Ways to say it
| Levantine Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بدي | biddi | |
| بدك | biddak | you want, to a man |
بدي is used constantly for everything from ordering food to stating a wish, and it changes form to express 'you want', 'he wants' and so on, following the person involved.
What does it mean word for word?
بدي comes from a contraction of ببدي, built on the older word ود or ودّ, meaning a wish or desire, fused with the pronoun ending.
Which one should you use?
بدي is used in speech for nearly every situation where English would use 'I want' or even 'I'd like'. The Standard Arabic أريد (ureed) exists but sounds formal and is rarely said out loud.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
بدي is informal but entirely normal, used by everyone from children to adults in daily speech.
Is it said differently in some regions?
بدي is heard across Syria and Lebanon with this exact pronunciation. In parts of Jordan and the Palestinian territories, you may instead hear بدي pronounced baddi, with a slightly different vowel.
How does it change in a sentence?
The ending changes with the person: بدي (biddi) is 'I want', بدك (biddak) is 'you want' to a man, بدها (bidha) is 'she wants'.
How do you pronounce it?
The stress sits on the first syllable, 'BID-di', said quickly and often blended into the next word.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Using أريد in casual conversation is understood but sounds stiff. بدي is what actually comes out in daily Levantine speech, even in fairly polite contexts.
When do people say it?
بدي is often followed directly by a verb with no extra word in between, such as بدي روح (biddi rouh), 'I want to go', a compact structure typical of the dialect.
Did you know?
- بدي collapses a whole phrase, 'it is my wish', into a single short word, a pattern common across the Levantine dialects.
- Because بدي already includes 'I', no separate word for 'I' is needed in a sentence like بدي روح, 'I want to go'.
Examples in context
- بدي فنجان قهوة، لو سمحت.biddi finjan ahwe, law samaht.I want a cup of coffee, please.
- شو بدك تعمل اليوم؟shu biddak ta'mal l-yom?What do you want to do today?
- ما بدي أروح هلق.ma biddi aruh halla'.I don't want to go right now.
Example conversation
Server Yusra takes an order from customer Ziad at a restaurant.
- Yusraشو بدك تاكل؟shu biddak ta'kol?What do you want to eat?
- Ziadبدي صحن حمص وخبز طازة.biddi sahen hummus w khubz tazeh.I want a plate of hummus and fresh bread.
- Yusraبتحب تشرب شي؟bthib tishrab shi?Would you like something to drink?
- Ziadبدي عصير ليمون، شكرا.biddi asir laymun, shukran.I want lemon juice, thanks.
