نوعاً ما
The English phrase 'kinda' can be translated to Arabic as نوعاً ما.
The phrase نوعاً ما is used to mean 'sort of' or 'kind of'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
نوعاً ما is a formal way to say 'kinda' in Arabic. In spoken dialects, particularly Levantine and Egyptian, people often use شوية to mean 'kinda' or 'a little bit' instead of the more formal نوعاً ما. Another formal way to express this is إلى حدٍ ما, which means 'to some extent'.
How does it change in a sentence?
نوعاً ما is an adverbial expression and remains fixed regardless of the gender or number of the subject it modifies.
Did you know?
- In Egyptian Arabic, a person might use the word يعني (meaning 'it means') as a filler to achieve the same vague effect as 'kinda'.
- In many Arabic dialects, the phrase شوية can be used not just to mean 'kinda', but also as a way to tell someone to 'wait a second'.
- The word ما in the phrase نوعاً ما shares a common ancestor with the Hebrew word מָה, which functions as an interrogative particle.
Examples in context
- أشعر نوعًا ما بالبرد.I kinda feel cold.
- الموضوع معقد إلى حدٍ ما.The topic is kinda complicated.
- الجو حلو شوية اليوم.The weather is kinda nice today.
- الجو حار نوعاً ما اليوم.al-jawwu hāruun naw'an mā al-yawm.The weather is kinda hot today.
- أنا متعب نوعاً ما.anā mut'abun naw'an mā.I am kinda tired.
- الفيلم ممل نوعاً ما.al-film mumillun naw'an mā.The movie is kinda boring.
Example conversation
Nour and Ziad are discussing a new restaurant.
- نور Nourهل أعجبك الطعام يا زياد؟Hal u'jabaka al-ta'am ya Ziyad?Did you like the food, Ziad?
- زياد Ziadنعم، لكنه مالح نوعاً ما.Na'am, lakin-nahu malih naw'an ma.Yes, but it is kinda salty.
- نور Nourأنا أتفق معك تماماً.Ana attafiq ma'aka tamamun.I totally agree with you.
- زياد Ziadلننجرب مكاناً آخر في المرة القادمة.Linujarrib makanan akhar fil marra al-qadima.Let's try another place next time.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ما, CC BY-SA 4.0.
