Vocabulary Cards — Session 23: What Do I Like?

Print this page. Cut along the dotted lines. Each card is index-card sized. Carry them in your pocket. Look at one card during car rides, snack time, before bed.

Card 1

Say it: b-HIBB Means: I love / I like

🎨 Picture: A child holding a bowl of strawberries close to their chest, eyes closed in a happy smile.

Use it when: You taste something yummy. You see your favorite cousin. You hear a song you love on the car radio.

Card 2

Say it: ma b-HIBB Means: I don't like

🎨 Picture: A child pushing a plate of olives gently away, making a small "no thank you" face.

Use it when: Someone offers you a food you don't want. A song comes on you don't enjoy. You're choosing between two shirts and one isn't your favorite.

Notice: just add ما (ma) in front of بِحِبّ — that's how you make it negative in Levantine. Easy!

Card 3

Say it: shoo? Means: What? (Levantine)

🎨 Picture: A child with hands open, shoulders shrugged up, eyebrows raised.

Use it when: You didn't hear what someone said. Mama calls you from the kitchen. You want to ask: shu bit-hibb? — "What do you like?"

This little word is EVERYWHERE in Levantine. Shu hada? (What's this?) Shu badak? (What do you want?) Shu fi? (What's up?)

Card 4

Say it: k-TEER Means: A lot / very much

🎨 Picture: A child hugging a giant stuffed bear, almost too big to hold.

Use it when: You really, really love something. Bhibb el-mooz ktir! (I love bananas a lot!) You want to say "very" — helu ktir (very pretty), zaki ktir (very delicious).

Card 5

Say it: SHWAY Means: A little

🎨 Picture: A child holding up their thumb and pointer finger, showing a tiny space between them.

Use it when: You like something — but not that much. Bhibb el-jibneh shway (I like cheese a little). Someone asks how much sugar in your tea: shway, please.

Card 6

Say it: AK-tar shee Means: Most of all / the most

🎨 Picture: A child pointing proudly at a plate of warm manaeesh on a balcony table, with the mountains behind.

Use it when: You have a favorite. Bhibb el-manaeesh aktar shi! (I love manaeesh most of all!) You're picking a favorite color, a favorite cousin's house, a favorite song.

A bonus card — for the family

Card 7 (bonus)

Say it: ZAA-ki Means: Delicious / tasty

🎨 Picture: A child taking a big bite of a kaak sandwich, cheeks full, giving a thumbs up.

Use it when: You taste something amazing. Teta cooks. The watermelon is perfectly sweet. You want to give the cook the best compliment in Levantine: zaki ktir!

How to use these cards

1. Keep them somewhere visible. Fridge, backpack pocket, by the dinner table.
2. Use them at meals. This is THE perfect vocabulary set for the kitchen. Point at a food, ask shu bit-hibb? Your kid answers bhibb or ma bhibb.
3. Mix and match. Pull two cards together: بِحِبّ + كَتير = bhibb ktir (I love it a lot). ما بِحِبّ + شَوَي = ma bhibb shway (I don't like it, even a little).
4. Let your kid be the boss. Kids love having opinions. These six words let them tell the whole family what they think — in Arabic.

A little sentence-building chart

One small note for grown-ups

In Levantine, بِحِبّ (bhibb) means both "I love" and "I like." There's no separate word for "like" the way there is in English. So when your kid says bhibb mama, it means "I love mama." When they say bhibb el-mooz, it means "I like bananas." Same word — context tells you which.

This is one of the warmest things about Arabic: love is easy to say, and it's the same word for people and for bananas. Don't worry. Everyone understands.

Yalla Arabic · Vocabulary Cards · Session 23