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Many beginners struggle with the word lissa in Egyptian Arabic.
Let’s put it under the microscope.
The word lissa – an overview
Lissa (ููุณูู) can mean “still“, “just“, “not yet” in Egyptian Arabic.
- Lissa means not yet in negative sentence. This is also the case when lissa is used as a stand-alone expression.
- In non-negative sentences (affirmative) the word lissa usually means still or just.
“Just” versus “not yet”
This can be confusing for beginners.
Lissa in the meaning of “just” or “only recently”
I have just arrived. | .ููุณูู ูุงุตูู |
They just came. | . ููุณูู ุฌุงููููู |
He was standing next to me just a second ago. | .ุฏู ููุณูู ูุงููู ุฌูููุจูู ู ูู ุซุงููููุฉ |
Note that the word lissa is frequently used in combination with the active participle (ุงูุณู ูุงุนูู) to express a past tense meaning (meaning of just): ููุณูู+ุงุณูู ูุงุนูู
The meaning of “not yet”
I haven’t arrived yet. | .ู ุง ููุตูููุชุด ููุณูู |
They haven’t come yet. | . ููุณูู ู ุงุฌููุด |
Note that if you want to express the meaning of not yet, you use the past tense (ุงููู ุงุถู) in Arabic in combination with the negation (ู ุง+ุด).
The meaning of “still”
No action involved
How do we use lissa if there is no action (no verb) mentioned in the sentence, but an adjective or adverb of time? Some examples:
It is still early. | ููุณูู ุจูุฏูุฑูู |
There is still time. | ููุณูู ููู ููููุช |
There is still one week (to go); | ููุณูู ุฃูุณูุจููุน |
He’s still young. | ููููู ููุณููู ุตูุบููููุฑ |
It’s still to soon for… | …ููุณููู ุจูุฏูุฑูู ุนูููู |
What verb-form do you use if you want to express “still”?
The present tense (ุงููู ูุถุงุฑูุน).
I am still eating. | ููุณููู ุจุขููู |
I am still studying at the center. | …ููุณููู ุจุงุฏูุฑูุณ ูู ุงููู ูุฑูููุฒ |
I’ve still to deliver the menu (food). | ููุณููู ุญุงููุฏููู ุงููููุฌูุจุฉ |
Note that you use the present tense in Egyptian Arabic (ุจ+ููุนู ู ูุถุงุฑูุน) to express still. Do not use the active participle (ุงูุณูู ูุงุนูู) as this usually expresses just – see number 1.
“Just” in the meaning of “now”
The word lissa is often used in the connection with the Egyptian Arabic expression for now, i.e. dilwa’ti (ุฏูููููููุชูู)
They just now left. | ููุณููู ุทูููุนููุง ุฏูููููููุชูู |
Lissa as a stand-alone word
Haveโฆ yet?
You will also hear the word lissa very often in questions that contain Haveโฆ yet?
Question: Have you written it? | ููุชูุจูุชูู ูููุง ููุณูููุ |
Answer: Not yet. | ููุณููู |
Directly connected to a sentence
She put up with a lot, and there’s more to come. | ุงูุณูุชูุญูู ูููุชู ููุชููุฑุ ููููุณููู |
Remark:
In some Arabic dialects, the word lissa (ููุณูุง) is connected to a pronoun (ุถูู ููุฑ), for example:
Haven’t you… | …ููุณููุงููู |
Egyptian Arabic is a wonderful dialect – here is some “proof”:
- Unraveling foreign words in Arabic dialects: jailbirds, thugs and kufta
- Top dictionaries for learning Arabic dialects
- Top Arabic YouTube channels with subtitles
- The multiple meanings of ุจูู in Egyptian Arabic
- Regrets and future avoidances: ‘should have’ and ‘will not have done’ in Egyptian Arabic
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Thats an amazing post
Thanks a lot
In this sentence the translation is not accurate , lissa here means โyetโ or โstill willโ
Mostafa yet/still will appeal after the judgeโฆ
Thats an amazing post
Thanks a lot
I have “The Big Fat Book of Egyptian Arabic Verbs” and an example sentence is given
“ู ุตุทูู ูุณู ููุณุชุฃูู ุจุนุฏ ู ุง ุงููุงุถู ูุญูู ูู ูุถูุชู” and the translation is given as “Mostafa will appeal after the judge rules in his case”.
I can’t find out exactly what ูุณู is doing in this case. Maybe “he will still appeal”? or just a filler word?
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thank you
There is an answer from user Muhammad – see above