Living Egyptian
The “Method” course by Ksenia Usacheva
Module 3 · Taxi and the road: where are we going?
Draft — native-speaker review in progress
How to work through this module
A simple route — go top to bottom and it all clicks.
- 1Listen to the scenes: tap the speaker on every line and follow the transcription. Play each phrase at least twice.
- 2Repeat OUT LOUD after the voice — from the very first scene. Nobody's listening, and your mouth learns only by sound.
- 3Run the trainer: keep doing rounds until it feels easy. Every word in it comes from this module.
- 4Take the module test — 75% or higher means you're ready to move on.
- 5Record your voice assignment — a real teacher will listen and give you personal pronunciation feedback.
- The module takes 2–3 hours. No need to do it in one sitting — come back in chunks, your progress stays.
Don't know the Arabic letters? Perfect — that's by design. You can even switch the script off below and study with transcription only.
What you'll be able to do after this module
After this module you can hail a taxi and say where you're going, agree the fare before you get in (and talk it down!), steer the driver — “straight, right, left, stop here”, ask a passer-by for directions and understand the answer. All with numbers up to a hundred.
How to read our transcription
This is the Method's signature transcription — the same one as in the video transcripts: colours mark the special sounds, and you can read it without knowing a single Arabic letter.
- CAPITALthe stressed vowel — lean on it with your voice: mazbUt, shUkran
- s d t zص ض ط ظred — the “heavy” sounds: big round mouth, dense sound
- ghغa gargled sound, like the French r: ghAli
- hحblue — breathy, a warm sigh from deep in the throat: hAder
- khخraspy, like clearing your throat: khAmsa
- aa / 3عthe deep throaty sound — the signature “Ayn”
- 'ق ءa short catch-pause in the throat: 'Ahwa
- wوa lippy “w”, as in English: wAhed
- shشa soft “sh”: shAy, shUkran
- gجin Egypt this letter is a hard “g”: ginEh
Scene
Taxi: where to and for how much
Morning. Anya flags a taxi at the Corniche roundabout. Behind the wheel is Dalia — a rare bird: a woman taxi driver.
🇪🇬 How it's done in Egypt: The golden rule of meterless taxis: agree the fare BEFORE you get in. “kitIr Awi!” (“way too much!”) isn't rude — it's a normal move. Cairo even has a whole taxi service with women-only drivers — the “pink taxi”.
Anya
تاكسي! صباح الخير!
tAksi! sabAh il-khIr!
Taxi! Good morning!
Dalia
صباح النور! رايحة فين يا مادام؟
sabAh in-nUr! rAyha fIn ya madAm?
Morning of light! Where are you going, madam?
💡 rAyha — to a woman; a man would be asked rAyih fIn?
Anya
أنا رايحة السوق، من فضلك.
Ana rAyha es-sU', min fAdlik.
I'm going to the market, please.
Anya
بكام للسوق؟
bikAm lis-sU'?
How much to the market?
💡 li- = “to”: bikAm li- + place — the fare-asking formula
Dalia
بتلاتين جنيه.
bi-talatIn ginEh.
Thirty pounds.
Anya
تلاتين؟ كتير أوي! عشرين، ماشي؟
talatIn? kitIr Awi! 3ishrIn, mAshi?
Thirty? Way too much! Twenty, deal?
💡 kitIr — “a lot”; at the market you said ghAli “expensive” — both work
Dalia
خلاص، خمسة وعشرين ولا يهمك.
khalAS, khAmsa wi-3ishrIn wa-la yihImmik.
Fine, twenty-five — don't you worry.
💡 wa-la yihImmik — “don't worry about it”: a favourite generosity phrase
Anya
ماشي، يلا بينا!
mAshi, yAlla bIna!
Deal — let's go!
Scene
Straight, right, here!
The car is nearing the market. Now Anya is in charge: she steers Dalia with words.
Dalia
السوق فين بالظبط؟
es-sU' fIn biZ-ZAbT?
Where's the market exactly?
💡 biZ-ZAbT — “exactly”: an everyday little word
Anya
على طول، وبعدين خشي يمين.
3Ala TUl, wi-ba3dIn khUshshi yimIn.
Straight on, then turn right.
💡 khUshshi — to a woman driver; to a man — khushsh yimIn
Dalia
هنا؟
hEna?
Here?
Anya
لأ، مش هنا. عند الجامع.
la, mish hEna. 3And il-gAme3.
No, not here. By the mosque.
💡 3And + place = “by, near” — the same 3And as in “3Andi” (I have)!
Dalia
ماشي يا ستي.
mAshi ya sItti.
All right, my lady.
💡 ya sItti — a warm-polite “my lady”
Anya
شمال هنا... أيوة! وقفي هنا، من فضلك.
shimAl hEna… Aywa! wa''Afi hEna, min fAdlik.
Left here… Yes! Stop here, please.
Dalia
اتفضلي، وصلنا!
etfAddali, wiSIlna!
Here you are — we've arrived!
Anya
شكرا! اتفضلي الفلوس.
shUkran! etfAddali il-fulUs.
Thanks! Here's the money.
Dalia
مع السلامة يا قمر!
mA3a s-salAma ya Amar!
Goodbye, beautiful!
Scene
Where's the pharmacy?
After the market Anya needs a pharmacy. She stops a passer-by — sitt Nagla.
🇪🇬 How it's done in Egypt: “ya habIbti” (“my dear”) from a stranger isn't over-familiar — it's ordinary Egyptian warmth. People explain the way gladly, with gestures, and sometimes simply walk you there.
Anya
لو سمحتي، الصيدلية فين؟
law samAhti, eS-SaydalEyya fIn?
Excuse me, where's the pharmacy?
Sitt Nagla
الصيدلية قريبة: على طول وبعدين شمال.
eS-SaydalEyya 'urAyyiba: 3Ala TUl wi-ba3dIn shimAl.
The pharmacy is close: straight on, then left.
Anya
قريبة ولا بعيدة؟
'urAyyiba wAlla bi3Ida?
Close or far?
💡 wAlla “or” you already know: sAda wAlla mazbUt?
Sitt Nagla
قريبة، خمس دقايق مشي.
'urAyyiba, khAmas da'Aye' mAshi.
Close — five minutes on foot.
💡 mAshi — “on foot”; don't mix it up with mAshi “okay”
Anya
والبنك فين؟
wil-bank fIn?
And where's the bank?
Sitt Nagla
البنك جنب الصيدلية على طول.
il-bank ganb eS-SaydalEyya 3Ala TUl.
The bank is right next to the pharmacy.
💡 ganb — “next to”; the home module brings its whole family
Anya
تمام! متشكرة أوي!
tamAm! mutshAkkera Awi!
Great! Thank you so much!
💡 mutshAkkera — “thankful” (f); a man says mutshAkker
Sitt Nagla
العفو يا حبيبتي!
il-3Afw ya habIbti!
You're welcome, my dear!
Module vocabulary
Tap the speaker and repeat out loud — native-voice audio. To test yourself, hide the translation or the word itself: tap anything hidden to peek.
Transport
Where to and where
Steering: commands for the driver
Around town
Numbers 11–19
Tens up to a hundred
Road phrases
First letters — just recognise them
You already say these words. See how they're written — no writing needed yet.
Why does a letter have four shapes?
Arabic letters are written joined-up — like cursive handwriting: a letter holds hands with its neighbours and changes shape at the start, middle and end of a word. It is the SAME letter, just with different “tails”. No European language does this, so it feels strange at first. Watch the letter Meem (“m”, in red) live inside three words:
مِن
мин
initial
تَمام
тамЭм
medial
اِسْم
исм
final
No need to worry: you'll learn to recognise the shapes gradually, word by word — no handwriting required at this stage.
Ra
a rolled “r”
ر
isolated
ـر
final
ـر
medial
ر
initial
- رايْحةrAyha— going (f)
- عِشْرين3ishrIn— twenty
- شُكْراًshUkran— thanks
Dal
a normal “d”
د
isolated
ـد
final
ـد
medial
د
initial
- بَعْدينba3dIn— later
- بِعيدbi3Id— far
- عَنْد3And— by, at
Fa
a normal “f”
ف
isolated
ـف
final
ـفـ
medial
فـ
initial
- فينfIn— where?
- فُلوسfulUs— money
- الفُنْدُقil-fUndu'— the hotel
Kaf
a normal “k”
ك
isolated
ـك
final
ـكـ
medial
كـ
initial
- كام؟kAm?— how many?
- تاكْسيtAksi— taxi
- كِتيرkitIr— a lot
Magic text
The Method's signature trick: this is a normal English text, but the letters you already know are ARABIC — shown in the shape they would take inside a real word. Read as usual — your eyes get used to the script by themselves. The “which letter = which sound” cheat sheet is on the panel above. Tap an Arabic word and it speaks, with its transcription written right next to it.
15 of 15 letters enchanted
Each chip is a cheat sheet: the Arabic letter = the sound it replaces. Tap a chip to switch that letter on or off in the text. Inside the text the letter changes shape — it looks different at the start, middle and end of a word (hover it and it introduces itself).
دـاـلـiـا'س وـحـiـتـe iـس oـلــد, بـuـت iـت iـس تــحـe cـلـeـاـنـeـســت oـن تــحـe وـحـoـلـe Coـرـنـicـحـe. Iـن تــحـe مـoـرـنـiـنـg شـe دـرiveـس كـiـدـس تـo سـcـحـooـل, iـن تــحـe اـفــتـeـرـنـooـن — تـouـرiـســتــس تـo اـنــد بــاcـك. اـنــيــا سـiـتــس up فــرoـنــت اـنــد pـرـاcـتـiـسـeـس حــاggـلـiـنـg: ! دـاـلـiـا لــاugـحــس: فـoـر يـou — , دoـن'ت يـou وoـرـرـي! بــي تــحـe مـoـسـque تــحـe cـاـر تـuـرـنــس رigـحــت, اـنــد تــحـeـرe iـس تــحـe سـeـا, gـلـiـتــتـeـرiـنـg بـeـتــوeeـن تــحـe حـouـسـeـس.
- 3arabEyya— car
- es-sU'— the market
- kitIr Awi— way too much
- 3ishrIn— twenty
Phrase bricks
An Egyptian phrase is a builder's kit: words simply stand next to each other, in the same order you say them. Read the bricks left to right: each shows a word and its literal meaning. Tap a brick to hear the word, tap the speaker on the right for the whole phrase.
I'm going to the market.
💡 “Going” is one state word again, like 3Ayza. You don't even need a “to”.
How much to the airport?
💡 li- glues onto the front of a word and means “to/for”.
Stop here.
💡 A command is verb + place. To a male driver — wA''af.
The bank is next to the pharmacy.
How it works
rAyih / rAyha — “going” in one word
Your second “state word” (the first was Ayz/Ayza “want”): a man says rAyih, a woman rAyha — no “I am going to” machinery needed. Ana rAyha es-sU' — I'm going to the market. To ask: rAyih/rAyha fIn? Not going — mish rAyha. These state words are Egyptian's signature trick — a whole collection is coming.
- أنا رايحة السوقAna rAyha es-sU'— I'm going to the market (f)
- رايح فين يا كابتن؟rAyih fIn ya kAbten?— where are you going, captain?
- أنا مش رايحة بعيدAna mish rAyha bi3Id— I'm not going far
fIn — the star question, and it goes LAST
“Where” and “where to” are one Egyptian word — fIn, and it sits at the END of the phrase: il-bank fIn? (“the bank is where?”), rAyha fIn? (“you're going where?”). Get used to this order — Egyptian question words love the end of the sentence: bikAm? kAm? E?
- الصيدلية فين؟eS-SaydalEyya fIn?— where's the pharmacy?
- رايحة فين؟rAyha fIn?— where are you going? (f)
- أنتي منين ورايحة فين؟Enti minIn wi-rAyha fIn?— where are you from and where to? (playful)
Steering the driver: commands remember gender
Taxi commands are requests, and like all politeness they track the listener's gender: to a male driver — khushsh yimIn, wA''af hEna; to a woman — khUshshi, wa''Afi. Plus three magic adverbs that need no gender: 3Ala TUl (straight), bi-sUr3a (quickly), bi-shwIsh (slower). Add min fAdlak/fAdlik and you're steering politely.
- خش يمين، من فضلكkhushsh yimIn, min fAdlak— turn right (to a male driver)
- وقفي هنا، من فضلكwa''Afi hEna, min fAdlik— stop here (to a woman driver)
- بشويش شوية!bi-shwIsh shwAyya!— a little slower!
Numbers 11–100: a back-to-front builder
11–19 = digit + “-tAshar”: khamas-tAshar (15), taman-tAshar (18). The tens end in -In: talatIn, arbe3In, khamsIn… up to mIyya (100). Compound numbers are built BACK-TO-FRONT from English: units first, then tens — khAmsa wi-3ishrIn = “five and twenty” = 25. Prices work like at the café: bi + number + ginEh.
- خمستاشر جنيهkhamastAshar ginEh— fifteen pounds
- خمسة وعشرين جنيهkhAmsa wi-3ishrIn ginEh— twenty-five pounds
- المشوار بمية جنيهil-mishwAr bi-mIyya ginEh— the ride is a hundred pounds
3And — one word, two gifts
You already know 3And-i “I have” (3Andi bint). The very same 3And without an ending works for places: 3And il-gAme3 — “by the mosque”, 3And il-bank — “near the bank”. One word has unlocked both “I have” and “where to meet”. That's Egyptian all over: a small set of words, a big web of meanings.
- وقفي عند الجامعwa''Afi 3And il-gAme3— stop by the mosque
- أنا عند البنكAna 3And il-bank— I'm by the bank
- أشوفك عند المطعمashUfik 3And il-mAT3am— see you by the restaurant (f)
Build your story
Build your ride
Here's your taxi-ride skeleton — plug in your own place and price. Listen to each line, repeat out loud, then act the whole ride yourself: from “tAksi!” to “we've arrived”. That's exactly your voice assignment.
- تاكسي! صباح الخير!tAksi! sabAh il-khIr!— Taxi! Good morning!
- أنا رايحة الكورنيش.Ana rAyha il-kornIsh.— I'm going to the Corniche.
- بكام للكورنيش؟bikAm lil-kornIsh?— How much to the Corniche?
- كتير أوي! عشرين، ماشي؟kitIr Awi! 3ishrIn, mAshi?— Too much! Twenty, deal?
- على طول، وبعدين خشي شمال.3Ala TUl, wi-ba3dIn khUshshi shimAl.— Straight on, then turn left.
- وقفي هنا عند البحر، من فضلك.wa''Afi hEna 3And il-bAhr, min fAdlik.— Stop here by the sea, please.
- متشكرة أوي! مع السلامة!mutshAkkera Awi! mA3a s-salAma!— Thank you so much! Goodbye!
Module trainer
Drill every word of the module: translation, transcription and listening, all mixed. Each round is a fresh dozen. Keep going until it feels easy — then take the test.
Question 1 of 30
Round 1
How do you say in Egyptian: «a hundred»?
Module test
Question 1 of 20
The taxi driver asks where you're going. What will you hear?
Voice assignment
Reviewed by a real teacherRecord a voice message (1–2 minutes) — your taxi ride from the “Build your ride” template: hail a taxi, greet, say where you're going, ask “how much to…”, talk the price down (“too much! twenty, deal?”), steer the driver (straight → turn → stop here by the…), say thanks and goodbye. 8–10 phrases, peeking allowed. Your teacher will listen and review your pronunciation.
Voice submission opens in your account once the course launches.