# The tea needs some more sugar



## Calvary Scars II/Aux. Out

I found myself needing to say "some more" of something, and I'm not sure if my attempt to do so is correct. For "*The tea needs some more sugar*" I wrote:

يحتاج الشاي لبعض أكثر السكر

If anyone can correct me or let me know if this is an acceptable way to express "some more sugar," I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance!


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## ayed

يحتاج الشاهي مزيداً من السكر
أو
زد قليلاً في السكر _add a bit more sugar_


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## Calvary Scars II/Aux. Out

Thank you!


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## elroy

ayed said:


> الشاهي


 Is الشاهي used in MSA?


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## normordm

elroy said:


> Is الشاهي used in MSA?


I believe not; I've only heard it in the saudi dialect, but it could be in some other gulf dialects as well, definitely not MSA though.


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## djara

elroy said:


> Is الشاهي used in MSA?


Don't you think that MSA has local variations especially in terms of vocabulary.


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## elroy

djara said:


> Don't you think that MSA has local variations especially in terms of vocabulary.


 Of course it does.

My question was not rhetorical; it was neutral.


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## Abu Talha

Can you say in Standard Arabic
الشاي يريد مزيدا من السكر

and similarly in the colloquial dialects

الشاي عايز/يبغي ... etc


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## elroy

Abu Talha said:


> Can you say in Standard Arabic
> الشاي يريد مزيدا من السكر


 Only if you want to personify the tea. 

In Palestinian Arabic الشاي بدّو كمان سكر is totally idiomatic, but that’s because بدّو means “needs” in many contexts.


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## cherine

I believe it's correct يحتاج المزيد/مزيدًا من السكر in fuS7a.


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## ayed

Abu Talha said:


> Can you say in Standard Arabic
> الشاي يريد مزيدا من السكر
> 
> and similarly in the colloquial dialects
> 
> الشاي عايز/يبغي ... etc


You could simply say 
زد سكر


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## Abu Talha

Thank you. I was curious because in Urdu and colloquial English you can use the predominant verb for want for inanimate subjects in such circumstances. So I was wondering if this was possible in Arabic as well. 
Especially given that there is precedent for usingإرادة for inanimate subjects in other scenarios.
القرآن الكريم - تفسير الطبري - تفسير سورة الكهف - الآية 77


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## Mahaodeh

Abu Talha said:


> s. So I was wondering if this was possible in Arabic as well.
> Especially given that there is precedent for usingإرادة for inanimate subjects in other scenarios.


It's possible to use يريد for inanimate objects in MSA, however, in this particular case it just doesn't sound idiomatic while يحتاج does.


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## elroy

I think ينقصه is more idiomatic than يحتاج in MSA.


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## cherine

It is actually quiet idiomatic and common to use the verb يحتاج and the expression بحاجة إلى with inanimate objects:
السيارة تحتاج إلى إصلاح، التعليم يحتاج إلى التطوير/بحاجة إلى تطوير، الغرفة تحتاج الترتيب / بحاجة إلى ترتيب ...
So we can say الشاي يحتاج مزيدًا من السكر .


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## elroy

It seems you misunderstood my post, Cherine.   All I was saying was that I believe that ينقصه is more idiomatic than يحتاج in this particular sentence.


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## cherine

Yes, it seems so. Sorry.


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