شو عم تعمل
shu am ta'mal
The English abbreviation 'wyd' can be translated into Arabic as شو عم تعمل (shu am ta'mal).
This phrase is used to ask someone about their current activity, functioning as an informal way to ask 'what are you doing?'
What does it mean word for word?
The word شو means 'what' in Levantine Arabic. The phrase عم تعمل means 'doing', where the particle عم combined with the verb indicates a continuous action happening right now.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form شو عم تعمل is characteristic of Levantine dialects, such as those spoken in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan or Palestine.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form شو عم تعمل is used when addressing a male. To address a female, use شو عم تعملي.
How do you pronounce it?
shu am ta'mal
Did you know?
- While شو عم تعمل is common in the Levant, a speaker from Morocco or Algeria would use entirely different words to ask the same question, making this phrase potentially unintelligible in North Africa.
- The particle عم is actually a contraction of two separate words, عَن and مَا, which originally functioned as a preposition and a relative pronoun.
- In some contexts, شو عم تعمل can be used rhetorically to express disapproval, similar to how an English speaker might say 'What are you doing!' when someone makes a mistake.
Examples in context
- شو عم تعمل هلق؟shu am ta'mal halla'?What are you doing now?
- يا رفيقي، شو عم تعمل؟ya rafiqi, shu am ta'mal?My friend, what are you doing?
- خبرني، شو عم تعمل؟khabbirni, shu am ta'mal?Tell me, what are you doing?
Example conversation
Ziad sends a text message to Nour.
- زياد Ziadهاي نور، شو عم تعملي؟hay Nour, shu am ta'mali?Hey Nour, what are you doing?
- نور Nourعم أدرس للامتحان. وأنت؟am adrus lil-imtihan. wa anta?I am studying for the exam. And you?
- زياد Ziadما عم أعمل شي، كنت بس عم بسأل.ma am a'mal shi, kuntu bas am bas'al.I'm not doing anything, I was just asking.
- نور Nourتمام، بحكيك بعد شوي.tamam, bahkik ba'ad shway.Okay, I'll talk to you in a bit.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries تعمل, عم, CC BY-SA 4.0.
