Dialogue Script — Session 23: What Do I Like?

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. Kids at this point can start doing these mini-dialogues from memory after a few rounds.

The setting

It's Saturday morning. Yousef and his mom (Mama) are in the kitchen. Mama is making breakfast and asking Yousef what he wants. The table has labneh, zaatar, cheese, olives, and a plate of cucumbers and tomatoes.

The dialogue

Line 1 — Mama looks at Yousef, holding a spoon

Mama: Sabaah al-khayr habibi! Shu bithibb taakul? — Good morning my dear! What do you like to eat?

Line 2 — Yousef climbs onto the chair

Yousef: Bhibb labneh ktir! Aktar shi labneh. — I like labneh a lot! Most of all, labneh.

Line 3 — Mama smiles and spreads labneh on bread

Mama: Tamaam. Wa az-zaatar? Bithibb zaatar? — Okay. And zaatar? Do you like zaatar?

Line 4 — Yousef makes a so-so face

Yousef: Shway. Bhibb zaatar shway bas. Ma bhibb zaytoon! — A little. I only like zaatar a little. I don't like olives!

Line 5 — Mama laughs

Mama: Laysh ma bithibb zaytoon? Az-zaytoon tayyib! — Why don't you like olives? Olives are delicious!

Line 6 — Yousef shakes his head

Yousef: La la, ma bhibb! Bas bhibb khyaar wa banadoura ktir. — No no, I don't like them! But I like cucumber and tomato a lot.

Line 7 — Mama puts a plate in front of him

Mama: Yalla, kul. Shu bithibb tishrab? Haleeb walla 'aseer? — Come on, eat. What do you want to drink? Milk or juice?

Line 8 — Yousef grins

Yousef: 'Aseer! Aktar shi bhibb 'aseer burtuqaan! — Juice! Most of all I like orange juice!

How to use this script

First time — listen

1. Read the whole thing through once, doing both voices yourself.
2. Let your child just listen and follow along with the Arabic. Point at the words if it helps.

Second time — alternate

3. You take Mama. Your child takes Yousef.
4. Yousef's lines are the ones doing the most work today — he's saying bhibb, ma bhibb, ktir, shway, aktar shi. That's the whole lesson, right there in his mouth.

Third time — switch

5. Now your child takes Mama, and you take Yousef.
6. Mama's job is asking shu bithibb…? — that's a great question for your child to practice, because they'll use it on siblings and friends all week.

Fourth time — act it out

7. Go to your actual kitchen. Pull out whatever's in the fridge — labneh, cheese, fruit, anything.
8. Do the scene for real. Ask each other shu bithibb? about every item. Answer with bhibb, ma bhibb, ktir, shway.
9. Don't look at the script. Mess up. Laugh. That's the lesson working.

What new words are in here (beyond today's main vocabulary)?

These are bonus words your child picks up just from hearing the conversation. We don't drill these today, but they start to feel familiar:

• sabaah al-khayr (صَباح الخير) — good morning
• habibi / habibti (حَبيبي / حَبيبتي) — my dear (to a boy / girl)
• taakul (تاكُل) — you eat
• tishrab (تِشرَب) — you drink
• kul (كُل) — eat! (command)
• tamaam (تَمام) — okay / great
• laysh (ليش) — why (Levantine)
• bas (بَس) — but / only / just
• walla (وَلا) — or
• labneh (لَبنة) — strained yogurt, a Levantine breakfast staple
• zaatar (زَعتَر) — the thyme-sesame spice mix eaten with bread and olive oil
• zaytoon (زَيتون) — olives
• khyaar (خِيار) — cucumber
• banadoura (بَندورة) — tomato (Levantine word; in the Gulf it's tamaatim)
• haleeb (حَليب) — milk
• 'aseer (عَصير) — juice
• burtuqaan (بُرتُقان) — orange (the fruit)
• tayyib (طَيِّب) — delicious / tasty

You're not expected to memorize this list. Just hear them. They show up again and again across the course.

A note on the dialect

The Arabic in this dialogue is Levantine spoken Arabic — Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, Jordanian. Bhibb and ma bhibb are exactly how a kid in Beirut, Damascus, Amman, or Ramallah talks about what they like. In MSA (the written language) you'd say uhibb (أُحِبّ) and laa uhibb (لا أُحِبّ) — same root, different mouth. Both are correct. Both are real. We're starting with what families actually say at the breakfast table.

Yalla Arabic · Dialogue Script · Session 23