Housing & the Bawwab: Key Words and Phrases
Flashcards covering flat vocabulary, rent negotiation, and reporting repairs in Egyptian Arabic.
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Questions Covered in This Set
10 cards to master
شقة (sha''a)
Flat / apartment — the '' marks a glottal stop (from classical ق).
How do you ask 'How much is this flat per month?'
الشقة دي بكام في الشهر؟ — esh-sha''a di bikaam fi-sh-shahr?
What does باظ (baaZ) mean, and how does it change for feminine nouns?
'Broke down / stopped working' (past tense). Feminine adds -it: الغسالة باظت (el-ghassaala baaZit).
الفواتير على مين؟ (el-fawaateer 'ala meen?)
Who pays the bills? (literally 'the bills are on whom?')
Who is the bawwab (بواب) and why does he matter?
The building doorman who lives in/near the building — he knows repairs, visitors, and can find a plumber late at night; a small monthly bakhsheesh keeps life easy.
مفروشة ولا فاضية؟ (mafroosha walla faDya?)
Furnished or empty?
How do you say 'There's no water' and 'The electricity went out'?
مفيش ميّة — mafeesh mayya. / الكهربا قطعت — el-kahraba 'aTa'it.
ممكن تبعتلي سبّاك؟ (mumkin tib'atli sabbaak?)
Can you send me a plumber?
فيه (fee) vs مفيش (mafeesh)
'There is' vs 'there isn't' — essential for describing what a flat has or lacks.
How do you politely push the price down?
ده غالي شوية. أقل حاجة كام؟ — da ghaali shwayya. a'all Haaga kaam? ('That's a bit expensive. What's the lowest?') Rent is normally negotiable.
