The first two prepositions have a definite Gulf flavour.
حق
Hagg – for
يشتغل تنديل حق الكولية
yishtaghil tindayl Hagg il-kuuliyya – he works (as the) foreman for (of) the coolies (hired workers)
ويا
wiyya – with
ييت الدوحة ويا أمي
yiit id-dooHa wiyya ummi – I came to Doha with my mother (umm - mother)
مع
ma^a – with
ييت الدوحة مع أمي
yiit id-dooHa ma^a ummi – I came to Doha with my mother
ب
bi - with (operational); in, at
In Arabic writing, one-letter words are attached to the next word.
كتبت بقلم
kitabt bi-galam – I wrote with a pen
ويش بيك؟
weysh biik? – What’s up with you? (addressing a male), (Are you alright?) (literally What in-you?)
ويش بيج؟
weysh biich? – What’s up with you? (addressing a female)
على
^ala – on, over, against, upon
القهوة على الميز
il-gahwa ^ala l-mayz – the coffee on the table
عن
^an – about (about a subject, topic)
تاريخ taariix – history (also 'date')
قول لي شي عن تاريخ العرب
guul liyyi shey ^an taariix il-^arab – tell me something about the Arab history
ل
li – to, for, by
أغنية لمحمد عبده
ughniiya li muHammad ^abdu – a song by Mohammed Abdu (a famous Saudi singer)
رسالة لأمي risaala li ummi – a letter to my mother
إلى
ila – to
إلى مكة المكرمة
ila makkat il-mukarrama – to the Holy City of Mecca
في
fii – in, at
دكان dukkaan (pl. دكاكين dakaakiin) - shop
في الدكان fii-d-dukkaan – in the shop
عند
^ind – at
عند المحسن ^ind-il-muHassin – at the barber’s
تحت
taHt – under, below; downstairs
السرير تحت اللوحة is-sariir taHt il-looHa – the bed is under the (framed) picture
Other words for ‘bed’ are also كرفاية kirfaaya or فراش firaash or مرقد mirgad , of which kirfaaya and mirgad are typical of Gulf speech.
فوق
foog – over, above; upstairs
هو فوق huwa foog – He is upstairs.
قبل
gabil + noun – before (in time)
صلاة Salaa (pl. صلاوات Salawaat) - prayer
قبل صلاة gabil iS-Salaa – before the prayer
من قبل
min gabil – before
رمست ويا المحاسب من قبل؟
rimast wiyya il-muHaasib min gabil? – Have you talked with the accountant before?
بعد
ba^ad + noun – after
ظهر DHuhur – noon, midday
رمست وياه بعد صلاة الظهر
rimast wiyyah ba^ad Salaat iDH-DHuhur – I talked to him after the afternoon prayer.
عقب ^ogub + noun – after
^ogub is very common in Gulf Arabic speech.
رمس ويانا عقب صلاة الصبح
rimas wiyyaana ^ogub Salaat iS-SubH – He talked with us after the morning prayer.
You can add a prepositional suffix to these prepositions as shown below:
تعال وياي
ta^al wiyyay – come with me
روح وياها
ruuH wiyyaha – go with her
سوق وياهم
suug wiyyahum – ride (car) with them
قول لي
guul liyyi – tell me
قولي له
guuli lih – tell him (said to a woman)
قولو لنا
guulu lina – tell us (said to two or more people)
السلام عليكم
as-salaam ^alaykum – peace be upon you
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