# Let me tell you more / a little about myself



## ihsaan

Hi,
 
Is the Arabic translation of the English sentence correct? How would you say this if addressing a woman?
 
"Let me tell you more about myself"
دعني أحدثك عن نفسي قليلا


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## elroy

دعني أقول لك المزيد عن نفسي

If the addressee is feminine, دعني becomes دعيني.


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## ihsaan

Does the sentence in my post sound strange?
I guess I should have translated: Let me tell you a little about myself...

Thank you for giving me a better sentence.


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## cherine

ihsaan said:


> Does the sentence in my post sound strange?


Not at all. Actually I like it 
And I'd only use Elroy's if I've already talked about myself before.


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## ihsaan

What about the verb حدث vs قال - which one is the preferred one to use in this context?


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## elroy

Your sentence is fine, but I would probably put قليلاً before عن نفسي.

It just has a different meaning, as you noted.


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## elroy

ihsaan said:


> What about the verb حدث vs قال - which one is the preferred one to use in this context?


 دعني أحدثك قليلاً عن نفسي
دعني أقول لك القليل عن نفسي

They are both fine.  The former sounds a little less bland, but that's really a very small distinction.


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## cherine

Personally, I prefer 7addatha, maybe because it means "to talk", while qaala means "to say" and also "to tell", but to me it sounds too literal here.


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## ihsaan

Okay, points noted.  *jotting down in my notebook*


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## elroy

To be very specific, حدث is "to converse with." 

It is also used in the collocation حدثه رواية ("he told him a story").


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## cherine

elroy said:


> To be very specific, حدث is "to converse with."
> 
> It is also used in the collocation حدثه رواية ("he told him a story").


Really?!
What I know is that "to converse with" is ta7addatha ma3a, while 7addatha is "to talk". They're both from the same root ح-د-ث but these two forms have different meanings and usages.

As for حدثه رواية , I've never heard it nor read it before. 

The most commonly used for of 7addatha is in the a7aadith الأحاديث النبوية where we read: حدثنا فلان عن فلان... أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال.... whereas "7addathana" means: told us.


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## elroy

cherine said:


> What I know is that "to converse with" is ta7addatha ma3a, while 7addatha is "to talk". They're both from the same root ح-د-ث but these two forms have different meanings and usages.


 تحدث معه عن المشكلة = حدثه عن المشكلة

I don't detect a difference in meaning there. 





> As for حدثه رواية , I've never heard it nor read it before.


 Maybe it's not very common, but it is used.  The translation of the old hymn "Tell Me the Old, Old Story" is حدثني الرواية.


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## cherine

elroy said:


> تحدث معه عن المشكلة = حدثه عن المشكلة
> I don't detect a difference in meaning there.


Not exactly in meaning, but note the difference between تحدث معه (talked with him) and حدّثه (told him). It still a little difference, no?


> Maybe it's not very common, but it is used. The translation of the old hymn "Tell Me the Old, Old Story" is حدثني الرواية.


Really? I've never heard of this one before. Thanks for telling me about it. But I still don't think it's a common usage.


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## londonmasri

how would you say this in masri?

'khalliny a2ullak shwaya 3an nafsy?'


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## elroy

cherine said:


> Not exactly in meaning, but note the difference between تحدث معه (talked with him) and حدّثه (told him). It still a little difference, no?


 Sure, but my point was that both have to do with conversing, which makes sense because they have the same root.


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## إسكندراني

londonmasri said:


> how would you say this in masri?
> 
> 'khalliny a2ullak shwaya 3an nafsy?'


خلّيني اكلّمك عن نفسي شويّة


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## ANEES

ihsaan said:


> Hi,
> 
> Is the Arabic translation of the English sentence correct? How would you say this if addressing a woman?
> 
> "Let me tell you more about myself"
> 
> دعيني أُحدثكِ أكثر عن حالي


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