# Syrian Colloquial:  How much?



## Josh_

I recently learned that the way to say how much in Syrian colloquial is 2addaysh (I guess it would be spelled قدّيش ) and is from the root ف - د - د .  My question is is this more comon than "kam'? Also, if I wanted to say "what time is it?" would it be "2addaysh is-saa3a?"


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## ayed

Josh Adkins said:
			
		

> I recently learned that the way to say how much in Syrian colloquial is 2addaysh (I guess it would be spelled قدّيش ) and is from the root ف - د - د . My question is is this more comon than "kam'? Also, if I wanted to say "what time is it?" would it be "2addaysh is-saa3a?"


 
Sure !It is common to say so than to say
Qad-daish al-wa'it? though they are both correct


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## cherine

Josh Adkins said:
			
		

> I recently learned that the way to say how much in Syrian colloquial is 2addaysh (I guess it would be spelled قدّيش ) and is from the root ف - د - د . My question is is this more comon than "kam'? Also, if I wanted to say "what time is it?" would it be "2addaysh is-saa3a?"


I'm not very good at the other dialects, but I think the word قدّيش is 2 words : قدّ - إيش like the Egyptian قد - إيه .
I think you meant the root was *ق* - د - د ? I'm not sure it's correct, I tend to think that the word 2add (at least in Egyptian) is a shorter form of قـَـدْر .

Hopefully Zooz or Elroy , or others who know Syrian, could give their opinions.


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## Josh_

Yes, of course, it is two words.  I should have known that.

That was a typo.  Yes, it may be have come from قدر originially, but appears to have come into its own.  Who knows?  In an Egyptian Arabic dictionary that I have it is listed under the root ق-د-د .


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## zooz

*قديش *& *كام *can be used interchangeably in the daily speaking. I see no difference between them. They can be used also with the preposition: *بقديش ، بكام

قدِّيشْ / كَامْ التَكْلُفِة الاجْماليِّة ؟
بقدّيشْ / بكَامْ اليورو اليوم؟

شو *is usually used as well: *شو سعر القطعة؟*


Same thing goes for the time, as you said:
*قديش / كام / شو الساعة؟

*Mind you *بقديش / بكام الساعة *is a question about the fee of an hour of something (internet cafe...etc.).


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## elroy

In Palestinian Arabic (if you're interested ), قديش is much more common than كم. We pronounce it "addeesh" and not "addaysh."

"What time is it?" would be either "addeesh is-see3a" or "shuu 's-see3a." "Kam is-see3a" would sound very strange.

In fact, about the only time I ever hear "kam" is when you ask how much something costs - for example, "bakam likhyaar?" ("How much are the cucumbers?"). Of course, even then you can - and most people do - say "(B2)addeesh likhyaar?" 


			
				ayed said:
			
		

> Qad-daish al-wa'it?


 We would never say this in Palestinian Arabic. Is it common in the Saudi dialect?


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## Josh_

What sound so you mean by "addeesh?"  'ee' is usually how I transliterate the dipthong sound 'a' as in came, e.g beet (house), but it seems like most people here transliterate it as 'ay' that's why I chose that transliteration.


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## elroy

Josh Adkins said:
			
		

> What sound so you mean by "addeesh?" 'ee' is usually how I transliterate the dipthong sound 'a' as in came, e.g beet (house), but it seems like most people here transliterate it as 'ay' that's why I chose that transliteration.


 Yes, I meant the "ee" of "beet."  The funny thing is that in Lebanon (or at least some parts of it) they _do_ say "addaysh" ("ay" as in "Hay" [neighborhood]) so that's what I thought you were referring to. 

Now that you mention it, though, I think you're right: I believe that it is "addeesh" in Syrian Arabic.

(PS: Just because others use imprecise transliterations doesn't mean you have to! )


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## Josh_

elroy said:
			
		

> Now that you mention it, though, I think you're right: I believe that it is "addeesh" in Syrian Arabic.


Yes, they do pronounce it that way.  I actually heard the word in the Syrian colloquial class I've been attending and that's how the profesor (a native of Syria) pronounced it.


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## MarcB

Quote:
Originally Posted by *ayed*
Qad-daish al-wa'it?




			
				elroy said:
			
		

> We would never say this in Palestinian Arabic. Is it common in the Saudi dialect?


 In Tunis qadeesh waqt? South of Tunisia gadeesh wagt? Also used for price.
In Khaleeji sh-gad. from قدر. Pronunciation varies even within Syria depends on how ق is pronounced.


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## ayed

elroy said:
			
		

> Is it common in the Saudi dialect?


In Saudi, we say:
Kum al-waqit *كم الوقت*

Kum al-Sa'ah *كم الساعة *

Bi-kum al-qalam   *بكم القلم*

ala kum al-Qalal        *على كم القلم*


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## alajnabiya

Elroy wrote 


> In fact, about the only time I ever hear "kam" is when you ask how much something costs - for example, "bakam likhyaar?" ("How much are the cucumbers?"). Of course, even then you can - and most people do - say "(B2)addeesh likhyaar?"


 
Really? I thought that in Palestinian Arabic, you usually use 'addaysh when asking about a price and kam is used to ask about a quantity. 

"addaysh ilkhyaar?" but "kam kilo?"

Have I got it wrong?


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## elroy

alajnabiya said:
			
		

> Really? I thought that in Palestinian Arabic, you usually use 'addaysh when asking about a price and kam is used to ask about a quantity.
> 
> "addaysh ilkhyaar?" but "kam kilo?"
> 
> Have I got it wrong?


Kind of.

How much are the cucumbers? =_ Addeesh likhyaar?/Bakam likhyaar?_
[The first is more common.]

How many kilos? = _Akamm(en) kiilo?_ 

Notice that in the first situation you can use either "addessh" or "bakam" (a form of "kam") but in the second situation you can only use "akam(en)" (a form of "kam").

Hope that helps.


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## MarcB

While waiting for Elroy see this http://langmedia.fivecolleges.edu/collection/lm_jordan/joEatingOutTrans1Jo.html
and http://langmedia.fivecolleges.edu/collection/lm_jordan/joNumbers.html


I see Elroy beat me to post.


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## elroy

Nice links, Marc. 

The only thing I "don't agree with" is translating "how many?" as "kam."  In Israel and the Palestinian Territories we say "*a*kam(men)."  "Kam" may be more common among Palestinians in Jordan.


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## SarahBeth

"Kam" is used in Syria and I reckon Lebanon, although I never had the chance to use it there.

"Kam kilo?"


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