We have discussed the variety of ways to say thanks in Spoken Lebanese Arabic. Now we will talk about saying no thanks. The Lebanese people are warm, welcoming and generous. If you want to decline an offer there is usually a polite response and that response depends on the context. Below you’ll find some ways to say no thank you depending on the circumstance:
Someone asks if you want something to eat:
يسلمو، هلّق أكلت
Someone offers you a cigarette before they smoke, but you don’t smoke:
كلّك ذوق بس ما بدخّن
Someone offers you a cigarette before they smoke, but you’d rather not:
كلّك ذوق، هلّق طَفيتها
A friend invites you to dinner, but you can’t go:
ليك يا حبيبي انا مشغول كتير خلّيها لَوقت تاني
A stranger invites you to coffee:
سَلِّمُن، نشالله دايمة، صرت شارب فنجانين الْيوم
A stranger invites you to dinner but you can’t go:
كلّك ذوق، يا ريت كنت قادر
Someone you know just responded مْقَدّم (m2addam: please accept them as a present) when you were congratulating them on their new sunglasses:
كلّك ذوق، حلوين ع صْحابُه
<label> Your Name (required)
[text* your-name] </label>
<label> Your Email (required)
[email* your-email] </label>
<label> I want to study (required)
[select* menu-490 “Spoken Lebanese Arabic” “Modern Standard Arabic” “Both”] </label>
<label> Length of Study (required)
[select* menu-491 “1 month” “2-3 months” “More than 3 months” “6 or more months”] </label>
<label> When would you like to begin? (required)
[text* your-when] </label>
<label> Where would you like to study? (required)
[select* menu-492 “Hamra” “Mansourieh” “Skype”] </label>
<label> Preferred Class Type (required)
[select* menu-493 “Private Tutoring” “Group” “Doesn’t matter”] </label>
<label> How do you want to use your Arabic in the future?
[text your-future] </label>
<label> Have you studied the Spoken Levantine Dialect before? If so, to what extent?
[text your-Spoken] </label>
<label> Have you studied Modern Standard Arabic before? If so, to what extent?
[text your-Modern] </label>
<label> Comment or Question
[textarea your-comment] </label>
[recaptcha size: compact]
<p style=”text-align: center;”>[submit “Send”]</p>