Dialogue Script — Session 18: My Body, Part 1
A short bilingual conversation in Levantine Arabic that uses today's vocabulary. Read it together, take turns playing each part, then try without the script. By now (Level 2!), kids should be getting comfortable doing these mini-dialogues with less and less help.
The setting
A child (Karim) is getting ready for school in the morning. His mom (Mama) is helping him at the bathroom mirror. His hair is a mess and he has toothpaste on his face. A regular Tuesday.
The dialogue
Line 1 — Mama looks at Karim in the mirror and laughs
ماما: يا كَريم! شو هَالوِجه؟ في مَعجون عَ أَنفَك!
Mama: Ya Karim! Shu hal-wijh? Fi ma'joon 'a anfak! — Karim! What is this face? There's toothpaste on your nose!
Line 2 — Karim wipes his nose with his sleeve
كَريم: وين؟ عَ أَنفي أنا؟
Karim: Wayn? 'A anfi ana? — Where? On my nose?
Line 3 — Mama hands him a tissue
ماما: آه، هون. وَ شَعرَك كَمان، شايِف؟ لَحظة، خَلّيني مَشِّطُه.
Mama: Ah, hon. Wa sha'rak kamaan, shaayif? Lahza, khalleeni mashtu. — Yes, here. And your hair too, see? One second, let me comb it.
Line 4 — Karim ducks away
كَريم: لا لا، شَعري مَنيح! بُحِب هيك!
Karim: La la, sha'ri mneeh! Bhibb hayk! — No no, my hair is fine! I like it like this!
Line 5 — Mama touches his cheek gently
ماما: طَيِّب طَيِّب. خَلّيني بَوِّس هاي العَين، وَهاي العَين، وَهَالفَم الحِلو!
Mama: Tayyib tayyib. Khalleeni bawwis hay al-'ayn, wa hay al-'ayn, wa hal-fam el-hilu! — Okay okay. Let me kiss this eye, and this eye, and this sweet little mouth!
Line 6 — Karim giggles and pulls away
كَريم: ماما! أُذُني كَمان!
Karim: Mama! Udhni kamaan! — Mama! My ear too!
Line 7 — Mama kisses both ears, then taps his head
ماما: وَ هاي الأُذُن، وَ هاي الأُذُن، وَ هَالرَأس الذَكي! يَلّا، عَ المَدرَسة!
Mama: Wa hay al-udhun, wa hay al-udhun, wa har-ra's adh-dhaki! Yalla, 'al-madrasa! — And this ear, and this ear, and this smart head! Come on, off to school!
Line 8 — Karim grabs his backpack and runs
كَريم: مَع السَّلامة ماما!
Karim: Ma'a as-salaama mama! — Bye Mama!
How to use this script
First time — listen
- Read it together once, with you doing both voices.
- Point to each body part on yourself (or on your child) as you say it. Nose when you say anf. Ear when you say udhun. Make it physical from the very first read.
Second time — alternate
- You take Mama's lines. Your child takes Karim's lines.
- When Mama says "let me kiss this eye, and this eye," actually do it — kiss your child's forehead, point to their eyes, touch their ear. The silliness is the point.
Third time — switch
- Your child takes Mama. You take Karim.
- Now your child gets to be the one pointing and "kissing." Let them tap your nose, your ear, your head. They'll laugh. They'll also remember every word.
Fourth time — act it out
- Stand in front of a real mirror if you can.
- Pretend it's morning. Pretend there's toothpaste. Pretend the hair is wild.
- Do the whole thing without the script. Miss words. Make up new ones. That's all good.
What new words are in here (beyond today's main 7)?
Bonus words your child will absorb just by hearing this scene. We'll teach some of these formally later — for now, just let them wash over:
- shu (شو) — what (Levantine)
- hal- / hay (هَال / هاي) — this (attached to nouns: hal-wijh = "this face")
- fi (في) — there is / there's
- ma'joon (مَعجون) — toothpaste (literally "paste")
- 'a / 'ala (عَ / عَلى) — on
- wayn (وين) — where (Levantine)
- hon (هون) — here (Levantine)
- kamaan (كَمان) — also / too
- shaayif / shaayfeh (شايِف / شايْفِة) — do you see (to a boy / to a girl)
- lahza (لَحظة) — one moment / one second
- khalleeni (خَلّيني) — let me
- mashshet (مَشَّط) — to comb
- mneeh / mneeha (مَنيح / مَنيحة) — good / fine
- bhibb (بُحِب) — I like / I love
- hayk (هيك) — like this / this way
- tayyib (طَيِّب) — okay / alright
- bawwis (بَوِّس) — to kiss
- hilu / hilweh (حِلو / حِلوة) — sweet / cute / pretty
- dhaki / dhakiyyeh (ذَكي / ذَكِيِّة) — smart (boy / girl)
- al-madrasa (المَدرَسة) — the school
That's a lot! Don't drill any of it. Just notice that your child starts using one or two of these on their own in a few weeks. That's how it works.
A note on the dialect
The Arabic here is Levantine spoken Arabic — the everyday talk of Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. You'll notice things like shu instead of maadha for "what," and wayn instead of ayna for "where." That's not "broken" Arabic — that's how families actually talk at home.
The body-part words themselves (ra's, wijh, 'ayn, udhun, fam, anf, sha'r) are nearly identical in Levantine and MSA, which is wonderful — your child is learning words that work both at the kitchen table and on the page.
Yalla Arabic · Dialogue Script · Session 18