# EA: إنت ما صدقت !



## Haroon

Hi all;

Suppose that 2 people are speaking in a friendly way, A wants to borrow something from B, as a way to put difficult conditions, B demands certain things to be done or fullfilled ( still he/she has no intent to grant A's demand).When A exhibits his much readiness to fullfil the conditions hoping to get what he wants, he is surprised to hear B's reply, *إنت ما* *صدقت*  means _*are you just waiting for my demand*_ to express your readiness? or so.

So How do English people express such a meaning?

Thanks in advance.


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## Ghabi

"So you were chomping at the bit, eh?"


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## Haroon

very good!
Many thanks.


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## londonmasri

I always thought that the expression enta ma sadda2t = you couldnt believe your luck.

For example, I wanted 10 oranges, and he gave me 15, 'ma-sadda2t!!'

Any clarification appreciated.


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## Ghabi

Yes, I think there're two basic meanings of this phrase:

1) I can't believe that! (which seems too good to be true)
2) I can't wait! (for that which seems so good)


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## Saudi Muslim

أنا ماصدقت 

means 

1) i don't belive 
2) i can't belive that (wandering)
3)i can't wait


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## elroy

Ghabi said:


> "So you were chomping at the bit, eh?"


 I don't think that would work.  To me, someone is "chomping at the bit" if they are really eager to do something.  It's not used to express that someone "jumps at the chance" to do something.

"Chomping at the bit" refers to someone's attitude _in anticipation of something_.
ما صدقت refers to someone's _reaction_ to something. 





londonmasri said:


> I always thought that the expression enta ma sadda2t = you couldnt believe your luck.


 I don't know if it can be used that way in Egyptian, but either way, the meaning described by Haroon is a different one.  It's a special idiomatic use of the phrase and doesn't have anything to do with "believing" anything or having trouble believing it.





Ghabi said:


> 1) I can't believe that! (which seems too good to be true)
> 2) I can't wait! (for that which seems so good)


 In Palestinian Arabic, we would use "mish/maa *msadde2*" for both of those, and not "maa sadda2et," which is different.  I think it's the same in Egyptian (except that I think they say "msadda2" and not "msadde2").


Saudi Muslim said:


> أنا ماصدقت
> 
> means
> 
> 1) i don't belive
> 2) i can't belive that (wandering)
> 3)i can't wait


 Again, the right form for all of those would be مصدق.

To go back to the original question, I would suggest "Wow, you really jumped at the chance (to get what you want), didn't you?"


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## cherine

Hi,


londonmasri said:


> I always thought that the expression enta ma sadda2t = you couldnt believe your luck.


No, this would be "masadda2tesh" or "mesh mesadda2". In your example: mesh mesadda2 el 7aZZ da kollo (or something like that). Or "mesh aader asadda2" مش قادر أصدق . And, as Elroy said, it's different from the expression masadda2t.


Ghabi said:


> Yes, I think there're two basic meanings of this phrase:
> 
> 1) I can't believe that! (which seems too good to be true)
> 2) I can't wait! (for that which seems so good)


I can't believe: mesh aader asadda2
I can't wait: mesh aader astanna مش قادر استنى
And, this too is different from masadda2t.


elroy said:


> It's not used to express that someone "jumps at the chance" to do something.


Exactly. And I think the idea of "jumping at the chance" is the right equivalent in English for this expression.


> ما صدقت refers to someone's _reaction_ to something. [...] It's a special idiomatic use of the phrase and doesn't have anything to do with "believing" anything or having trouble believing it.


Same in Egyptian.


> In Palestinian Arabic, we would use "mish/maa *msadde2*" for both of those, and not "maa sadda2et," which is different. I think it's the same in Egyptian (except that I think they say "msadda2" and not "msadde2").


Exactly.


> To go back to the original question, I would suggest "Wow, you really jumped at the chance (to get what you want), didn't you?"


I agree with you.

Here are some example of usage:
- The moment a father inters the house, his kid starts asking for things (candies, toys...) and the mother tells the kid something like:
إنت ما صدقت بابا جـِه عشان تطلب منه اللي انت عايزه!

- The moment I met my friends, I started telling her something, and I say: 
أنا ماصدقت شوفتك عشان أحكيلك (It's like: I couldn't wait to tell you the story, and the moment I saw you I "jumped on the occasion"(?) to tell you).

- The day we received our salary, we went shopping. A friend (or our mothers) tells us:
إنتو ما صدقتوا أخدتوا المرتب عشان تروحوا تفرتكوه
(tefartekuuh= spend it all).


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## Ghabi

Thanks for the detailed explanation, Elroy and Cherine. More questions:

1) If I want to use _mesh mesadda2_ in a past scenario, I just add _kaan_, right? For example, I told my friend how I cheated in the exam and got caught but somehow managed to get away from any punishment, and when I left the teachers' room "I could hardly believe my luck". In this case, can I say _kont mesh mesadda2 7aZZi_?

2) Can I use _ma-sadda2t_ in the present? Take Cherine's first example: baba is not yet home, and the kids keep asking mama when he'll be back (since they know he always bring toys and candies home). In this case can we say _ma-beyesadda2u baba yegii_?


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## elroy

cherine said:


> I can't wait: mesh aader astanna مش قادر استنى


 In Palestinian Arabic, we can say ما مصدق (not ما صدقت) for "I can't wait."  For example: ما مصدق وينتا تخلص المدرسة ("I can't wait for school to be out").  Is it not used this way in Egyptian?



Ghabi said:


> 1) If I want to use _mesh mesadda2_ in a past scenario, I just add _kaan_, right? For example, I told my friend how I cheated in the exam and got caught but somehow managed to get away from any punishment, and when I left the teachers' room "I could hardly believe my luck". In this case, can I say _kont mesh mesadda2 7aZZi_?


 I would say "masadda2tesh 7azzi." 





> 2) Can I use _ma-sadda2t_ in the present? Take Cherine's first example: baba is not yet home, and the kids keep asking mama when he'll be back (since they know he always bring toys and candies home). In this case can we say _ma-beyesadda2u baba yegii_?


 Yes, that would work in Palestinian Arabic.


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## cherine

Ghabi said:


> Thanks for the detailed explanation, Elroy and Cherine.


You're welcome. 


> [...] "I could hardly believe my luck". In this case, can I say _kont mesh mesadda2 7aZZi_?


As Elroy said, you can say "masadda2tesh 7azzi".


> Can I use _ma-sadda2t_ in the present? Take Cherine's first example: baba is not yet home, and the kids keep asking mama when he'll be back (since they know he always bring toys and candies home). In this case can we say _ma-beyesadda2u baba yegii_?


First, ما صدقت is used in the present as it is, and it's the context that shows when the action took place.
ما بيصدقوا is about a habit. Kids usually jump on the chance to talk whenever their father enters the house.
There's also the futur: ما حيصدق for example, when the child will see his father enter the house, he'll jump on the occasion and asks for many thing:
 ما حيصدق بابا يدخل من الباب ويقعد يطلب منه حاجات كتير



elroy said:


> In Palestinian Arabic, we can say ما مصدق (not ما صدقت) for "I can't wait." For example: ما مصدق وينتا تخلص المدرسة ("I can't wait for school to be out"). Is it not used this way in Egyptian?


I don't think it would work the same way in EA.
We can say something like:  مش قادر استنى، امتى المدرسة تخلص بقى؟!  
Or: مش قادر أصبر على ما تخلص المدرسة (but this is more like: I can't wait/have patience till the school is out).
By the way, if by "school is out" you mean the school day, then we only say اليوم  because المدرسة تخلص is more about finishing the school year, or schooling.


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## Ghabi

I have to say thanks again, since this one is really tricky! Can I check  my understanding?

-_masadda2/masadde2_ (without _-sh_) means, in both PA and EA,  to do something immediately when the occasion arises (often used with a  disapproving tone?), "jump at the chance/sauter sur l'occasion" etc. In  Cherine's examples I think it functions almost like "hardly ... than",  "no sooner ... than": "You guys had no sooner gotten paid than you blew  all the money in shopping".

-_masadda2sh_ (with _-sh_) in EA is simply the negation of _sadda2_,  i.e. "couldn't believe", with no extened meaning.

-_masadde2sh_ (with _-sh_) in PA, besides meaning  "couldn't  believe", also has the meaning of "couldn't wait" (perhaps derived from "I couldn't  believe that day would come!")


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## elroy

cherine said:


> There's also the futur: ما حيصدق for example, when the child will see his father enter the house, he'll jump on the occasion and asks for many thing:
> ما حيصدق بابا يدخل من الباب ويقعد يطلب منه حاجات كتير


 In Palestinian Arabic, I don't think we would use it in the future.


> By the way, if by "school is out" you mean the school day, then we only say اليوم  because المدرسة تخلص is more about finishing the school year, or schooling.


 No, I meant the school year.



Ghabi said:


> -_masadda2/masadde2_ (without _-sh_) means, in both PA and EA,  to do something immediately when the occasion arises (often used with a  disapproving tone?), "jump at the chance/sauter sur l'occasion" etc. In  Cherine's examples I think it functions almost like "hardly ... than",  "no sooner ... than": "You guys had no sooner gotten paid than you blew  all the money in shopping".


 Are you talking about "maa sadda2"?  if so, then yes, that means "he jumped at the chance," more or less.



> -_masadda2sh_ (with _-sh_) in EA is simply the negation of _sadda2_,  i.e. "couldn't believe", with no extened meaning.


 It's the same in PA, except that we say "masadda2*e*sh."



> -_masadde2sh_ (with _-sh_) in PA, besides meaning  "couldn't  believe", also has the meaning of "couldn't wait" (perhaps derived from "I couldn't  believe that day would come!")


 No.  It would be "maa msadde2" in the present tense, and "kaan maa msadde2" in the past.


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## Ghabi

elroy said:


> No.  It would be "maa msadde2" in the present tense, and "kaan maa msadde2" in the past.


My hands are up! But I'd try again:

Jump at the chance: _maa sadda2et_ (Do you conjugate it as Cherine does in her examples? Or is it used like an interjection?)
Can't believe: _masadda2esh_
Can't wait: _maa msadde2, kaan maa msadde2

_Does the _maa_ mean "what", used in an exclamatory way?


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## elroy

Ghabi said:


> Jump at the chance: _maa sadda2et_


 Yes. 





> (Do you conjugate it as Cherine does in her examples? Or is it used like an interjection?)


 Not sure I understand these questions...


> Can't believe: _masadda2esh_


 "Masadda2esh" is in the past so it's "couldn't believe."


> Can't wait: _maa msadde2, kaan maa msadde2_


 Yes. 





> Does the _maa_ mean "what", used in an exclamatory way?


 No, it's a negative particle.


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## Ghabi

elroy said:


> No, it's a negative particle.


You can use a single _maa-_ to negate a verb in PA? I remember you either use _maa-sh_ or _-sh_, or am I mistaken?


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## elroy

Ghabi said:


> You can use a single _maa-_ to negate a verb in PA?


 Yup. 



> I remember you either use _maa-sh_ or _-sh_, or am I mistaken?


 There are various possibilities:

1. maa
2. ma...sh
3. ...sh

(Note that in 2, the vowel is shortened, so it's "ma" not "maa.")

All 3 can be used to negate a verb in the present tense.
If the verb is in the past tense, only 1 and 2 can be used.
If the verb is in the future tense, you can use 1 or "mish."

So actually, "maa" is the only one that can be used with any tense.


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## Timmy123

cherine said:


> - The day we received our salary, we went shopping. A friend (or our mothers) tells us:
> إنتو ما صدقتوا أخدتوا المرتب عشان تروحوا تفرتكوه
> (tefartekuuh= spend it all).


 
I am not sure I understand this sentence  Does it mean 'you couldn't wait to get your salary so you could go and spend it'?

A friend recently told me that the criminals in Egypt after the revolution, when they saw there was no security/police 'homma masadda2oo enn mafeesh amn'
ما سدقو ان مفيش امن

So does this mean that they couldn't believe their luck (as if they ahd won the lottery?)

Or how would you best translate this sentence?


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## إسكندراني

ماصدّقوا is not to be taken literally in Egyptian; the intended meaning is a bit close but not literal.
It means you were waiting for something to happen and pounced on some chance as soon as it did. Usually it's used with a negative connotation, even if jokingly.
إنت ماصدّقت تخلّص امتحانات؟ قاعد طول اليوم تتفرّج ع الأنمي وسايب الأوضة مكركبة


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## Timmy123

إسكندراني said:


> *إنت ماصدّقت تخلّص امتحانات؟* قاعد طول اليوم تتفرّج ع الأنمي وسايب الأوضة مكركبة



So how would you say the part in bold in English, Eskandarany?

Is this statement said after he has finished his exam?
Thanks


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## إسكندراني

Yeah, it's blaming him because he's pounced on the opportunities presented after finishing his exams.
enta masadda2t tkhallas emte7anaat?


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## Timmy123

So *إنت ماصدّقت تخلّص امتحانات؟* would mean 'you couldn't wait to finish your exams huh?'


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## cherine

Hi,
"You couldn't wait to finish the exams" means he didn't finish yet, right?

Generally speaking, masadda2 means "jumping on a chance", or being too happy that something happened so you seize the moment/jump on the chance and do something you've been wanting to do.

So, ما صدقوا إن مفيش أمن = they used the occasion/benefitted from the fact that there's no security (and went on looting).
ما صدق إن الامتحان خلص عشان يتفرج على الأنيمي = he was so happy he finished the exams, and spent all the day watching anime movies.


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## إسكندراني

cherine said:


> "You *couldn't* wait to finish the exams" means he didn't finish yet, right?


It means he's finished (because 'couldn't' is in the past tense.)
It's approximately accurate. 'You're so relieved to have finished your exams'.


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