Introduction
This conjunction can be used to express the following:
by the time
until
while
This conjunction can be used to express the following:
by the time
until
while
Example 1
على مـ فوقت من المفاجأة بصيت ما لقيتهوش |
| By the time I came to after the surprise, I looked and didn't find him.
(عفاريت السيالة) |
Example 2
يا ابني الشتا هناك غير الشتا عندنا خالص. الشتا بتاعنا ريحه خفيف .. على ما تنزّل الشرز من الدولاب يكون الشتا خلص |
| Son, the winter there is not at all like the winter that we have here. Our winter, its moderate. By the time you get your sweater down out of the wardrobe, winter has ended.
(مراتي وزوجتي) |
Example 3
على مـ تشرب الشاي بتاعك يكون الزبون تحت رجليك |
| By the time you drink your tea, customers will be at your disposal.
(رقم مجهول) |
Example 4
يا ابني قلت لك ماتخافش.... اديني العنوان.... وعلى مـ توصل هناك هتلاقيني مستنياك في المستشفى |
| Son, I told you not to be afraid....give me the address and by the time you arrive there (at the hospital), you will find me waiting for you at the hospital.
(حق ميت) |
Example 5
على مـ وصلت تانية ثانوي كانوا هم غيروا بقى رياضة حديثة |
| By the time I got to the second year in high school, they had changed to modern math.
(دارك) |
Example 6
على ما العورة تتكحل يكون السوق خرب |
| By the time the cyclops puts on eyeliner, the market will have become ruined.
(فبراير الاسود) |
Besides meaning 'by the time', على ما can also convey a meaning similar to 'until' in English. Typically, this structure is used when two different subjects are performing different actions at the same time. In this way, it differs from the 'until' in the sentence "he watched TV until he fell asleep." This 'until' would be best conveyed using لحد ما or لغاية ما.
Example 7
ده انا كنت بطبخ لهم لقمة على مـ يجوا |
| I was cooking a bite to eat for them until they come back.
(البخيل وأنا) |
Example 8
يمكن الانسة ندى مش موجودة جوا لو تحبي تستنيها عندي في العيادة على ما تيجي مثلا يعني |
| Its possible that Ms. Nada is not inside. If you would like, for example, you could wait for her in my clinic until she comes.
(حب البنات) |
Example 9
فين وفين على ما أقنعتهم باللي هو عمله واعترف بغلطته |
| It took forever for me to convince them of what he did and for him to confess his mistake.
(هيبتا) |
Example 11
اترزع برا على ما أنده لك |
| Sit* outside until I call for you.
(فاصل ونعود) |
Example 12
وعلى مـ يجي اليوم ده أعيش ازاي كده أشتغل ازاي كده اصلا |
| and until that day comes how can I live like this and even work like this?!
(صنع في مصر) |
Example 13
بيقول لك يوم للعملية وتلات ايام على ما ينشف |
| He says, one day for the operation and three days for/until it to dry.
(لا تراجع ولا استسلام) |
Unfortunately, there is not a 1:1 correspondence in Egyptian Arabic with the word 'while'. You may know that one way to express 'while' in Egyptian is و + ضمير as in
معلش اتأخرت شوية اصل وانا جاي على هنا لقيت واحد فحام الناس واقفين عليه امم
"I am sorry that I am a little late, but while I was coming here, I ran across a coal merchant that a bunch of people were crowding around..."
The 'while' that على ما conveys is a little different. After reading throught the examples, you will start to sense how the two differ. على ما is usually used when there are two subjects doing something at the same time and it often conveys the idea that one party will undertake and action during the time that the other party completes their action. One thing to notice is the lack of the future tense marker on the verbs.
Example 14
ام اشرف: على مـ تستحمى أعمل لك فنجان قهوة |
| Umm Ashraf: While you shower I will make you a cup of coffee. Umm Ashraf:Forget the coffee. By the time I shower and get dressed you should also have gotten ready. We need to leave right away. (دوران شبرا) |
Example 15
على مـ البصل والتوم يبتدوا ياخدوا السوى اللي انا محتاجه ممكن اخد حتة جنزبيل اخد حتة جنزبيل وابتدي اقطعها |
| While the onion and garlic begin to get the amount of cooking that I need, I can take a bit of ginger...take a bit of ginger and begin to chop it.
(شبكة وصنارة) |
Example 16
اقعد بقى على ما أدخل أتكلم مع ماما على ما انت تشرب القهوة مع بابا |
| Sit while I go in and talk with my mom while you drink coffee with my dad.
(فاصل ونعود) |
Example 17
بقول لك ايه يا اسماعيل اتسلى انت في السكالوب ده بقى على مـ اروح استشير الاستاذ في حاجة وارجع لك علطول |
| I'll tell you what Ismael, busy yourself with the escalope while I go and consult with the man about something and come back right away.
(ابو ضحكة جنان) |
Example 18
قومي يا ولية قومي البسي هدومك وخدي حنان بنتك وروحي عند ام رضا اقعدي جنبيها على مـ اغسل وشي وانزل علشان انا مسافر انا والمعلم شلبي |
| Get up woman! Get up and put on your clothes and take Hanan, your daughter, and go to Umm Rida's and sit next to her while I wash my face and leave because I am traveling, me and Shelebi.
(قلب ميت) |
Example 19
وأنا كمان هاروح اخد شاور على ما تخلصي الغدى |
| ...and I will also go take a shower while you finish (making) lunch.
(عائلة ميكي) |
Example 20
بوص بقى انا حضرت لك الفطار هتقعد تفطر زي الشاطر كده على مـ اروح السوق اجيب شوية حاجات وارجع لك علطول مش هتأخر |
| Hey, I prepared breakfast for you. You will sit and eat breakfast like a smart person while I go to the market to get some things and come right back. I won't take too long.
(خطوط الحمراء) |
Example 22
ممكن تفضي الكيس على مـ اغير هدومي |
| Can you empty the grocery bag while I change my clothes?
(سهر الليالي) |