# عن اذنك to get someone's attention



## BreannaD-K

If I'm at a Lebanese restaurant and would like to get the server's attention (in order to ask for another drink or ask where the bathroom is, for example), would I say, عن اذنك or something else?


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## barkoosh

You can say بْتَعْمِل مَعْرُوف؟ or إزا مُمْكِن؟.


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## BreannaD-K

barkoosh said:


> You can say بْتَعْمِل مَعْرُوف؟ or إزا مُمْكِن؟.


Would اذا ممكن work as a general way to say "Excuse me," then? As in "Excuse me (stranger on the street)! Can you help me figure out this map?" And is عن اذنك not used in Lebanon at all?


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## rarabara

barkoosh said:


> You can say بْتَعْمِل مَعْرُوف؟ or إزا مُمْكِن؟.


maybe I can give a chance for me  to say that my some erroneus texts would be quite normal for reason why I see that even an arabic (native) member can write ازا instead اذا  . pretty good.


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## rarabara

BreannaD-K said:


> If I'm at a Lebanese restaurant and would like to get the server's attention (in order to ask for another drink or ask where the bathroom is, for example), would I say, عن اذنك or something else?


if I was in that case,I would probably say :

هل استطع أن اسأل استفهام؟


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## barkoosh

BreannaD-K said:


> Would اذا ممكن work as a general way to say "Excuse me," then? As in "Excuse me (stranger on the street)! Can you help me figure out this map?" And is عن اذنك not used in Lebanon at all?


عن إذنك is very common in Lebanon. It's used for "Excuse me." إذا ممكن can work too.


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## barkoosh

rarabara said:


> maybe I can give a chance for me  to say that my some erroneus texts would be quite normal for reason why I see that even an arabic (native) member can write ازا instead اذا  . pretty good.


That's because إذا is pronounced إزا is spoken Lebanese  It's very common for natives to use their dialects, not MSA, in writing.


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## rarabara

barkoosh said:


> That's because إذا is pronounced إزا is spoken Lebanese  It's very common for natives to use their dialects, not MSA, in writing.


haha , I would like to rethank to you haha


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## BreannaD-K

barkoosh said:


> That's because إذا is pronounced إزا is spoken Lebanese  It's very common for natives to use their dialects, not MSA, in writing.


I started with just a bit of MSA in order to get a basis for the grammar/in order to be able to come back to it in the future. I try to use the "official" spelling and just memorize the pronunciation differences. Looks like I still got the "official" spelling wrong by forgetting the ء. 😆


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## BreannaD-K

barkoosh said:


> عن إذنك is very common in Lebanon. It's used for "Excuse me." إذا ممكن can work too.


I thought my beloved عن إذنك was all wrong, but... Yay! It's not! 😁


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## rarabara

BreannaD-K said:


> I thought my beloved عن إذنك was all wrong, but... Yay! It's not! 😁


maybe على إذنك or      على إذنكم  might better work ,I predict (especially if you are about to leave from that conversation)


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## Romeel

من بعد إذنك short بعد إذنك
عن إذنك
لو سمحت
إذا سمحت لي


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## rarabara

Romeel said:


> من بعد إذنك short بعد إذنك
> عن إذنك
> 3  لو سمحت
> إذا سمحت لي


ah yes, I forgot to add really : I had seen the third one at al jazeera's page among face to face conversations.


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## cherine

rarabara said:


> maybe على إذنك or      على إذنكم  might better work ,I predict (especially if you are about to leave from that conversation)


No, the preposition is عن or بعد, but not على.

@barkoosh, in Egypt we also use من فضلك. Is it also used in Lebanon?


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## rarabara

cherine said:


> No, the preposition is عن or بعد, but not على.


thanks for explanation. I thought with straightforward of logic attempt in my mind. But failed.sorry for the case.
meanwhile, may I ask; what is the meaning of بعد here? And is this (بعد إذنك) a fixed phrase ?(i.e. idiomatic )



cherine said:


> in Egypt we also use من فضلك.


yeah yes ,I saw also this particle.I also remember that the responder was saying : "تفضلي" as response to that questional particle?.


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## cherine

rarabara said:


> I thought with straightforward of logic attempt in my mind. But failed.sorry for the case.


No problem. Just remember that prepositions are usually learned as they are, we don't translate them from a language to another because they're often different from one language to another.


rarabara said:


> meanwhile, may I ask; what is the meaning of بعد here? And is this (بعد إذنك) a fixed phrase ?(i.e. idiomatic )


Yes, it's a fixed expression. But if you want to analyze its meaning, it's like saying: I will wait for your permission before doing or saying something.


rarabara said:


> I also remember that the responder was saying : "تفضلي" as response to that questional particle?.


Some say تفضلي (to a woman) تفضل (to a man), others use أفندم (like the Turkish efendim) or أيوة يا فندم which is invariable.


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## rarabara

cherine said:


> Some say تفضلي (to a woman) تفضل (to a man), others use أفندم (like the Turkish efendim) or أيوة يا فندم which is invariable.


I was supposing like : "Buyrun" , this phrase  might be unavailable in English but like cordially saying: "Yes sir/madam ,here  it is.(you can take it or you are allowed to do that).


			
				cherine said:
			
		

> No problem. Just remember that prepositions are usually learned as they are, we don't translate them from a language to another because they're often different from one language.


many thanks. mmm, have you any recommedndation for us arabic learners regarding prepositions in arabic?

for instance , should we learn by heart each of prepositions from time to time whenever we come across or is there any specific method?
I already know their meanings in general but some usages are interchangable and as you point out ,some  cases feels some learners ;(like me) very surprised when I see them in some cases. because such cases make me say "what does it have to do with this?"


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## cherine

rarabara said:


> I was supposing like : "Buyrun" , this phrase  might be unavailable in English but like cordially saying: "Yes sir/madam ,here  it is.(you can take it or you are allowed to do that).


Yes, تفضل is exactly like buyrun but, at least in Egypt, we use it when we're giving something to someone or asking someone to come in (like when welcoming a guest). This is why it's not usually used as an answer to من فضلك.


rarabara said:


> have you any recommedndation for us arabic learners regarding prepositions in arabic?


Like with all languages, it's best to learn a verb with the preposition(s) used with it instead of learning verbs alone and then the prepositions. 


rarabara said:


> I already know their meanings in general but some usages are interchangable and as you point out ,some  cases feels some learners ;(like me) very surprised when I see them in some cases. because such cases make me say "what does it have to do with this?"


Yes, I understand what you mean  but this happens with all languages, when you learn something and find that preposition is different from what you use in your native language and it feels weird.


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