# All Dialects/MSA: Looking Forward To



## Josh_

How would the expression, "looking forward to" or "look forward to" be expressed in Arabic.

Examples:

I look forward to seeing you.
I am looking forward to seeing you.
I am looking forward to taking the test.


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## elroy

In colloquial Palestinian Arabic, we would say ما مصدق _(maa msadde2)_.

I look forward to seeing you./I am looking forward to seeing you. = ما مصدق أشوفك _(maa msadde2 ashuufak/ashuufek)_
I am looking forward to taking the test. = ما مصدق آخذ الإمتحان _(maa msadde2 aakhod il-imti7aan)_

The feminine, of course, would be ما مصدقة _(maa msad2a)_.

In standard Arabic, it would be متشوق _(mutashawwiq)_.

 
أنا متشوق إلى أن أراك.
أنا متشوق إلى أن أقدم الإمتحان.


The feminine would be متشوقة.

*NOTE: If you mean "look forward to" in a habitual sense - for example, "Every year, I look forward to the Super Bowl," you would use ما بصدق (maa basadde2) and* *أتشوق* *(atashawwaqu) in Palestinian colloquial and standard, respectively.*

For other colloquial varieties, you'll have to wait for others.


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## Josh_

I can see how you get those, but they don't seem to express the idea well enough in English.

Whereas it might be different in Palestinian Arabic, maa Saddaq is also used in Egyptian Arabic, but has the connotation of "no sooner believed then ..." or, "to be incredulous or overjoyed that ..."

Examples:
il-muHaaDara kaanit mumilla wa maa sadda2t aTla3 mil-oDa.
The lecture was (so) boring that I could hardly believe out of the room.

ba2aali sanateen mashuftis ummi wa maa sadda2it shafitni.
I hadn't seen my mother for two years and she was overjoyed to see me.

It can also be used to mean "hardly had (he)...when in the construction "maa sadda2 ... wa ..."

Example:
maa sadda2it tirawwaH wa tirtaaH wil-3iyaal Talabu 2akl.
Hardly had she got home (and had a chance) to rest when the children asked for food.

Also, it was my understanding that yitshawwaq and yishtaaq denote (strong) craving or longing, possibly in an intense way (although by themselves craving and longing have strong denotations). 

I can understand how they could be used to express the idea was looking forward to, but they seem a bit strong whereas looking forward to is, in my opinion, just a light response. 

EDIT: I just thought of this, but many people have said to me, upon me taking my leave, "ana Hastannaak" or "ana fi-intiZaarak," which literall mean "I (will) wait for you." So maybe those phrases could be used to express the idea of looking forward to in a light manner.


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## elroy

Those are other possible uses of the words, but the ones I offered are valid and express the idea of "looking forward to" quite closely. 

Let's wait to hear what others have to say.


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## Josh_

What do you think of Hastannaak and ana fi-intiZaarak?


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## elroy

Josh Adkins said:
			
		

> What do you think of Hastannaak and ana fi-intiZaarak?


 
As you said, they only mean "I'll be waiting for you."  They don't necessarily mean that I'll be _looking forward to_ seeing you.

For example, we could be business partners who arrange to meet to discuss the financial situation of our company.  I could say, "7astannaak" ("ra7 astannaak" in Palestinian Arabic) even if it's the last thing I want to go and I'm not looking forward to it at all.

When you say "Maa msadde2 ashuufak," that does, admittedly, imply that you will be "overjoyed," such that the meaning is closer to "I can't wait to see you," but at least it conveys the sentiment of excited anticipation that "I look forward to seeing you" expresses.


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## cherine

The Fus7a says :
أتطلع إلى atatalla3 ila : أتطلع إلى رؤياك، أتطلع إلى يوم عودتك it doesn't have the meaning of (look) as used in Levantine Arabic (or maybe it does but in a different way, I'm not sure)
we can also say : fi'intizar فى انتظار Ana fi intizar 7uduurak,
fi intizar yom al-imti7aan...

Just my few suggestions


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## ayed

Josh Adkins said:
			
		

> How would the expression, "looking forward to" or "look forward to" be expressed in Arabic.
> 
> Examples:
> 
> I look forward to seeing you.
> *أتطلع لرؤيتكم*
> I am looking forward to seeing you.
> *إنا متطلع لرؤيتكم*
> I am looking forward to taking the test.


*إنا مرتقب خوض الامتحان*


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## Sidjanga

مرحبا,


elroy said:


> In colloquial Palestinian Arabic, we would say ما مصدق _(maa msadde2)_.
> 
> I look forward to seeing you./I am looking forward to seeing you. = ما مصدق أشوفك _(maa msadde2 ashuufak/ashuufek)_
> I am looking forward to taking the test. = ما مصدق آخذ الإمتحان _(maa msadde2 aakhod il-imti7aan)_
> 
> The feminine, of course, would be ما مصدقة _(maa msad2a)_.


وإذا بدي أقول "_I'm looking forward to your replies._", بقدر أقول "ما مصدقة أقرأ إجاباتكم\جواباتكم؟

(على فكرة: ليش بقولوا "ما" ومش "مش" هون - مع إنه\إنهم(؟) بستعملوا اسم الفاعل (أو اسم "العامل"  ) ومش الفعل "العادي"؟ يعني بقولوش "ما بصدّق أشوفك" مثلاً, بس "ما مصدق" ومش "مش مصدق".

(وإن شاء الله فاهمين عليّ! ).


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## إسكندراني

لا اظن انّه يوجد ما يقال غير انا في انتظار اجاباتكم او مستنّي ردودكم ومعناها ممكن يكون ايجابي جدّا


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## sara-lingo

How does one say I am looking forward to s.th. in Egyptian Arabic?

An example: I am looking forward to seeing you when you arrive, so make sure you give me a call when you land!


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## إسكندراني

I miss you suffices here; 
ليك وحشة يا عم، عايزين نشوفك على طول فما تنساش تدّيني ألو اوّل ما توصل ها؟
اشتقنالك يا باشا، لمّا توصل بالسّلامة ان شاء الله ابقى كلّمني ف ساعتها.ـ
انا في انتظارك ومستنّيك هنا كلّمني بعد الهبوط على طول و طمّني عليك.ـ
I wonder what 'I can't wait' is in other languages actually? Going through any intermediate language might help here. If you know an equivalent in any other language please share.


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## Mahaodeh

اتفق مع إسكندراني في هذا، لن ينفع أن تقولي "ما مصدقة أقرا جواباتكم" لأن ذلك يوحي بأن الأمر ليس واردا جدا وإنك متحمسة أكثر من العادي. يمكنك أن تقولي كما اقترح إسكندراني


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## إسكندراني

If it makes you feel any better, notice that 'I can't wait' is severely exaggerated!


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## scetis

ayed said:


> *إنا مرتقب خوض الامتحان*



I was just wondering if this verb would work in a formal setting with an administrator and following up an text message by saying " Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you".? Also, in an academic setting, should it be stated in MSA or in Egyptian Arabic?

I just found this in another post, أنا أتطلع لأستلام الرد... would this suitable, used both for phone calls or emails?


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## إسكندراني

Phone calls in Egyptian: مستنّي ردّكم
In writing:
أتطلّع لجوابكم
أرتقب إجابتكم بفارغ الصبر


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## Kinan

أتحرق شوقا is the most used one.


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## إسكندراني

Kinan said:


> أتحرق شوقا is the most used one.


It's far too passionate to use in a formal letter, though, right?!


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## Cead Cascade

إسكندراني said:


> I miss you suffices here;
> I wonder what 'I can't wait' is in other languages actually? Going through any intermediate language might help here. If you know an equivalent in any other language please share.



In MSA لا أطيق الانتظار may convey the intended meaning.
In Saudi Arabia (Hijazi) we say ما أقدر أستنّى  or ما أقدر أتحمل.
Sorry, I'm not multi-lingual.


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## Kinan

إسكندراني said:


> It's far too passionate to use in a formal letter, though, right?!



Could be. then Cherine's example is good too which is اتطلع الى


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## إسكندراني

Cead Cascade said:


> In MSA لا أطيق الانتظار may convey the intended meaning.
> In Saudi Arabia (Hijazi) we say ما أقدر أستنّى  or ما أقدر أتحمل.
> Sorry, I'm not multi-lingual.


You reached the goal anyway  those are what I was looking for
مش قادر استنّى in Egypt
By the way, don't some parts of الشّام say أنطُر (meaning أنتظر)?


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## Kinan

Yes we do.


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## Anatoli

I've come across لا استطيع الانتظار (laa astaTii3 al-intiZaar) - "I can't wait" in MSA, used as "look forward to".


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## bwac14

elroy said:


> I look forward to seeing you./I am looking forward to seeing you. = ما مصدق أشوفك


Two questions:

Is it possible to say مش مصدق instead of ما مصدق ?

Is it possible to say ما مصدق أيمتى أشوفك. while retaining the same meaning ?


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## elroy

bwac14 said:


> Is it possible to say مش مصدق instead of ما مصدق ?


 I’ve never heard that.  I think ما مصدق is a frozen expression.


bwac14 said:


> Is it possible to say ما مصدق أيمتى أشوفك. while retaining the same meaning ?


 Yes.


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## bwac14

elroy said:


> I’ve never heard that. I think ما مصدق is a frozen expression.


Some people in Jordan I know say مش مصدق in this context so maybe there is a regional difference.


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