# You are the best female teacher I've ever had...



## Pivra

My English teacher (she is an English Canadian) but she was born in Saudi Arabia and she speaks Arabic. She is going back to the Middle East next year. I want to write her something. 

Hey Mrs. Schwets, you are the best female English teacher I've ever had (I never had a female English teacher before). I think I will miss you when you are in Dubai. I like you class; it's really fun and not boring at all. I hope you will remember us when you are there. It seems like yesterday that I walked into your class for the first time and thought that I was in the wrong room. Next year will be boring without you. 

Farewell
Pivra


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## lama

heyy there i can help you but with latin letters cause it will take ages for me to write in arabic letters on the keyboard,anyways:


marhaban,mrs Schwets,anti afdal mou'allimat lougha ingliziya hazitou biha,(lam yakon ladaya mou3allimat ingliziya ountha men kabl),a'atakidou annani sa achtakou ilayki 'indama takounina fi dubai.ouhebbou saffaki,innahou mousallen wa ghayr moudjer abadan.atamanna an tatazakkarina 'indama takounina hounak.yabdou wa ka annahou lbariha 'indama dakhaltou ila saffiki mou'takidatan annahou assaf lkhate'.assana lmoukbila satakounou moudjiratan bidounek...


i tried my best i hope it's helpful for you.


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## cherine

Nice work Lama 
One little remark : Pivra is a he, so the line before the last should say "mo'takidan".


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## Whodunit

lama said:
			
		

> heyy there i can help you but with latin letters cause it will take ages for me to write in arabic letters on the keyboard,anyways:


 
I will try to write it Arabic letters. 

*،*(Mrs. Schwets)* مرحبا يا سيدة شويتس*
*أنت أفضل معلمة لغة إنجليزية حازت به (لم يكون لدى معلمة إنجليزية أنثى من قبل). أعتقد أنني سإشتاق إليك عندما تكونين في دبي. أحب صفك، إنه مسل وغير مضجر أبدا. أتمنى أن تتذكرين عندما تكونين هناك. يبدو وكأنه البارحة عندما دخلت ألى صفك معتقد أنه الصف الخاطئ. السنة **المقبلة ستكونو مضجرة بدونك*​ 
I'm sure it needs some corrections.​


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## Josh_

I guess I can't speak for Canada, but sometimes in the US (especially high school), "English class" is another way of referring to the literature class; the belles-lettres. So it may be الآداب (al-aadaab (al-ingliiziyya)) Pivra was referring to. 

If you don't mind, Pivra, could you clarify what you meant so that we get the right translation.


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## cherine

Whodunit said:
			
		

> *،*(Mrs. Schwets)* مرحبا يا سيدة شويتس*
> *أنت أفضل معلمة لغة إنجليزية حازت به (لم يكون لدى معلمة إنجليزية أنثى من قبل). أعتقد أنني سإشتاق إليك عندما تكونين في دبي. أحب صفك، إنه مسل وغير مضجر أبدا. أتمنى أن تتذكرين عندما تكونين هناك. يبدو وكأنه البارحة عندما دخلت ألى صفك معتقد أنه الصف الخاطئ. السنة **المقبلة ستكونو مضجرة بدونك*​
> 
> I'm sure it needs some corrections.​


You're right, it needs some corrections 
حازت به the verb this way indicate that the subject is "she" (not "I") and the object is "he" (not "she"), it should be : حُزْتُها or as the verb suggested by Lama : حَظَيْتُ بها

لم يكون I think you've learned enough grammar to know that "lamm" تجزم الفعل  the correction : لم يَكُن
معلمة أنثى this is a bit redundant : "mu3allima" is already indicate the female, so no need to repeat the word "female". I'd suggest : سيدة to replace these two words: لم تدرس لي سيدةٌ الإنجليزيةَ من قبل

سإشتاق the HAMZA pleaaaase, you know I hate it when people write incorrect hamzas. سأشتاق

أن تتذكرين It's either أن تتذكري or أن تتذكريني 

يبدو وكأنه البارحة عندما دخلت ألى صفك معتقد أنه الصف الخاطئ
I don't like this sentence very much, but my alternative is not very much better either أشعر كأن الأمر كان بالأمس، عندما دخلت صفَّكِ وظننت أنني أخطأ في الغرفة/الصف
ألى HAMZA again : إلى
معتقد this is حال so it should be "mansuub" : معتقدًا
ستكونو the final waw has no place here ستكونُ
الخاطئ this words means : the one that _made_ a mistake, but the "wrong" is الخطأ

I hope those corrections don't bother you.


And... Pivra, although Lama and Whodunit did a great job translating this, I prefer that you write to your teacher in English, it would be more "honest", at least you'd be able to show you excellent English teacher that she could really teach you something 
This is only my opinion, but you're free of course to address her in the language you prefer.


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## Whodunit

cherine said:
			
		

> حازت به the verb this way indicate that the subject is "she" (not "I") and the object is "he" (not "she"), it should be : حُزْتُها or as the verb suggested by Lama : حَظَيْتُ بها


 
My problem was that I didn't know the word "7aDHiiya bi..." before. I considered myself lucky that I could find "7aaza". 



> لم يكون I think you've learned enough grammar to know that "lamm" تجزم الفعل  the correction : لم يَكُن


 
Yes, I know that. But I didn't know that يكن was the yussive (جزم) from يكون. 



> معلمة أنثى this is a bit redundant : "mu3allima" is already indicate the female, so no need to repeat the word "female". I'd suggest : سيدة to replace these two words: لم تدرس لي سيدةٌ الإنجليزيةَ من قبل


 
Wasn't it Lama who suggested "mu3allima [...] untha". Why, by the way, did Lama write "mu3allima*t*"? Was is meant to be a plural?



> سإشتاق the HAMZA pleaaaase, you know I hate it when people write incorrect hamzas. سأشتاق


 
I'll try to write it correctly the next time.



> أن تتذكرين It's either أن تتذكري or أن تتذكريني


 
Lama wrote: takuuniina. Were you correcting me or her?



> يبدو وكأنه البارحة عندما دخلت ألى صفك معتقد أنه الصف الخاطئ
> I don't like this sentence very much, but my alternative is not very much better either أشعر كأن الأمر كان بالأمس، عندما دخلت صفَّكِ وظننت أنني أخطأ في الغرفة/الصف


 
Again, it wasn't me who wrote the sentence. I have no feel for Arabic, so I just tried to transliterate her sentences.



> ألى HAMZA again : إلى
> معتقد this is حال so it should be "mansuub" : معتقدًا


 
Stupid mistakes. 



> الخاطئ this words means : the one that _made_ a mistake, but the "wrong" is الخطأ


 
Blame my dictionary. 



> I hope those corrections don't bother you.


 
How could they ever? Thank you very much for any correction.


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## cherine

You're right about some of your remarks  But I didn't try to comment on Lama's translation because it wasn't in Arabic letters, I just saw the general meaning and that was it for me, because we usually have different styles of transliterations.



			
				Whodunit said:
			
		

> My problem was that I didn't know the word "7aDHiiya bi..." before. I considered myself lucky that I could find "7aaza".


Lama has wrote "hazitou" which I read as حظيت  But yes, you were not only lucky but also very witty 



> Yes, I know that. But I didn't know that يكن was the yussive (جزم) from يكون.


No problem, I'm glad I could teach you a new point in grammar 



> Wasn't it Lama who suggested "mu3allima [...] untha". Why, by the way, did Lama write "mu3allima*t*"? Was is meant to be a plural?


You're right about Lama's suggesting the dual feminine marks  but as I said, I didn't comment much then (my mistake ) the "t" in mu3allimat is mainly a pronounciation of the ة not ات . It's up to Lama to confirm either opinions (yours or mine).



> Lama wrote: takuuniina. Were you correcting me or her?


You wrote "takuuniina" right : تكونين but you wrote تتذكرينا wrong 


			
				lama said:
			
		

> tatazakkarina 'indama takounina


تتذكرينا عندما تكونين


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## Pivra

Could I have the revised final draft please. (she knows I don't speak Arabic but I've always wanted to learn it.)


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## Whodunit

Okay, here you go: (still open for comments)​*،(Mrs. Schwets) مرحبا يا سيدة شويتس*​
*أنت أفضل معلمة لغة إنجليزية حظيت بها (لم تدرس لي سيدة الإنجليزية من قبل). أعتقد أنني أشتاق إليك *
*عندما تكونين في دبي. أحب صفك، إنه مسل وغير مضجر أبدا. أتمنى أن تتذكريني عندما تكونين هناك. *
*أشعر كأن الأمر كان بالأمس، عندما دخلت صفك وظننت أنني أخطأ في الغرفة. السنة المقبلة ستكونو *
*مضجرة بدونك*​


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## abusaf

Two pointers:

*السنة المقبلة ستكونو *
*الصواب : السنة المقبلة ستكون
*
ِAnd don't forget to put the alif and laam in the :

معلمة لغة الإنكليزية

ِAnd would just like to add that the word مضجر means something exhausting. The word which should be used here is ممل which reflects the word boring more.


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## abusaf

cherine said:
			
		

> تتذكرينا عندما تكونين



The better way to say it is to say :

أن تتذكرينا و أنت هناك

to remember us when you are over there.


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## Whodunit

abusaf said:
			
		

> ِAnd would just like to add that the word مضجر means something exhausting. The word which should be used here is ممل which reflects the word boring more.


 
I noticed that, too, but I think that مضجر is more idiomatic in this context.


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## Josh_

Pivra said:
			
		

> Could I have the revised final draft please. (she knows I don't speak Arabic but I've always wanted to learn it.)


Sorry to repeat this again, but I just want to clarify what you mean by English class. Are you in a class that teaches the English language/English as a second language, or in an English literature class? I ask because you seem to speak very good English, and it says in your profile that English in one of your native languages, so it wouldn't seem like you would need an English language class. So I am thinking that you meant an English literature class. The Arabic translation provided so far is referring to an English language class.


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## Pivra

Josh Adkins said:
			
		

> Sorry to repeat this again, but I just want to clarify what you mean by English class. Are you in a class that teaches the English language/English as a second language, or in an English literature class? I ask because you seem to speak very good English, and it says in your profile that English in one of your native languages, so it wouldn't seem like you would need an English language class. So I am thinking that you meant an English literature class. The Arabic translation provided so far is referring to an English language class.


 
no, LA class, as in Language Art or... literature class. sorry, i like to call it English class, LA sounds like Los Angeles.


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## abusaf

I would like to add one last reminder.

*عندما دخلت صفك وظننت أنني أخطأ في الغرفة

*When you speak in al-Madhii, the correct word to use is لما lamma

لما رأيته في السوق
ًWhen I saw him in the market

And when you speak in al-Mudhaari3, the correct word to use is عندما

عندما أراه في السوق
When I see him in the market

Even though alot of people use عندما in the Madhii form, the correct word is لما
لما دخلت, عندما أدخل


و الله أعلم


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## cherine

Pivra said:
			
		

> Could I have the revised final draft please. (she knows I don't speak Arabic but I've always wanted to learn it.)


 
Ok, here you go. I'm sorry we spent a lot of time in linguistic and grammatical discussions. I used Whodunit's post and made slight changes according to those discussions.


> ،(Mrs. Schwets) مرحبا يا سيدة شويتس​
> أنت أفضل معلمة آداب إنجليزية حظيت بها (لم تدرس لي سيدةٌ الآدابَ من قبل). أعتقد أنني سأشتاق إليك عندما تكونين في دبي. أحب صفك، إنه مسل وغير ممل أبدا. أتمنى أن تتذكريني وأنت هناك.
> أشعر كأن الأمر كان بالأمس، عندما دخلت صفك وظننت أنني أخطأت في الغرفة. السنة المقبلة ستكون مملة بدونك​


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## abusaf

cherine said:
			
		

> أحب صفك، إنه مسل وغير ممل أبدا



Is this really correct though? I know you can say in English, I love your class, but here it sounds like youre saying you love the classroom?
I would write:

أنني أحب الدورة التي تقومين بتدريسها, إنها ممتعة و ليست مملة على إطلاق


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## cherine

abusaf said:
			
		

> Is this really correct though? I know you can say in English, I love your class, but here it sounds like youre saying you love the classroom?
> I would write:
> 
> أنني أحب الدورة التي تقومين بتدريسها, إنها ممتعة و ليست مملة على إطلاق


It's a valid alternative, though we -in Egypt- only use the word دورة (course) for the classes out of school-university; like language or computer classes in private or public centers.

The word صف is not even used in Egypt, but I kept it because I know it's the word used in most of the Arabic speaking countries. Here we say فصل or حصة , so if I was to use this sentence in Egypt, I'd say:

إننى أحب حصتك، فهي ممتعة/مسلية وغير مملة أبدًا​


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## lama

abusaf said:
			
		

> Is this really correct though? I know you can say in English, I love your class, but here it sounds like youre saying you love the classroom?
> I would write:
> 
> أنني أحب الدورة التي تقومين بتدريسها, إنها ممتعة و ليست مملة على إطلاق


 

it can be used as a metonymy,the class means the subject tought in this class


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## Josh_

Pivra said:
			
		

> no, LA class, as in Language Art or... literature class. sorry, i like to call it English class, LA sounds like Los Angeles.


Yes, I do the same thing, and that's how I read your initial post, so I just wanted to make sure so that you would the most accurate translation possible.


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## Pivra

،(Mrs. Schwets) مرحبا يا سيدة شويتس


أنت أفضل معلمة آداب إنجليزية حظيت بها (لم تدرس لي سيدةٌ الآدابَ من قبل). أعتقد أنني سأشتاق إليك عندما تكونين في دبي. أحب صفك، إنه مسل وغير ممل أبدا. أتمنى أن تتذكريني وأنت هناك. 
أشعر كأن الأمر كان بالأمس، عندما دخلت صفك وظننت أنني أخطأت في الغرفة. السنة المقبلة ستكون مملة بدونك​
Could you please make sure that this is not backward for me please
I am gonna print it tmr.

Shukran​​​​​​


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## cherine

Hello Pivra,
Yes, it looks good to me.


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## elroy

A few remarks on the most updated version: 
-I would say تدرسني and not تدرس لي.
-I would say وأنت في and not عندما تكونين.

So my final version would be the following:




(Mrs. Schwets) مرحبا يا سيدة شويتس​

 
أنت أفضل معلمة آداب إنجليزية حظيت بها (لم تدرسني سيدةٌ الآدابَ من قبل). أعتقد أنني سأشتاق إليك وأنت في دبي. أحب صفك، إنه مسل وغير ممل أبدا. أتمنى أن تتذكريني وأنت هناك. 

أشعر كأن الأمر كان بالأمس، عندما دخلت صفك وظننت أنني أخطأت في الغرفة. السنة المقبلة ستكون مملة بدونك
​


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## cherine

I agree with the second remark but not the first.
The verb "to teach" درّس is always used with the preposion "lam" لـ .


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## elroy

cherine said:
			
		

> I agree with the second remark but not the first.
> The verb "to teach" درّس is always used with the preposion "lam" لـ .


Are you sure? تدرسني sounds much better to me (definitely in colloquial Arabic), and furthermore, there are about 4,000 Google hits for it, as opposed to about 15 for تدرس لي. Could this be a غلطة شائعة?

(We've discussed this previously, in this thread.  Back then you said you weren't sure whether the lam was correct.)


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## cherine

You're right, but note that I said I wasn't sure because I didn't find it clearly _*stated*_ in the grammar book.
Also not my points (2 and 3) in my last post in that thread.

What I'm sure of is that we always say : درَّس فلانٌ لفلان شيئًا , it's a bit hard to compare with English, as the English verb "to teach" doesn't take prepositions. But I hope I'm not confusing you -or Pivra  - too much.
Sorry if I am


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## abusaf

تدرّسني  is correct.

ِِAccording to most dictionaries.


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## elroy

No confusion. 

I guess it must be a غلطة شائعة then, because I would personally say درسني أبي التاريخ, for example.  Or maybe I've just been doing it wrong all these years, being influenced by my dialect!


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## cherine

Ok. As long as I don't have any proof I can't insist I'm correct, right? 

So, Pivra, I hope you're not over-confused now 
I suggest you take Elroy's last post and print it to your dear teacher


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## Josh_

Well, my meager, non-native opinion is that darrasa is a transitive verb (it takes a direct object) or فعل متعد in Arabic. I have always used it and seen it used that way.


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## elroy

This entry from الغني suggests that my version is correct (look at definition #2).

(Moderator Note: I am changing the title of this thread to make it more informative.)


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## Josh_

It even says on that entry page that درس is a فعل متعد .


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