Time
Time can be expressed in several different ways:
- units of time - days, weeks etc
- parts of the day - morning/afternoon
- time of day - 6.30
- relative time (before/after) - today/yesterday etc
- days of the week
- dates
Units of time
English | Egyptian | Plural | ||
moment | ![]() | لـَحظـَة | ![]() | لـَحظا َت |
second | ![]() | ثا َنيـَة | ![]() | ثـَوا َني |
minute | ![]() | د ِقيقـَة | ![]() | د َقا َيـِق |
hour | ![]() | سا َعـَة | ![]() | سا َعا َت |
day | ![]() | يوم | ![]() | أيا َم |
week | ![]() | أ ُسبوع | ![]() | أسا َبـِيع |
month | ![]() | شـَهر | ![]() | شـُهور |
year | ![]() | سـَنـَة | ![]() | سـِنين |
lifetime | ![]() | عـُمر | ![]() | أعما َر |
Parts of the day
The main events in the day are sunrise and sunset. Midnight, noon and the six prayer times can also be used to specify an approximate time.
English | Egyptian | |
last prayers till dawn | ![]() | ا ِلّيل |
dawn until sunset | ![]() | ا ِلصـُبح |
after sunset | ![]() | مـَسا َء |
dawn | ![]() | فـَجر |
noon | ![]() | ا ِلضـُهر |
after noon | ![]() | بـَعد ا ِلضـُهر |
sunset | ![]() | ا ِلمـَغر ِب |
midnight | ![]() | نـُص ا ِلّيل |
Time of day
In English, it is normal to use half and quarter hours to describe time. In addition, in Egyptian, thirds are used. Here is a list of the words that can be used:
English | Egyptian | |
half | ![]() | نـُص |
a third | ![]() | تـِلت |
a quarter | ![]() | ر ُبع |
and | ![]() | وَ |
less | ![]() | إلاَ |
Here are all the times at five minute intervals:
English | Egyptian | |
seven o'clock | ![]() | سـَبعـَة |
five past seven past | ![]() | سـَبعـَة و َ خـَمسـَة |
ten past seven | ![]() | سـَبعـَة و َ عـَشـَر َة |
quarter past seven | ![]() | سـَبعـَة و َ ر ُبع |
twenty past seven | ![]() | سـَبعـَة و َ تـِلت |
twenty five past seven | ![]() | سـَبعـَة و َ نـُص إلا َ خـَمسـَة |
half past seven | ![]() | سـَبعـَة و َ نـُص |
twenty-five to eight | ![]() | سـَبعـَة و َ نـُص و َ خـَمسـَة |
twenty to eight | ![]() | تـَما َنيـَة إلا َ تـِلت |
quarter to eight | ![]() | تـَما َنيـَة إلا َ ر ُبـَع |
ten to eight | ![]() | تـَما َنيـَة إلا َ عـَشـَر َة |
five to eight | ![]() | تـَما َنيـَة إلا َ خـَمسـَة |
Relative time
English | Arabic | |
the day before yesterday | ![]() | أو ِل إمبا َر ِح |
yesterday | ![]() | إمبا َر ِح |
today | ![]() | ا ِلنـَها َرد َة |
tomorrow | ![]() | بـُكر َه |
the day after tomorrow | ![]() | بـَعد بـُكر َه |
English | Arabic | |
last week | ![]() | ا ِلا ُسبو َع إلي فا َت |
this week | ![]() | ا ِلا ُسبو َع د ِه |
next week | ![]() | ا ِلا ُسبو َع إلي جا َي |
English | Arabic | |
now | ![]() | د ِلو َقتي |
soon | ||
later | ![]() | بـَعدين |
not yet | ![]() | لـِسّـَه |
early | ![]() | بـَدري |
late (at night) | ![]() | و َخري |
Days of week
English | Arabic | |
Sunday | ![]() | يوم ا ِلا َ َحـَد |
Monday | ![]() | يوم ا ِلإثنين |
Tuesday | ![]() | يوم ا ِلتـَلا َت |
Wednesday | ![]() | يوم ا ِلأربـَعَ |
Thursday | ![]() | يوم ا ِلخـَميس |
Friday | ![]() | يوم ا ِلجـُمـَعـَة |
Saturday | ![]() | يوم ا ِلسـَبت |
Dates
Dates are normally written with day as a number, month as a word and year as a number, for example:
![](images/play.png)
The month names are:
English | Arabic | |
January | ![]() | يا َنا َيـِر |
February | ![]() | فـِبرا َيـِر |
March | ![]() | ما َر ِس |
April | ![]() | أبريل |
May | ![]() | ما َيو |
June | ![]() | يونيو |
July | ![]() | يوليو |
August | ![]() | أغـُستطـُس |
September | ![]() | سـِبتـِمبـِر |
October | ![]() | أ ُكتوبـَر |
November | ![]() | نوڤـِمبـِر |
December | ![]() | ديسـِمبـِر |