Grammar Note

    Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

23. الجو حر

    El-jaww ḥarr

    Hot (weather)

    Usage

    About hot weather; add "ktīr" to intensify.

    Grammar Note

    Composed from dictionary-verified words by regular grammar. No copula is used.

24. الجو بارد

    El-jaww bārid

    Cold (weather)

    Usage

    "el-jaww bārid hōn" ("it's cold here") is a natural sentence.

    Grammar Note

    A verbless sentence.

25. لطيف

    Laṭīf

    Cute

    Usage

    For children, small things, or a pleasant person.

    Grammar Note

    Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

26. أنيق

    Anīʾ

    Cool (stylish)

    Usage

    Describes stylish clothes or a smart venue.

    Grammar Note

    Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

27. لذيذ

    Ladīd

    Delicious

    Usage

    Praises food; more everyday: "ktīr ṭayyib".

    Grammar Note

    Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

28. رائع!

    Rāʾiʿ!

    Amazing

    Usage

    An exclamation; from the written language but used in speech.

    Grammar Note

    Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

29. ممتع

    Mumtiʿ

    Fun

    Usage

    Describes an enjoyable experience.

    Grammar Note

    Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

30. أكتر

    Aktar

    More

    Usage

    "aktar min hēk" means "more than that"; also asks for more at the table.

    Grammar Note

    Standard "akthar" is written "aktar" in speech.

31. شوي بس

    Shwayy bass

    Just a little

    Usage

    To limit a portion: "shwayy bass, shukran".

    Grammar Note

    "bass" is polysemous: "only", "but", "when".

32. نص

    Nuṣṣ

    Half

    Usage

    Half a quantity or time: "es-sāʿa tlāte w-nuṣṣ" is half past three.

    Grammar Note

    Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

33. كل شي

    Kell shī

    All of it

    Usage

    Also in "kell shī bi-khēr" (everything is fine).

    Grammar Note

    "shī" is the shortened form of Standard "shayʾ".

34. كفاية

    Kifāye

    That is enough

    Usage

    To decline more food, for example.

    Grammar Note

    Shown in the masculine; with a feminine noun add -ة (-e/-a).

35. هلأ

    Hallaʾ

    Right now

    Usage

    Lebanon says "هلق"; Jordan/Palestine "hassa". "ḥālan" means "immediately".

    Grammar Note

    Written "هلأ" to distinguish it from the greeting "هلا".

36. شخص واحد

    Shakhṣ wāḥad

    One person

    Usage

    Gives the head count at a restaurant or entrance.

    Grammar Note

    For one, the numeral follows the noun.

37. شخصين

    Shakhṣēn

    Two people

    Usage

    Gives the head count.

    Grammar Note

    The dual is formed with the ending -ēn.

38. تلات أشخاص

    Tlāt ashkhāṣ

    Three people

    Usage

    From three to ten, the plural noun follows the numeral.

    Grammar Note

    Numerals 3-10 take a short form before the noun (tlāt, not tlāte).

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