# You light up the place!



## Andrew___

Hi guys,

I often hear the expression "inta manawwar" or "inta bitnawwar" or something like that. I know that it means "You light up the place" with your presence and so on. Can I ask:

1. Is it "inta manawwar" or "inta bitnawwar" or something else?
2. How would I say "He lights up the whole city"?

Thanks.


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## Haroon

It is 





> Enta minawwar


 As an Egyptian, I do not say he lights up all the city, I'd rather say , all the city has been lit up ( assumingly by him ) .


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## cherine

Al Sulhafa said:


> 1. Is it "inta manawwar" or "inta bitnawwar" or something else?


It's m*e*nawwar. And the pronoun at the begining is not necessary.
I'd say: menawwar ya Andrew.

Some people would say: menawwar*na*. I think it can literaly be rendered as "you bring light to us".


> 2. How would I say "He lights up the whole city"?


If I speak about Alexandria, I'd say:
eskendereyya kollaha nawwaret
إسكندرية كلها نوَّرِت
And the common answer to this is: menawwara b2ahlaha مِنَوَّرة بأهلها

We also say: maSr nawwaret مصر نوَّرِت and the reply is the same as the above.


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## londonmasri

I have also heard for example - nawwartina (until we get confirmation stay away from this one lol)

But - 'munawwar' is the most 'Gada3' version I think (if thats what you want). (and remember, if someone says to you munawwar - a common and easy reply is _'allah yenawwar 3aleek'_ - see below...)

There is also _'allah yenawwar 3aleek'_ pronounced 'allay nawwir 3aleek' This is different as it is a supplication (du3a2) for the person you are saying it to. If someone does something nice for you or compliments you, you can say this.

Nice thread


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## cherine

londonmasri said:


> I have also heard for example - nawwartina (until we get confirmation stay away from this one lol)


This is also correct. It's said to a female. The male version is: nawwartena.

Both the present tense version and the past tense are correct and used equally.


> But - 'munawwar' is the most 'Gada3' version I think (if that's what you want).


What you mean by "gada3"?  Maybe you meant "a7san" version.
Anyway, as I said above: both m*e*nawwar and nawwart are good.


> (and remember, if someone says to you munawwar - a common and easy reply is _'allah yenawwar 3aleek'_ - see below...)


This is not the correct reply I know of.
What I know, and always hear and say, is: da nuurak/nuurek دا نورك .


> There is also _'allah yenawwar 3aleek'_ pronounced 'allay nawwir 3aleek' This is different as it is a supplication (du3a2) for the person you are saying it to. If someone does something nice for you or compliments you, you can say this.


We usually say الله ينوَّر or الله ينوّر عليك when someone does or says something good worth of admiration. The reply is: we3aleek(i) وعليك.


The big difference between منوّر and الله ينوّر is that the first one is used to *welcome* someone, while the second is used to *praise* someone.


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## londonmasri

cherine said:


> What you mean by "gada3"?  Maybe you meant "a7san" version.
> Anyway, as I said above: both m*e*nawwar and nawwart are good.


 
 I am guessing you can't say Gada3 about a word? 

Could you not say that is the 'gada3 version'?


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## cherine

Not the I know  It sounds a bit awkward.


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## londonmasri

cherine said:


> Not the I know  It sounds a bit awkward.


 
yeah yeah!  Okay, I'll cross that one off the list and keep away from it.


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## Andrew___

Hi guys,

Thanks for your help with this.

I was interested to see the possibly replies that one can say when another person uses the expression "menawwar".  

Someone on a train told me that the common expression is "bi-wujuudak" (and bi-wujuudik/kom as applicable).  What do you guys think of this one?


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## Xence

It reminds me of a story in the seventies, when I was a young student. We had a nice Egyptian teacher.
One day, late in the evening, the class room was a little dark. The supervisor, a beautiful lady, entered --for some reason or another-- and turned on the light. Then our teacher stood up and, welcoming her, he said:

ده انتِ نوّرتِ الصّالة


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## cherine

Al Sulhafa said:


> I was interested to see the possibly replies that one can say when another person uses the expression "menawwar".
> 
> Someone on a train told me that the common expression is "bi-wujuudak" (and bi-wujuudik/kom as applicable). What do you guys think of this one?


I'd use "bewguudak" if there's a reference to a place:
- el beet nawwar البيت نوَّر
- menawwar bewguudak منوَّر بوجودك or menawwar be2ahlo منوَّر بأهله .

If there's no reference to a place, like simply saying: menawwar ya fulaan منوَّر يا فلان I think the best reply is: دا نورك or things like: Allah ykhalliik الله يخليك , Allah ykhalliik, shukran (adding a shukran to the previous expression)...



Xence said:


> The supervisor, a beautiful lady, entered --for some reason or another-- and turned on the light. Then our teacher stood up and, welcoming her, he said:
> 
> ده انتِ نوّرتِ الصّالة


And this reminds me of another usage 
When someone enters a room and his entering coincides with the light going out, we can say: menawwar. This would be kind of ironic: like "your brought bad luck", but usually usued between friends without problems; everybody takes it as a joke.
With a stranger, it would be a bit insulting though.


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## londonmasri

cherine said:


> And this reminds me of another usage
> When someone enters a room and his entering coincides with the light going out, we can say: menawwar. This would be kind of ironic: like "your brought bad luck", but usually usued between friends without problems; everybody takes it as a joke.
> With a stranger, it would be a bit insulting though.


 

I have to remember this one! Even if sarcasm is the lowest form of wit - this is funny, especially when someone turns the light on and blows a fuse and all the lights in the house go out! (true story lol)


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## cherine

In this situation, people would say: Allah ynawwar  الله ينوَّر which is often used as a praise when someone does something good or pretty.


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## xebonyx

cherine said:


> And this reminds me of another usage
> When someone enters a room and his entering coincides with the light going out, we can say: menawwar. This would be kind of ironic: like "your brought bad luck", but usually usued between friends without problems; everybody takes it as a joke.
> With a stranger, it would be a bit insulting though.



Haha. Does this also work if someone was hanging up lights during for the holidays, and they somehow manage to kill some or all of the bulbs?


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## cherine

We can say Allah ynawwar in such a situation. It's like saying: "well done!" with a tone of irony.


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## xebonyx

cherine said:


> We can say Allah ynawwar in such a situation. It's like saying: "well done!" with a tone of irony.



Thanks!


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