© Lonely Planet Publications

227

Language
speak it, particularly in urban areas. English
is now taught in secondary schools, but
CONTENTS speakers of any fluency will be very few and
far between.
Algerian Arabic 227 Algerian Arabic will undoubtedly be the
Transliteration 229 most useful language for everyday communi-
Pronunciation 229 cation, and any attempts on your part to
Accommodation 229 speak it will be rewarded manifold through
Conversation & Essentials 230 the warm reception and encouragement
Emergencies 230 shown by those you practise on.
Directions 230 If you’d like to delve more deeply into
Health 231 the regional dialects of Arabic, including
Language Difficulties 231 that spoken in Algeria and neighbouring
Numbers 231 countries, get a copy of Lonely Planet’s
Paperwork 231 Middle East Phrasebook. Lonely Planet’s
Question Words 232 French Phrasebook will also prove very use-
Shopping & Services 232 ful in these destinations.
Time & Dates 232
Transport
Travel with Children
232
233 ALGERIAN ARABIC
French 233
Accommodation 233
Algerian Arabic is from the group of Arabic
Conversation & Essentials 234
dialects known as the Western (Maghreb)
Emergencies 234
dialects, which also includes Moroccan and
Directions 234
Tunisian Arabic. It’s basically a dialect of
Health 235
the standard language, but so different in
Language Difficulties 235
many respects as to be virtually another
Numbers 235
language. As with most dialects, it’s the every-
Paperwork 235 day language that differs the most from that
Question Words 235 of Algeria’s other Arabic-speaking neigh-
Shopping & Services 236 bours. More specialised or educated lan-
Time & Dates 236 guage tends to be pretty much the same
across the Arab world, although pronun-

Transport 236
Travel with Children 237
Arabic is the official language of Algeria
and Berber is afforded ‘national’ language
status. While standard Arabic (MSA) is
used in both written and spoken form in
the media and government, it differs sig-
nificantly from the language – known as
Algerian Arabic – that the vast majority of
people speak in daily life. In Saharan re-
gions, a number of other Arabic dialects are
spoken. Several varieties of Berber are spo-
ken, the most common dialect being kabyle,
which is spoken around Kabylie. French
(see p233) is still taught as a second lan-
guage in schools and many Algerians still
LANGUAGE
ciation may vary considerably. An Arab
from, say, Jordan or Iraq will have no prob-
lem having a chat about politics or litera-
ture with an Algerian, but might have more
trouble making themselves understood in a
market in Algiers.
There is no official written form of the
Algerian Arabic dialect, although there is
no practical reason for this; the alphabet is
phonetically based and it would therefore
be possible to devise a way to transfer spo-
ken language to written language. For some
reason though, foreigners who specifically
want to learn Algerian Arabic instead of
MSA are told that it can’t be written in
script, and are then presented with one sys-
tem or other of transliteration, none of
which are totally satisfactory. This will give
 228 A L G E R I A N A R A B I C • • T h e S t a n d a r d A r a b i c A l p h a b e t
THE STANDARD ARABIC ALPHABET
Final Medial Initial Alone
LANGUAGE
Vowels Not all Arabic vowel sounds are represented in the alphabet. For more information on the vowel sounds
used in this language guide, see Pronunciation on p229.
Emphatic Consonants To simplify the transliteration system used in this book, the emphatic consonants have not
been differentiated from their non-emphatic counterparts.
lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com
you some idea of why few non-Arabs and
non-Muslims embark on the study of the
Transliteration Pronunciation language.
Nevertheless, if you take the time to learn
ā/aa as in ‘father’/as the long ‘a’ sound in ‘air’ even a handful of words and phrases, you’ll
b as in ‘bet’ discover and experience much more while
travelling through the country.
t as in ‘ten’
th as in ‘thin’ TRANSLITERATION
j as in ‘jet’ The whole business of transliteration is
fraught with pitfalls, and the reality is that it
H a strongly whispered ‘h’, like a sigh of relief simply isn’t possible to devise a truly ‘correct’
kh as the ‘ch’ in Scottish loch system. The locals themselves can only
d as in ‘dim’ guess at how to make the conversion – and
the result is often amusing. The fact that
dh as the ‘th’ in ‘this’; also as d or z French has had a big influence in Algeria
r a rolled ‘r’, as in the Spanish word caro has also led to many interesting ideas on
z as in ‘zip’ transliteration. Don’t be taken aback if you
start noticing half a dozen different spellings
s as in ‘so’, never as in ‘wisdom’ for the same thing.
sh as in ‘ship’ For this book, an attempt has been made
emphatic ‘s’ (see below) to standardise some spellings of place
names and the like. There is only one article
emphatic ‘d’ (see below)
in Arabic: al (the). It’s also sometimes writ-
emphatic ‘t’ (see below) ten as ‘il’ or ‘el’, occasionally contracted to
‘l’ and sometimes modified to reflect the
emphatic ‘dh’ (see below)
first consonant of the following noun, eg in
’ the Arabic letter ’ayn; pronounce as a glottal Saladin’s name, Salah ad-Din (righteous-
stop – like the closing of the throat before ness of the faith), the ‘al’ has been modified
saying ‘Oh-oh!’ (see Other Sounds on p229) to ‘ad’ before the ‘d’ of ‘Din’. The article el
is used only in a few instances in this book,
gh a guttural sound like Parisian ‘r’
such as well-known places (El-Oued and
f as in ‘far’ El-Goléa) or where locals have used it in
q a strongly guttural ‘k’ sound; also often restaurant and hotel names.
pronounced as a glottal stop
PRONUNCIATION
k as in ‘king’ Pronunciation of Arabic can be somewhat
l as in ‘lamb’ tongue-tying for those unfamiliar with the
intonation and combination of sounds. The
m as in ‘me’
following guide should help, but it isn’t
n as in ‘name’ complete because the myriad rules govern-
h as in ‘ham’ ing pronunciation and vowel use are too
extensive to be covered here.
w as in ‘wet’; or
oo long, as in ‘food’; or Vowels & Diphthongs
ow as in ‘how’ a as in ‘had’ (sometimes very short)
aa like the long ‘a’ sound in ‘air’
y as in ‘yes’; or
e as in ‘bet’ (sometimes very short)
ee as in ‘beer’, only softer; or ee as in ‘beer’, only softer
ai/ay as in ‘aisle’/as the ‘ay’ in ‘day’ i as in ‘hit’
o as in ‘hot’
oo as in ‘food’
u as in ‘put’
ow as in ‘how’
ai as in ‘aisle’
ay as in ‘day’
A L G E R I A N A R A B I C • • T r a n s l i t e r a t i o n 229
Consonants
Pronunciation of Arabic consonants is cov-
ered in the alphabet table (p228). Note that
when double consonants occur in translit-
erations, each consonant is pronounced.
For example, il-Hammaam, (bathroom), is
pronounced ‘il-ham-maam’.
Other Sounds
Arabic has two sounds that are very tricky
for non-Arabs to produce, the ’ayn and the
glottal stop. The letter ’ayn represents a
sound with no English equivalent that
comes even close – it is similar to the glot-
tal stop (which is not actually represented
in the alphabet) but the muscles at the back
of the throat are gagged more forcefully and
air is allowed to escape, creating a sound
that has been described as reminiscent of
someone being strangled! In many translit-
eration systems ’ayn is represented by an
opening quotation mark, and the glottal
stop by a closing quotation mark. To make
the transliterations in this language guide
(and throughout the rest of the book) easier
to use, we have not distinguished between
the glottal stop and the ’ayn, using the clos-
ing quotation mark to represent both
sounds. Even though your pronunciation
may be a little wide of the mark, you’ll find
that people will still understand you.
ACCOMMODATION
I’m looking for a ... ana inHawwas ’ala ...
hotel oteel
youth hostel daar ash-shabaab
LANGUAGE
Where can I find a ween kayin oteel rakhees?
cheap hotel?
What is the address? waash l-adrees?
Could you write the mumkin tiktibshee l-adrees?
address, please?
Do you have rooms ’andkumshee shambra faarigha?
available?
I’d like a ... ana baghee ...
I’d like to book a ... ana baghee n’erben ...
bed sreer
single room shambra li waaHid
double room shambra doobal
room with two beds shambra ma’ sareerayn
room with a shambra fee-ha beet
bathroom ham-maam
room with air-con/ shambra ma’ mirwaha
fan
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How much is it ...? aash Haal ...? HEALTH NUMBERS

per night aash Haal il-leela? EMERGENCIES I’m ill. ana mreedh/a (m/f) Arabic numerals are simple to learn and,
per person kul shakhs Help! ’awen-nee! My friend is ill. saHbee/saHibtee mreedh/a (m/f) unlike the written language, run from left
There’s been an kayin akseedon It hurts here. yuwja’ni hinaa to right. Pay attention to the order of the
Do you have any ’andkumshee shambra arkhas? accident. words in numbers from 21 to 99. When
cheaper rooms? I’m lost. ana imwedder (m) I’m ... ana mreedh/a bi ... (m/f) followed by a noun, the pronunciation of
May I see it? mumkin inshoof-ha? ana imweddra (f) asthmatic il-fadda meeya changes to meet for the numbers 100
Where is the ween beet Ham-maam? Go away! rooH qilnee khalleenee! diabetic Hloowa and 300 to 900, and the noun is always used
bathroom? Call a doctor! jeeboolee tabeeb! epileptic l-epilepsee in its singular form.
(I’m leaving/We’re (ana nimshi/aHna nimsheeoo) Call the police! jeeboolee il-booleeseeya!
leaving) today. il-yoom I’ve been robbed. sarqoolee Hwayjee I have ... ’andee ... 0 sifr ٠
Making a Reservation Where are the toilets? ween kayin it-twaalet? diarrhoea kirshee tijree 1 waaHid ١
in the name of ... bi ’ism ... fever skhaana 2 zooj ٢
date taareekh Where are you from? mineen inta (to a man) headache wjee’it ir-raas 3 tlaata ٣
from (date) to (date) min inhaar (...) lin-haar (...) mineen intee (to a woman) 4 reb’a ٤
credit card ... kart kredee ... I’m from ... ana min ... I’m allergic ... ’andee Hasaseeya ... 5 khamsa ٥
number noomroo I like/don’t like ... ana inHebb/manHebbish to antibiotics min antbioteek 6 sitta ٦
expiry date taareekh al-’intihaa Just a minute. dageega waaHida to aspirin min asbireen 7 sab’a ٧
to bees min naHl 8 tmaanya ٨
CONVERSATION & ESSENTIALS DIRECTIONS to nuts min looz 9 tis’a ٩
Hello. salaam Where is ...? ween kayin ...? to peanuts min kakaweeya 10 ’ashra ١٠
(response) salaam Go straight ahead. rooH deerekt to penicillin min penisileen 11 Hedaash ١١
Hello/Welcome. marHaba beek (to one person) Turn left. door a-gosh 12 tenaash ١٢
marHaba beekum (to a group) Turn right. door a-limeen antiseptic anteesepteek 13 tletaash ١٣
(response) oo beek/beekum at the (next) corner fil kwan (illee jayy) aspirin asbireen 14 rbetaash ١٤
Good morning. sbaaH al-kheer at the traffic lights fi dhaw aHmer condoms preservateef 15 khmestaash ١٥
(response) sbaaH al-kheer behind waraa contraceptive wasaa’il mana’ il Haml 16 sittaash ١٦
Good evening. masa’ al-kheer in front of guddaam hospital sbeetaar 17 sbe’taash ١٧
(response) masa’ al-kheer far (from) ba’eed (’ala) medicine dwaa 18 tmentaash ١٨
Good night. leela sa’eeda near (to) greeb (min) pharmacy fermasyaan 19 tsa’taash ١٩
(response) leela sa’eeda
opposite mgaabil pregnant Hebla 20 ’ashreen ٢٠
Goodbye. bi-slaama
here hnaa prescription warqit at-tabeeb 21 waaHid wi ’ashreen ٢١
(response) tibqa ’ala kheer
there temma sanitary napkins alwees (brand name) 22 teneen wi ’ashreen ٢٢
Yes. waaH (or na’am - more formal)
this address haada l-adrees stomachache wjee’it il-maada 30 tlaateen ٣٠
No. la
north shmaal sunblock cream kreema did ish-shams 40 reba’een ٤٠
Please. min fadlek (when asking for
south janoob tampons tampax 50 khamseen ٥٠
LANGUAGE

LANGUAGE
something in a shop)
east sharq 60 sitteen ٦٠
tfaddel/tfaddelee/tfaddloo (to
man/woman/group; when west gharb LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES 70 sab’een ٧٠
offering/inviting)
Do you speak English? 80 tmaneen ٨٠
itfaddel/itfaddelee/itfaddloo (to beach il-bHar titkallim ingleeziyya? 90 tis’een ٩٠
man/woman/group; similar to bridge il-qantra Does anyone here speak English? 100 meeya (meet before nouns) ١٠٠
tfaddel, etc) castle il-qala’ skhoon yeHder feekum yitkallim ingleeziyya? 200 meeteen ٢٠٠
Thank you. saHHa/’ayshek my hotel oteel taa’ee How do you say ... in Algerian Arabic? 1000 alf ١٠٠٠
(response) yeselmek island jazeera kifaash tagooloo ... bi lahja dzayreeya? 2000 alfeen ٢٠٠٠
Excuse me. smaaH lee (to one person) main square is-saaHa li-kabeera What does ... mean?
That’s fine/You’re blaa imzeeya mosque il-jaami’ waash ta’nee ... How many? gaddaash?
welcome. museum il-matHaf I understand.
Sorry/Apologies. smaaH old city limdeena ligdeema fehimt PAPERWORK
What’s your name? waash asmek? palace il-qasr I don’t understand. name ism
My name is ... asmee ... ruins il-athaar ma fehimtish nationality jinsiyya
Pleased to meet you. mitsharf (m)/ mitsharfa (f) sea il-baHr Please write it down. date/place of birth tareekh/maHal il-milâd
How are you? kee raak? (to one person) square is-saaHa mumkin tiktibhaalee sex (gender) jins
kee raakum? (to a group) street it-treeg Can you show me (on the map)? passport paspor
I’m fine. la baas ilHamdu lillah village al-qarya mumkin twarreenee (fi l- khareeta)? visa veeza
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QUESTION WORDS in the evening fi l-leel Which bus goes to ...? TRAVEL WITH CHILDREN
Who? shkoon? today il-yoom aana Hooma il-kaar yeddi li- ...? Is there (a/an) ...? kayin ...?
What? waash? tomorrow ghudwa Does this bus go to ...? I need (a/an) .... Haajti bi ...
When? winta? yesterday ilbaaraH Haad il-kaar yeddi li ...? car baby seat kursi taa’ draaree li lowto
Where? ween? day yoom Please tell me when we arrive in ... child-minding kresh
How? keefaash? month sh-har min fadlek gullee waqtillee nuwsiloo fi ... service
Which? aana Hooma? week semaana What is the fare to ...? children’s menu menyoo taa’ draaree
year ’aam sheHaal it-teekee li ...?
disposable nappies/ koosh
SHOPPING & SERVICES early bikree Stop here, please.
late rotaar waqif hnaa min fadlek
diapers
I’d like to buy ... inHebb nishree ... infant milk formula Haleeb draaree
How much is it? aash Haal? daily kull yoom Wait!
istanna! (English-speaking) babysitter (illi titkallim bi
I don’t like it. ma y’ajibneesh babysitter l-ingleeziyya)
May I look at it? mumkin inshoofu? Monday inhaar it-itneen
Tuesday inhaar it-tlaata the first il-awwil/oola (m/f) highchair kursee taa’ draaree
I’m just looking. ga’ad inshoof bark potty kasreeya
It’s cheap. heeya rakheesa Wednesday inhaar il-arba’ the last il-aakhir
Thursday inhaar il-khmees the next il-qaadim stroller karoosa
It’s too expensive. heeya ghaaleeya bizaaf
No more than ... mush akthaar min ...
Friday inhaar ij-jema’ airport layropor
Saturday inhaar is-sibt bus station is-stasyoon il-kaar Are children allowed? tiqbloo draaree?
I’ll take it. nishreeha
Sunday inhaar il-Hadd bus stop laree

FRENCH
city limdeena
Can you give me ...? tnajjemshee t’amelee ...?
January janfee platform number noomroo raseef
a discount takhfeedh
February feefree ticket office il-geeshee
a good price sooma mleeHa
March meghress timetable jadwal awqaat While French has no official language sta-
April abreel train station lagaar tus in Algeria, it is still widely spoken, par-
Do you accept ...? taakhudh ...?
May maayoo
credit cards kart kredee ticularly in urban areas. A few words and
June jwaan Private Transport phrases could come in handy if you find
traveller cheques sheekaat siyaHiyya July jweeyee I’d like to hire a/an ... inHebb nikree ... yourself in a bind.
August oot car lowto In French, an important distinction is
more akthir September sibtamber 4WD too terran
less agall made between tu and vous, which both
October uktoober motorbike mooter mean ‘you’. The informal tu is only used
smaller asghar November nofamber bicycle beskleet
bigger akbar when addressing people you know well, or
December deesamber camel jimal children. When addressing an adult who is
donkey Hmaar not a personal friend, vous should be used
I’m looking for ... ana inHawwas ’ala ... TRANSPORT guide geed
a bank banka unless the person invites you to use tu.
Public Transport horse Hsaan
the bazaar/market is-sooq When does the ... winta iqella’/tuwsil ...?
the city centre wist il-blaad ACCOMMODATION
LANGUAGE

leave/arrive? Is this the road to ...?

LANGUAGE
Haad it-treeg teddi li ...?
the (...) embassy as-sifaara (...) I’m looking for Je cherche ... zher shersh ...
boat il-baboor Where’s a service ween il-kiyosk?
the post office il-bosta bus il-kaar station? a ...
the telephone haatif il-’umoomee ferry il-ferry Please fill it up. ’abbeehaalee min fadlek campground un camping un kom·peeng
centre plane it-tayyaara I’d like (30) litres. inHebb (tlaateen) leetra guesthouse une pension ewn pon·syon
the tourist office maktab is-siyaaHa train it-treen diesel diyaysel (de famille) (der fa·mee·ler)
leaded petrol leesans normaal (regular) hotel un hôtel un o·tel
I want to change ... inHebb insarrif ... I’d like a ... ticket. ana baghee/bagheeya teekee ... leesans sooper (super) youth hostel une auberge ewn o·berzh
money draahem one-way maashee unleaded petrol leesans son plom de jeunesse der zher·nes
travellers cheques sheekaat siyaHiyya return maashee oo jayy (How long) Can I mumkin inwaggif lowto hnaa
1st-class daarija oola park here? (Hatta winta?) Where is a cheap hotel?
Where is an internet ween kayin internet kafay? 2nd-class daarija taanya Where do I pay? ween inkhallis? Où est-ce qu’on peut trouver un hôtel pas cher?
café? I need a mechanic. Haajti bi mekanisyan oo es·kon per troo·vay un o·tel pa shair
I want to go to ... The car has broken lowto taaHit on pan (’and ...) What is the address?
TIME & DATES inHebb inrooH ... down (at ...) Quelle est l’adresse?
What time is it? sheHaal is-saa’a drook? The train has been delayed. The car won’t start. lowto mayikhdimsh kel e la·dres
It’s (8 o’clock). drook (it-temaanya) it-treen er-rotaar I have a flat tyre. il-pnou menfoosh Could you write it down, please?
in the morning fi s-sbaaH The train has been cancelled. I’ve run out of petrol. wfaalee leesans Est-ce que vous pourriez l’écrire, s’il vous plaît?
in the afternoon fi l-’asheeya naHaaoo it-treen I’ve had an accident. ’amelt akseedon e·sker voo poo·ryay lay·kreer seel voo play
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Do you have any rooms available? old city la vieille ville la vyay veel Can you show me (on the map)?
Est-ce que vous avez des chambres libres? EMERGENCIES ruins les ruines lay rween Pouvez-vous m’indiquer poo·vay·voo mun·dee·kay
e·sker voo·za·vay day shom·brer lee·brer Help! sea la mer la mair (sur la carte)? (sewr la kart)
Au secours! o skoor street la rue la roo
I’d like (a) ...Je voudrais ... zher voo·dray ... There’s been an accident! village le village ler vee·lazh NUMBERS
single room une chambre à ewn shom·brer Il y a eu un accident! eel ya ew un ak·see·don 0 zero zay·ro
un lit a un lee I’m lost. HEALTH 1 un un
double-bed une chambre ewn shom·brer Je me suis égaré/e. (m/f) zhe me swee·zay·ga·ray I’m ill. Je suis malade. zher swee ma·lad 2 deux der
room avec un grand a·vek un gron Leave me alone! It hurts here. J’ai une douleur zhay ewn doo·ler 3 trois trwa
lit lee Fichez-moi la paix! fee·shay·mwa la pay ici. ee·see 4 quatre ka·trer
twin room une chambre ewn shom·brer 5 cinq sungk
with two beds avec des lits a·vek day lee Call ...! Appelez ...! a·play ... I’m ... Je suis ... zher swee ... 6 six sees
jumeaux zhew·mo a doctor un médecin un mayd·sun asthmatic asthmatique (z)as·ma·teek 7 sept set
room with une chambre ewn shom·brer the police la police la po·lees diabetic diabétique dee·a·bay·teek 8 huit weet
a bathroom avec une salle a·vek ewn sal epileptic épileptique (z)ay·pee·lep·teek 9 neuf nerf
de bains der bun Where are you from? 10 dix dees
to share a dorm coucher dans koo·sher don De quel pays êtes-vous? der kel pay·ee et·voo I’m allergic Je suis zher swee 11 onze onz
un dortoir zun dor·twa to ... allergique ... za·lair·zheek ... 12 douze dooz
De quel pays es-tu? (inf) der kel pay·ee e·tew
I’m from ... antibiotics aux antibiotiques o zon·tee·byo·teek 13 treize trez
How much is it ...? Quel est le prix ...? kel e ler pree ... aspirin à l’aspirine a las·pee·reen 14 quatorze ka·torz
per night par nuit par nwee Je viens de ... zher vyen der ...
I like ... bees aux abeilles o za·bay·yer 15 quinze kunz
per person par personne par per·son nuts aux noix o nwa 16 seize sez
J’aime ... zhem ...
I don’t like ... peanuts aux cacahuètes o ka·ka·wet 17 dix-sept dee·set
May I see it? penicillin à la pénicilline a la pay·nee· 18 dix-huit dee·zweet
Est-ce que je peux voir es·ker zher per vwa la Je n’aime pas ... zher nem pa ...
Just a minute. see·leen 19 dix-neuf deez·nerf
la chambre? shom·brer
Une minute. ewn mee·newt 20 vingt vung
Where is the bathroom?
antiseptic l’antiseptique lon·tee·sep·teek 21 vingt et un vung tay un
Où est la salle de oo e la sal der bun
DIRECTIONS aspirin l’aspirine las·pee·reen 22 vingt-deux vung·der
bains?
Where is ...? condoms des préservatifs day pray·zair·va·teef 30 trente tront
Where is the toilet?
Où sont les toilettes? oo·son lay twa·let Où est ...? oo e ... contraceptive le contraceptif ler kon·tra·sep·teef 40 quarante ka·ront
I’m leaving today. Go straight ahead. diarrhoea la diarrhée la dya·ray 50 cinquante sung·kont
Je pars aujourd’hui. zher par o·zhoor·dwee medicine le médicament ler may·dee·ka·mon 60 soixante swa·sont
Continuez tout droit. kon·teen·way too drwa
We’re leaving today. nausea la nausée la no·zay 70 soixante-dix swa·son·dees
Turn left.
Nous partons noo par·ton sunblock cream la crème solaire la krem so·lair 80 quatre-vingts ka·trer·vung
Tournez à gauche. toor·nay a gosh
aujourd’hui. o·zhoor·dwee tampons des tampons day tom·pon 90 quatre-vingt-dix ka·trer·vung·dees
Turn right. hygiéniques ee·zhen·eek 100 cent son
Tournez à droite. toor·nay a drwa
LANGUAGE

1000

LANGUAGE
CONVERSATION & ESSENTIALS mille meel
at the corner LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES How many? Combien? kom·byun
Hello. Bonjour. bon·zhoor au coin o kwun
Goodbye. Au revoir. o·rer·vwa Do you speak English?
at the traffic lights Parlez-vous anglais? par·lay·voo ong·lay PAPERWORK
Yes. Oui. wee aux feux o fer
No. Non. no Does anyone here speak English? name nom nom
Please. S’il vous plaît. seel voo play Y a-t-il quelqu’un qui ya·teel kel·kung kee nationality nationalité na·syo·na·lee·tay
behind derrière dair·ryair parle anglais? par long·glay date/place date/place dat/plas
Thank you. Merci. mair·see
You’re welcome. Je vous en prie. zher voo·zon pree
in front of devant der·von How do you say ... in French? of birth de naissance der nay·sons
De rien. (inf) der ree·en far (from) loin (de) lwun (der) Comment est-ce qu’on ko·mon es·kon sex/gender sexe seks
Excuse me. Excuse-moi. ek·skew·zay·mwa near (to) près (de) pray (der) dit ... en français? dee ... on fron·say passport passeport pas·por
Sorry. (forgive me) Pardon. par·don opposite en face de on fas der What does ... mean? visa visa vee·za
Que veut dire ...? ker ver deer ...
What’s your name? beach la plage la plazh I understand. QUESTION WORDS
Comment vous ko·mon voo·za·pay·lay voo castle le château ler sha·to Je comprends. zher kom·pron Who? Qui? kee
appelez-vous? (pol) island l’île leel I don’t understand. What? Quoi? kwa
Comment tu ko·mon tew ta·pel main square la place centrale la plas son·tral Je ne comprends pas. zher ner kom·pron pa What is it? Qu’est-ce que kes·ker
t’appelles? (inf) mosque la mosquée la mos·kay Could you write it down, please? c’est? say
My name is ... museum le musée ler mew·zay Est-ce que vous pouvez es·ker voo poo·vay When? Quand? kon
Je m’appelle ... zher ma·pel ... my hotel mon hôtel mon o·tel l’écrire? lay·kreer Where? Où? oo
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236 F R E N C H • • S h o p p i n g & S e r v i c e s lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com F R E N C H • • T r a v e l w i t h C h i l d re n 237

Which? Quel/Quelle? kel in the morning du matin dew ma·tun The train has been delayed. I need a mechanic.
Why? Pourquoi? poor·kwa in the afternoon de l’après-midi der la·pray·mee·dee Le train est en retard. ler trun et on rer·tar J’ai besoin d’un zhay ber·zwun dun
How? Comment? ko·mon in the evening du soir dew swar The train has been cancelled. mécanicien. may·ka·nee·syun
today aujourd’hui o·zhoor·dwee Le train a été annulé. ler trun a ay·tay a·new·lay The car/motorbike has broken down (at ...)
SHOPPING & SERVICES tomorrow demain der·mun La voiture/moto est la vwa·tewr/mo·to ay
I’d like to buy ... yesterday hier yair the first le premier (m) ler prer·myay tombée en panne (à ...) tom·bay on pan (a ...)
Je voudrais acheter ... zher voo·dray ash·tay ... day jour zhoor la première (f) la prer·myair The car/motorbike won’t start.
How much is it? month mois mwa the last le dernier (m) ler dair·nyay La voiture/moto ne la vwa·tewr/mo·to ner
C’est combien? say kom·byun week semaine se·men la dernière (f) la dair·nyair veut pas démarrer. ver pa day·ma·ray
I don’t like it. year année a·nay platform le numéro ler new·may·ro I have a flat tyre.
Cela ne me plaît pas. ser·la ner mer play pa early tôt to number de quai der kay Mon pneu est à plat. mom pner ay ta pla
May I look at it? late en retard on rer·tar ticket office le guichet ler gee·shay I’ve run out of petrol.
Est-ce que je peux le voir? es·ker zher per ler vwar daily quotidien (m) ko·tee·dyun timetable l’horaire lo·rair Je suis en panne zher swee zon pan
I’m just looking. quotidienne (f) ko·tee·dyen train station la gare la gar d’essence. day·sons
Je regarde. zher rer·gard I had an accident.
It’s cheap. Monday lundi lun·dee Private Transport J'ai eu un accident. zhay ew un ak·see·don
Ce n’est pas cher. ser nay pa shair Tuesday mardi mar·dee I’d like to hire Je voudrais zher voo·dray
It’s too expensive. Wednesday mercredi mair·krer·dee a/an... louer ... loo·way ... TRAVEL WITH CHILDREN
C’est trop cher. say tro shair Thursday jeudi zher·dee car une voiture ewn vwa·tewr I need a/an ...
I’ll take it. Friday vendredi von·drer·dee 4WD un tout-terrain un too te·run J’ai besoin ... zhay ber·zwun ...
Je le prends. zher ler pron Saturday samedi sam·dee motorbike une moto ewn mo·to car baby seat
Sunday dimanche dee·monsh bicycle un vélo un vay·lo d’un siège-enfant dun syezh·on·fon
Can I pay by ...? Est-ce que je peux es·ker zher per child-minding service
payer avec ...? pay·yay a·vek ... January janvier zhon·vyay Is this the road to ...? d’une garderie dewn gar·dree
credit card ma carte de ma kart der February février fayv·ryay C'est la route pour ...? say la root poor ... children’s menu
crédit kray·dee March mars mars
Where’s a service station? d’un menu pour enfants dun mer·new poor on·fon
travellers des chèques day shek April avril a·vreel
Où est-ce qu'il y a oo es·keel ya disposable nappies/diapers
cheques de voyage der vwa·yazh May mai may
de couches-culottes der koosh·kew·lot
une station-service? ewn sta·syon·ser·vees
June juin zhwun
Please fill it up. infant milk formula
more plus plew July juillet zhwee·yay
Le plein, s’il vous plaît. ler plun seel voo play de lait maternisé de lay ma·ter·nee·zay
less moins mwa August août oot
smaller plus petit plew per·tee September septembre sep·tom·brer
I’d like ... litres. (English-speaking) babysitter
Je voudrais ... litres. zher voo·dray ... lee·trer d’une baby-sitter (qui dewn ba·bee·see·ter (kee
bigger plus grand plew gron October octobre ok·to·brer
November novembre no·vom·brer petrol/gas parle anglais) parl ong·glay)
Where can I Où est-ce qu’on oo es·kon December décembre day·som·brer essence ay·sons highchair
find ...? peut trouver ...? per troo·vay ... diesel d’une chaise haute dewn shay zot
I’m looking Je cherche ... zhe shersh ... TRANSPORT diesel dyay·zel potty
LANGUAGE

(How long) Can I park here? d’un pot de bébé dun po der bay·bay

LANGUAGE
for ... Public Transport
a bank une banque ewn bonk What time does À quelle heure a kel er (Combien de temps) (kom·byun der tom) stroller
the bazaar le bazar ler ba·zar ... leave/arrive? part/arrive ...? par/a·reev ... Est-ce que je peux es·ker zher per d’une poussette dewn poo·set
the ... embassy l’ambassade lam·ba·sahd boat le bateau ler ba·to stationner ici? sta·syo·nay ee·see?
de ... der ... bus le bus ler bews Where do I pay? Are children allowed?
the hospital l’hôpital lo·pee·tal plane l’avion la·vyon Où est-ce que je paie? oo es·ker zher pay? Les enfants sont permis? lay zon·fon son pair·mee
the market le marché ler mar·shay train le train ler trun
the police la police la po·lees
the post office le bureau de ler bew·ro der I’d like a ... Je voudrais zher voo·dray
poste post ticket. un billet ... un bee·yay ...
a public phone une cabine ewn ka·been one-way simple sum·pler
téléphonique tay·lay·fo·neek return aller et retour a·lay ay rer·toor
a public toilet les toilettes lay twa·let 1st class de première der prem·yair
classe klas
TIME & DATES 2nd class de deuxième der der·zyem
What time is it? Quelle heure est-il? kel er e til classe klas
It’s (8) o’clock. Il est (huit) heures. il e (weet) er Also available from Lonely Planet:
It’s half past ... Il est (...) heures il e (...) er I want to go to ... Middle East and French Phrasebooks
et demie. e day·mee Je voudrais aller à ... zher voo·dray a·lay a ...
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238
Glossary
Abbasids – Baghdad-based ruling dynasty
(AD 749–1258) of the Arab/Islamic empire
adrar – Tuareg for mountain; see also msak and tadrart
Aghlabids – Arab dynasty based in Kairouan who ruled
Tunisia (AD 800–909)
agora – main public square of ancient Greek cities
aïn – well or spring
akerbai – loose-fitting Tuareg pants
akhle – haphazard network of sand dunes without
discernible pattern
Al-Andalus – Muslim Spain and Portugal
Algerian War of Independence – the 1954–62 war
against the French that led to Algerian independence
Allah – God
Almohads – puritanical Muslim group (1147–1269),
originally Berber, that arose in response to the corrupt
Almoravid dynasty
Almoravids – Muslim group (1054–1147) that ruled
Spain and the Maghreb
Amazigh – Berbers, especially from the Kabylie region
aquifers – layers of rock holding underground water
ashaersh – Tuareg turban
assif – watercourse, river
bab – gate or door
bahr – ocean
Bani Hilal – tribes of Upper Egypt who invaded the
Maghreb in the 11th century, causing great destruction and
Arabising the region
banu – see beni
baraka – divine blessing or favour
Barbary – European term used to describe the North
African coast from the 16th to the 19th centuries
barchan – crescent-shaped sand dune
basilica – court or assembly building (Roman) or church
(Byzantine)
ben – son of (also ibn)
beni – ‘sons of’, often precedes tribal name (also banu)
Berbers – indigenous inhabitants of North Africa
bey – provincial governor in the Ottoman Empire
bordj – fort (literally ‘tower’)
burnous – warm over-robe worn by men and women
caliph – successor of Mohammed; ruler of the Islamic
GLOSSARY
world
Camel Period – period of Saharan rock art from 200 BC
to the present
capital – decorated top part of a column
capitol – main temple of a Roman town, usually situated
in the forum
cardo – main road running north–south through a
Roman city
casbah – fort, citadel; often also the administrative
centre (also spelt qasba)
cavea – seating area in a Roman theatre
chergui – dry, easterly desert wind
cipolin – white marble with veins of green or grey
corniche – coastal road
corsairs – pirate bands in the 15th century and beyond
croix d’Agadez – Tuareg cross of stylised silver with
filigree designs
cryptae – Roman promenade or underground corridors
curia – municipal assembly in Ancient Rome
dar – traditional town house
decumanus – main road running east–west through a
Roman city
dey – the Ottoman army’s equivalent of a sergeant who
assisted the pasha
divan – council of senior officers who advised the pasha
in Ottoman times
djedid – new
djellaba – popular flowing garment; men’s jellabas are
usually made from cotton or wool, women’s come in light
synthetic fabrics
djemaa – mosque
eid – feast (also spelled aïd)
erg – sand dunes or sand sea
emir – Islamic ruler, military commander or governor
Fatimids – Muslim dynasty (AD 909–1171) that rose to
prominence in the 10th century
FIS – Islamic Salvation Front (Front Islamique du Salut)
who won the first round of elections in 1991 and were
then made illegal
foggara – underground channels leading to water
forum – open space at the centre of Roman towns
frigidarium – cold room in Roman baths complex
funduq – hotel
galabiyya – full-length loose-fitting robe worn by men
gare routière – bus station
gare terminal – ferry terminal
gîte – trekkers’ hostel, sometimes a homestay
guelta – natural springs
haram – literally ‘forbidden’; sometimes used to denote a
sacred or forbidden area, eg the prayer room of a mosque
haj – pilgrimage to Mecca; one of the five pillars of Islam
hamada – plateaus of rock scoured by wind erosion
hammam – bathhouse
haram – prayer hall of mosque
High Plateaus – the 600m-long series of plateaus
averaging 1200m above sea level, separating the Atlas
Mountains of the coastal hinterland and the Saharan Atlas
hittists – literally those who hold up or hit the wall;
used to refer to young unemployed men in Algeria
Horse Period – period of Saharan rock art from
1000 BC to AD 1
Ibadis – an offshoot of the Kharajite sect found only in
the villages of the M’Zab Valley in Algeria, Jerba, Zanzibar
and in Oman
ibn – son of (also ben)
Idrissids – Moroccan dynasty which established a stable
state in northern Morocco in the 9th century
iftar – breaking of the fast at sundown during Ramadan;
breakfast (also spelt ftur)
ijtihad – individual interpretation of sacred texts and
traditions
imam – man schooled in Islamic law; religious leader of
Muslim community
janissaries – professional soldiers committed to a life of
military service who became rulers of Ottoman Libya
Kabylie – Berber (Amazigh) region east of Algiers
Kharijites – puritanical Islamic sect, which broke away
from the mainstream Sunnis in AD 657 and inspired Berber
rebellions from the 8th to the 10th century
khutba – sermon delivered by imam, especially at Friday
noon prayers
ksar – castle, palace, fortified stronghold
laconica – sweat baths in a Roman baths complex
La Vache Qui Pleure – Crying Cows; famous rock-art
site near Djanet
madhhab – school of Islamic law
madrassa – school of the Quran and Islamic law
Maghreb – (literally ‘west’) area covered by Morocco,
Algeria, Tunisia and Libya
Maliki – one of four major schools of Islamic thought and
the predominant one in Algeria; preaches the primacy of
the Quran (as opposed to later teachings)
maqbara – cemetery
marabout – holy man or saint; also often used to
describe the mausoleums of these men
Merenids – Moroccan dynasty (1269–1465), responsible
for the construction of many of Morocco’s medrassas
mihrab – vaulted niche in the wall of a mosque indicating
direction of Mecca
minbar – the pulpit that stands beside the mihrab in a
mosque
G L O S S A R Y 239
Mozabites – Ibadi people who inhabit the M’Zab Valley
msak – Tuareg for mountain; also adrar and tadrart
muezzin – man who calls the faithful to prayer from the
minaret
muqarna – decorative plasterwork
musée – museum
M’Zab – region of five oases centred around Ghardaïa and
home to a community of Ibadi Muslims
nargileh – water pipe or sheesha for smoking
natatio – entrance hall to Roman baths complex
Numidians – tribe from present-day Algeria, once
controlled Northern Tunisia; founders of the cities of Bulla
Regia, Sicca (El-Kef ) and Thugga (Dougga)
nymphaeum – building with fountains; dedicated to
nymphs
oued – riverbed, often dry (sometimes wad or wadi)
except after rains
palaestra – exercise area in Roman times
palmeraie – palm grove
pasha – Ottoman governor appointed by the sultan in
Constantinople
Pastoral Period – period of Saharan rock art from
5500 BC to 2000 BC, also known as the Bovidian Period
peristyle – colonnade or portico of columns surrounding
a building or courtyard
petroglyphs – millennia-old rock carvings
Phoenicians – a great seafaring nation based in modern
Lebanon, which dominated trade in the Mediterranean in
the 1st millennium BC; founders of Carthage
pictographs – millennia-old rock paintings
pied-noir – literally ‘black foot’; name given to French
settlers in Algeria and their descendants (also called
colons)
Prophet (Mohammed), the – founder of Islam, who
lived between AD 570 and AD 632
Punic – ancient Phoenician people in North Africa
Punic Wars – three wars waged between Rome and
Carthage in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, resulting in the
destruction of Carthage by the Romans in 146 BC
qahwa – thick Arabic coffee
qibla – the direction of Mecca, indicated by a mihrab
Quran – sacred book of Islam
rai – world-famous Algerian music that originated in Oran
Ramadan – ninth month of lunar Islamic calendar, dur-
GLOSSARY
ing which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset
ras – headland
Round Head Period – period of Saharan rock art from
8000 BC to 6000 BC
Rustamids – Ibadi dynasty that ruled much of northern
Algeria from Tahirt, from AD 761 to AD 909
 © Lonely Planet Publications
240 G L O S S A R Y

sahn – courtyard of mosque taguelmoust – Tuareg veil

scaenae frons – façade behind the stage in Roman Tamashek – Tuareg language
theatre Tamazigh – Berber language
seif – Arabic for ‘sword’; also the name for sand dunes taxiphone – an inexpensive metered phone service
with long, sweeping ridges taxi brousse – shared taxi
serir – basins, formed by wadies, in which salt is left after taxi collectifs – shared taxi
water has evaporated Tell – narrow coastal strip and mountainous hinterland of
sharia – street or road northern Algeria
sheeshah – water pipe or nargileh for smoking tende – Tuareg dance
sheikh – tribal chief tepidarium – warm room in a Roman baths complex
sherif – descendant of the Prophet tifinagh – letters of the Tuareg alphabet
Shiites – one of two main Islamic sects, formed by those Tuareg – nomadic Berbers of the Sahara, also known as
who believed the true imams were descended from the the Blue Men because of their indigo-dyed robes
prophet’s son-in-law Ali (see also Sunnis)
Sidi – saint Umayyads – first great dynasty of Arab Muslim rulers
souq – market or bazaar (AD 661–750), based in Damascus
Sufi – follower of Islamic mystical orders that emphasise
dancing, chanting and trances in order to attain unity ville nouvelle – new city; town built by the French
with God alongside existing towns
Sunnis – one of two main Islamic sects, derived from
followers of the Umayyad caliphate (see also Shiites) wilaya – province
suras – verses or chapters in the Quran Wild Fauna Period – period of Saharan rock art from
10,000 BC to 6000 BC
taajeelah – Tuareg bread cooked under hot sand
tadrart – Tuareg for mountain zawiya – religious college or monastery
tagine – lamb dish with tomato and paprika zeriba – palm hut
GLOSSARY

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