تعال كل
ta'al kul
The English phrase "come eat" is translated into Arabic as تعال كل (ta'al kul).
تعال كل is an invitation used to tell someone to come and start eating a meal.
Which one should you use?
The phrase تعال وكل is a common variation where the conjunction "and" is added to mean "come and eat."
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the phrase تعال كلنا ناكل مع بعض can be used to mean "let's all eat together."
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the phrase changes depending on whom you are addressing: use تعالوا كلوا when addressing a group of people, and use تعالي كلي when addressing a female.
How do you pronounce it?
ta'al kul
Did you know?
- In an Arabic household, saying تعال كل can be extended to complete strangers who happen to be passing by the house during mealtime.
- In some regions, guests may initially decline the invitation تعال كل out of modesty, expecting the host to insist further before they finally agree to eat.
- The word تعال is a special 'suppletive' form, meaning it does not actually come from the same grammatical root as the verb 'to come' used in other contexts.
Examples in context
- تعال كل معي.ta'al kul ma'i.Come eat with me.
- تعال كل قبل أن يبرد الطعام.ta'al kul qabla an yabrada al-ta'am.Come eat before the food gets cold.
- يا عمر، تعال كل الآن.ya Omar, ta'al kul al-an.Omar, come eat now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries تعال, كل, CC BY-SA 4.0.
