# لا تخف أكل العنب حبة حبة



## MarcB

Hi I heard this as a response to كان من الصعب جداً . The first part I translate as it was really hard. لا تخاف اكل العناب حبة حبة = don't worry eat the grapes seed by seed. I think it is little by little, please correct me if I am wrong.


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## linguist786

I think here, حبة refers to each individual grape. حبة actually means something like "bead". I would translate it to:

_Don't be scared, eat the grapes, one by one._

Also, "eat!" (imperative) is كل, not اكل


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## Nikola

Yes Linguist, one by one is little by little, right?
حبة is seed,bead,beery etc. so I guess any small round object, but like you I understood it as one grape at a time.


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## linguist786

Nikola said:


> Yes Linguist, one by one is little by little, right?


Well they're not _exactly_ the same. When we say "one by one" here, it is clear we mean "one grape after the other", but "little by little" could mean "two/three at a time".

"One by one" is the correct translation, IMO.


> حبة is seed,bead,beery etc. so I guess any small round object, but like you I understood it as one grape at a time.


That's the idea.


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## MarcB

Thanks Linguist and Nikola. I was not thinking about the subtle differences between one by one and little. I will go with one by one.


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## Abu Rashid

> I think here, حبة refers to each individual grape. حبة actually means something like "bead".



The word حبة when referring to a fruit has the meaning of a single piece you're correct. For instance someone might ask you كم حبة تريد؟ (How many pieces would you like), not sure if it's correct MSA, but it's used in the markets (obviously with تريد being replaced by a localised form)

But I think the original sentence should be حبة بحبة


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## MarcB

Abu Rashid said:


> The word حبة when referring to a fruit has the meaning of a single piece you're correct. For instance someone might ask you كم حبة تريد؟ (How many pieces would you like), not sure if it's correct MSA, but it's used in the markets (obviously with تريد being replaced by a localised form)
> 
> But I think the original sentence should be حبة بحبة


Abu Rashid you are right, of course the metaphore is the idea here.


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## elroy

حبة here definitely refers to each individual grape, and حبة حبة is correct (no preposition is needed). 

However, the original sentence as written (in the title; there are misspellings in the first post) does not mean "Do not be afraid; *eat* the grapes one by one" - because, as pointed out by Linguist, أكل is not the imperative form (that would be كلْ).

I would guess that the sentence is supposed to mean "Do not be afraid *to eat* the grapes one by one" - although that is not how I would have said it myself and I'm not even sure it's correct in Arabic.  I would have said لا *تخش* أكل العنب حبة حبة or لا تخف *أن تأكل* العنب حبة حبة or maybe لا تخف *من* أكل العنب حبة حبة.


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## MarcB

elroy said:


> حبة here definitely refers to each individual grape, and حبة حبة is correct (no preposition is needed).
> 
> However, the original sentence as written (in the title; there are misspellings in the first post) does not mean "Do not be afraid; *eat* the grapes one by one" - because, as pointed out by Linguist, أكل is not the imperative form (that would be كلْ).
> 
> I would guess that the sentence is supposed to mean "Do not be afraid *to eat* the grapes one by one" - although that is not how I would have said it myself and I'm not even sure it's correct in Arabic. I would have said لا *تخش* أكل العنب حبة حبة or لا تخف *أن تأكل* العنب حبة حبة or maybe لا تخف *من* أكل العنب حبة حبة.


 This is it Elroy لا تخف *من* أكل العنب حبة حبة !


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## suma

It may have been a typo, but I actually thought the phrase as originally posted was correct and more elegant.

_akl _there being used as _maSdar_, meaning "eating grapes is done one piece at a time" or "grapes are eaten one at a time." i.e. any seemingly difficult task can be accomplished when approached bit by bit.

that's _la takhaf. _(full stop) _aklu-al-3inab habbah habbah_


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## cherine

suma said:


> _la takhaf. _(full stop) _aklu-al-3inab habbah habbah_


I thought somthing similar : la takhaf, aakul (I eat) al-3inab habba(tan) habba = don't worry, I eat/am eating grapes one by one (i.e. I don't put more than one grape in my mouth in the same time).
And I was going to ask Marc to provide a transliteration to what he heard. But he seems to agree with the agreed upon -so far- suggestions.

My only objection to your suggestion is that the sentence "aklu 'l-3inab habba habba" is an incomplete sentence.


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## MarcB

Guys what I posted was what I heard, It was not in writting, so I took others suggestions. I feel more in tune with Suma and Cherine.


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## suma

cherine said:


> My only objection to your suggestion is that the sentence "aklu 'l-3inab habba habba" is an incomplete sentence.


 
You sure about that?

هناك خبر محذوف تقديره "أكلُ العنبِ ممكنٌ حبةً حبةً

or some other khabr may work as well.


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## cherine

I'm not 100% sure. It's just the way the sentence appears to me.
Are *you* sure there's need to go through the trouble of تقدير خبر محذوف ?


Marc, would you please give us a transliteration of what you heard ?
Thanks


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## MarcB

cherine said:


> I'm not 100% sure. It's just the way the sentence appears to me.
> Are *you* sure there's need to go through the trouble of تقدير خبر محذوف ?
> 
> 
> Marc, would you please give us a transliteration of what you heard ?
> Thanks


Cherine it sounds like what you said "aklu 'l-3inab habba habba " but I may have missed a sound, I hoped it would be recognised by someone here. I would think it means one by one and maybe isn't a complete sentence.


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## MarcB

I got my answer it is used to say one berry at a time, in other words go slowy or take it easy.


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