Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| تعالى | ta'ala | to a man |
| تعالي | ta'ali | to a woman |
تعالى is used to call someone over, from a child in the next room to a friend across the street.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is irregular and does not follow the normal pattern of Egyptian imperatives, it comes from an old Arabic root meaning 'to rise, come up'.
Which one should you use?
There is no separate polite form, tone of voice and adding لو سمحت, 'please', is how Egyptians soften the command.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
تعالى is casual and direct, used with people you know well, a gentler alternative with strangers is ممكن تجي؟, 'could you come?'
Is it said differently in some regions?
It is used across Egypt in this same irregular form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine command changes the final vowel, تعالي, and the plural is تعالوا (ta'alu).
How do you pronounce it?
Said 'ta-AA-la', with a long stressed middle syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Using the regular verb pattern and saying something like اجي, which actually means 'I come', instead of the irregular تعالى is a common beginner mix-up.
Did you know?
- تعالى is one of the few Egyptian Arabic imperatives that does not follow the dialect's regular pattern, carried over almost unchanged from an older form of Arabic.
Examples in context
- تعالى كل معانا.ta'ala kol ma'ana.Come eat with us.
- تعالي بسرعة، في حاجة لازم تشوفيها.ta'ali bisur'a, fi haga lazim teshofiha.Come quickly, there's something you need to see.
- تعالوا هنا كلكوا.ta'alu hena kolkoo.Come here, all of you.
Example conversation
Hoda calls her friend Mai over to see something in the kitchen.
- Hodaمي، تعالي شوفي ده.Mai, ta'ali shofi da.Mai, come see this.
- Maiجاية، لحظة واحدة.gaya, lahza wahda.Coming, one second.
- Hodaلأ تعالي دلوقتي، هيبرد الأكل.la2 ta'ali dilwa'ti, hayebrod el-akl.No, come now, the food will get cold.
- Maiخلاص وصلت، إيه ده؟khalas wisilt, eih da?Okay I'm here, what is this?
