نايم
nāyimmasculine, everyday
In Lebanese Arabic "sleeping" is نايم (nāyim) for a man or boy and نايمة (nāyme) for a woman or girl. For a group you say نايمين (nāymīn).
Meaning: asleep or in the state of sleeping (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Lebanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| نايم | nāyim | masculine, everyday |
| نايمة | nāyme | feminine, everyday |
Which one should you use?
Standard Arabic uses نائم (nāʔim). In Lebanese speech the hamza turns into a y sound, so people say نايم (nāyim).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word agrees with the person who sleeps: نايم for one male, نايمة for one female and نايمين for several people.
Did you know?
- At bedtime Lebanese people say تصبح على خير (tiṣbaḥ ʿala khēr), and a common reply is وإنت من أهل الخير (w-ente min ahl el-khēr).
Examples in context
- الولد نايم هلق.el-walad nāyim hallaʔ.The boy is asleep now.
- مرتي نايمة.marti nāyme.My wife is asleep.
- الولاد نايمين.el-wlād nāymīn.The children are asleep.
Example conversation
Nada calls her brother Karim in the evening to ask about their father.
- Nadaوين بابا؟wēn bābā?Where is Dad?
- Karimبابا نايم بالصالون.bābā nāyim bi-ṣ-ṣalōn.Dad is asleep in the living room.
- Nadaخلّيه نايم، بحكي معو بكرا.khallīh nāyim, bḥkī maʿo bukra.Let him sleep, I will talk to him tomorrow.
