# Palestinian Arabic: عايف تنكه



## Finland

Hello!

This is one of those sayings I've heard before but never really paused to think about what it means exactly.

A student is worried he might be late for class and says about a professor: 

باتأمل إنه باتأخرش، لأن المحاضر عايف التنكه وحاسس حاله معلم صف خامس

The rest is clear, but how would you translate عايف التنكه here?

Thanks in advance,
S


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## Lark-lover

It could mean " he might be pissed off --quite upset"


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## ayoa18

It actually means that the teacher has had it (very mad) and feels like he is teaching a group of fifth graders. That's why the speaker wishes that "his friend" won't be late to avoid trouble.


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## eac

Is تنكة like Egyptian كنكة? And is عايف the same thing that it is in Iraqi? عاف يعوف = to leave


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## ayoa18

I don't know what كنكة means in egyptian but the litteral meaning of it in palestine is a can (normally a big one used for storing cheese like this: https://www.google.fr/search?q=تنكة...=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1242&bih=607#q=تنكة&tbm=isch) 
For عايف in palestine it means tired of something in the meaning of you had had it with it, like for example: i'm so sick of school = انا عايف المدرسة


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## akhooha

Just curious --- if "عايف "  means "tired of something" and  "تنكة" is a large can, then what exactly does the phrase "عايف التنكه" mean? I know that others have translated it as being fed up or angry, but I'm curious how "تنكة" works into this phrase.
P.S. In Egypt, a كنكة is a small pot for making coffee: http://www.google.com/imgres?client...cMBY&iact=rc&dur=3493&page=2&start=12&ndsp=11
I may be wrong, but I think that it can also be called a تنكة


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## ayoa18

lol yea i know it doesn't really make sense to put the two words together but you can use عايف with a whole bunch of other words (the meaning stays the same) and the choice of word really depends on where you come from, so for me instead of عايف التنكة i would use عايف حالو and it means exactly the same thing. (حالو means himself)


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## Lark-lover

عايف التكنة = in the past, a baker would use (Takna)a *square-shaped basin* in which his helper would make paste. The helper or the kneader used to keep an eye on the paste not to go off. Hence, this process was so boring that the helper would *get fed up*(3aaif) with watching the paste and leave it . It happened to go bad.
I hope this helps


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## akhooha

Ah --- I see. It's تكنة, and not تنكة. That makes a _little_ more sense... although not much more.  Since عايف already means "disgusted" or "fed up", it's hard to see what purpose either تكنة or تنكة would be serving.  Language is, of course, not necessarily logical, but this does seem puzzling to me...
Thank you.


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## Lark-lover

Simply, when the baker's helper would get fed up with watching and taking care of the paste not to go off in the tikna/takian , he would leave it
The teacher being discussed above is fed up with the class


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## ayoa18

that is an interesting story  i didn't know that.

Akhooha it's actually tanka i think that was a typing error because i never heard of takna before


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## Lark-lover

ayoa18 said:


> that is an interesting story  i didn't know that.
> 
> Akhooha it's actually tanka i think that was a typing error because i never heard of takna before


Here is the story in Arabic
http://forum.kooora.com/?t=26599093


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## ayoa18

Ooo so i think in Palestine it is said tanka because of the frequent use of the tanka maybe, do you know if takna is 3arabi Fus7a? I know Thakna ثكنة but that is different and i can't find it in the dictionary


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## Arabic Guru

Lark-lover said:


> Here is the story in Arabic
> http://forum.kooora.com/?t=26599093



How about this!


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## akhooha

Thank you Lark-lover and Arabic Guru for the background of this phrase. Whether it's تنكة or تكنة, it would seem that the phrase is describing someone who is inept or irresponsible, and not one who is disgusted or fed up...


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## Lark-lover

Arabic Guru said:


> How about this!


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## إسكندراني

تنكة تعريب 
tank
في الغالب


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## Arabic Guru

akhooha said:


> Thank you Lark-lover and Arabic Guru for the background of this phrase. Whether it's تنكة or تكنة, it would seem that the phrase is describing someone who is inept or irresponsible, and not one who is disgusted or fed up...



It's really depends on the context of this phrase عايف التنكة. Posts #2 and #3 are good explanations.


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