Free Arabic Beginner Levantine Lesson 2 - Expressing Wants and Plans

This lesson focuses on key structures for talking about desires, appointments, daily plans, and routines in Levantine Arabic (using common forms like بدي for "I want"). Examples are drawn directly from practice sentences.

1. Appointments and Obligations ("I have...")

Structure: عندي (ʿindi) + event + time/details.

Examples:

• عندي موعد الساعة سبعة بكرا. → I have an appointment at 7pm tomorrow
• عندي اجتماع الساعة أربعة. → I have a meeting at 4pm
• عندي غدا مع رفقاتي الساعة واحدة. → I have lunch with my friends at 1pm
• عندي امتحان بكرا الصبح. → I have an exam tomorrow morning

2. Expressing Desires ("I want to...")

Structure: بدي (biddi) + verb (use the plain/subjunctive form, no بـ prefix).

Basic examples (going to places):

• بدي روح ع المتحف. → I want to go to the museu
• بدي روح ع الحديقة. → I want to go to the park
• بدي روح ع الفندق. → I want to go to the hotel
• بدي روح ع المطعم. → I want to go to the restaurant

Other examples:

• بدي ادرس عربي كل يوم. → I want to study Arabic every day.
• بدي احكي عربي بطلاقة. → I want to speak Arabic fluently.
• بدي شوف رفقاتي بكرا المسا. → I want to see my friends tomorrow evening.
• بدي ضل بالبيت حتى الساعة تلاتة. → I want to stay at home until 3pm.

3. Sequencing Actions ("and then" / "later")

Use وبعدين (wa baʿdēn) to connect actions.

Examples:

• بدي روح ع المطعم الساعة 7 وبعدين بدي احكي مع عيلتي. → I want to go to the restaurant at 7pm and later speak to my family
• بدي صحي بكير بكرا وبعدين بدي روح ع الشاطئ واقرا كتاب. → I want to wake up early tomorrow and then go to the beach and read a book
• بدي شوف رفقاتي بكرا بعد الظهر وبعدين بدي روح ع الجيم. → I want to see my friends tomorrow afternoon and later go to the gym

4. Grammar Notes

• Habitual/Usual actions: Add بـ (b-) prefix to the verb (e.g., بدرس = I usually study).
• After بدي, always use the verb without the بـ prefix (pure form).
• "Go to a place": روح ع + place (no preposition like "to" needed).

5. Conjugating "Want" and Common Verbs (Present/Future Tense)

Want (بدي forms):

• بدي → I want
• بدا → She wants
• بدنا → We want
• (Others implied: بدو he wants, بدك you m, بدكي you f)

Example:

• نحنا بدنا ندرس عربي. → We want to study Arabic.

Common verbs (present/future):

6. Key Vocabulary

Places:

• متحف → museum
• حديقة → park
• فندق → hotel
• مطعم → restaurant
• شاطئ → beach
• جيم → gym

Time & Routine:

• بكرا → tomorrow
• الصبح → (in the) morning
• بعد الظهر → afternoon
• المسا → evening
• الساعة [number] → at [number] o'clock
• حتى → until
• كل يوم → every day
• بكير → early

Actions & States:

• صحي → wake up
• اقرا كتاب → read a book
• احكي مع → speak/talk to
• ضل → stay/remain
• بطلاقة → fluently
• مبسوط/مبسوطين → happy
• مزعوجة → annoyed

Other Useful Words:

• مهم → important
• طاقة جديدة → new energy
• تغيير → change
• بيئة → environment
• علاقة → relationship
• مستقلة → independent
• اذا → if
• حرية → freedom
• تركيز → focus
• على حسب → it depends (on)
• طبيعة → natural/nature
• علاج → healing/treatment
• سر → secret
• خاص → private

7. Practice

Create your own sentences:

1. Describe your schedule tomorrow using عندي.
2. Say 3 things you want to do this week using بدي.
3. Make a sequenced plan (e.g., wake up → go somewhere → do something later).