Family Guide — Session 10: I Want / I Don't Want

A one-page guide for parents, after-school caregivers, or co-teachers. Plain English. No teaching experience required.

What we learned today

Your child can now say what they want — and what they don't want — in Arabic:

We also practiced putting them together:

Why this matters

This is the most useful sentence your child will ever learn in Arabic. Biddi + anything = a real, working sentence. It's the frame that unlocks everything else. Once a kid can say biddi tuffaha at the kitchen counter, Arabic stops being a school subject and starts being a tool they actually use. That's the whole game.

We chose food words on purpose: kids want food roughly 400 times a day. Every snack request this week is a free Arabic lesson.

What to do this evening (3 minutes total)

You don't need to drill or quiz. Just do these three tiny things:

1. At dinner, point to something on the table and ask:

"بِدّك؟" (Biddak? = "Do you want some?")

See if they answer biddi or ma biddi. Either answer wins.

2. Offer them a glass of water and say:

"ماء؟" (Maa'?)

Wait. Let them ask in Arabic. If they ask in English, smile and say "

3. Before bed, ask:

"بِدّك حَليب؟" (Biddak haleeb? = "Do you want milk?")

Even if the answer is ma biddi, that counts. Refusing in Arabic is still Arabic.

What to do this week (5 minutes total)

Pick one of these:

• The breakfast rule. For one morning, the kitchen only takes Arabic orders. Biddi khubz. Biddi tuffaha. No Arabic = no toast. (Keep it playful — this is a game, not a punishment.)
• Grocery store mission. At the store, point to apples, milk, bread, water. Have your child whisper the Arabic word as you put each in the cart.
• Stuffed-animal picnic. Line up three stuffed animals. Your child is the waiter. Each animal "orders" using biddi + a food word. Your child serves them.
• The "ma biddi" honesty hour. Let your child use ma biddi freely for one afternoon — for broccoli, for shoes, for bedtime. It's a small power, and it makes the phrase stick forever.

If you don't know Arabic yourself

You're going to do great this week. Biddi is one of the easiest Arabic words to say, and once you start using it, you'll catch yourself reaching for it.

• Use it yourself. "
  بِدّي قهوة
  " (biddi 'ahwe = "I want coffee") works perfectly fine in your own kitchen. Your child hearing you use Arabic is worth ten flashcards.
• Mispronounce freely. The kh in khubz is a throat sound that takes weeks to get right. Your child will giggle. Let them.
• You're not behind. A parent who tries six words a week with their kid is doing something most families never do. That's the win.

If you're a heritage Arabic speaker

• Use biddi with them, not ureed. This course teaches the Levantine biddi on purpose — it's what your family actually says at home. Save MSA ureed for reading lessons later.
• Respond in Arabic when they order in Arabic. If they say biddi tuffaha, hand them the apple with "
  تفضّل
  " (tfaddal = "here you go"), not "here." Keep the exchange fully in Arabic.
• Notice the ma in ma biddi. Many heritage kids understand ma biddi perfectly but have never said it themselves — they default to "I don't want." This week, gently nudge them to produce it out loud.

What's coming next session

Session 11: Numbers 1–5 (الأرقام) — Your child learns to count to five in Arabic and starts combining numbers with the food words from today: biddi tuffahatayn ("I want two apples").

Materials needed: nothing new. Just bring this folder.

Questions or struggles?

Email: dabagh_safaa@smc.edu Or visit: https://learnwithoutwalls.com

Yalla Arabic · Family Guide · Session 10