Hello 
I’m reading a novel by Tahar ben Jelloun, and a stumbled upon some phrases containing Arabic words, some of which I don’t understand. Maybe someone could help me out?
I assume Errbeh (or erbeh?) and Aiua are exclamations. And arba alaf - four thousand? But what about:
“baqali Ashra”, “melliun”, “talvaza bilaluane” and “Tferju we tsatabu rasum fe Malika”?
Choukran par avance!
I realise now talvaza bilaluane simply means colour telly…!:hit: What about the other phrases though?
Hello Jonquix :).
What novel is that that you’re reading?
So let’s go through your small list. The context being a guy selling lottery tickets, so what he says is to promote the tickets.
Errebeh = winning.
Melliun = Million.
talvaza bilaluane = Colour TV.
Arba Alaf = Four thousand
Aiua = Yes (middle eastern way of saying it).
baqali Ashra lotteritat = I am left with ten lottery tickets.
Ashra = Ten.
Tferju = Watch.
Tsatabu = ?
Raskum = Yourselves (k is missing in your word? or was it really rasum?)
Much obliged, SM, you’re always as kind!
‘Rasum’ was written without any k, it might have been a typo in the book of course (I guess the proofreading of Arabic in a Swedish translation from the French may falter ;)). The book is called “The Sandchild”. Curious reading, fascinating at times, contrived at others.
Shukran jazeelan:).