For this week’s Arabic word, we've chosen a very common phrase that seems to have no equivalent in any other language.
Na’eeman, used for males and females, is an idiomatic expression used in three particular instances: when one has had a shower or bath; when one has had a haircut; or when one has had his beard trimmed.
The phrase is used to congratulate the recipient on their clean state or fresh look.
The root of the word comes from naeem, which means bliss or paradise. This also adds more layers to the meaning and usage of the phrase.
With the root meaning of the word in mind, Na’eeman also implies well wishes to the recipient that their experience during their shower, bath or haircut was a blissful and pleasant one. It also reinforces the notion that being more hygienic, or having improved your appearance after a haircut, is a blessing for you.
While Naeem can be used to describe a mental or spiritual state of existence, adding the "an" at the end of the word changes its use to only ever be applicable to these three particular instances where one is “transformed”.
It’s common for na’eeman to be used among acquaintances and friends, but the phrase is used more often for family members and loved ones — since you're more likely to see them straight after a shower or bath at home.
When one is a recipient of the phrase na’eeman, a sufficient response would be "shukran", meaning “thank you".
However, to equal the sentiment and intention of na’eeman, the ideal response would be “Allah Yen’am alayk” for males or “Allah Yen’am alayki” for females. The literal meaning of this response is “may God bless you” or “may God return the blessing on to you”.
Much like using the expression “bless you” after someone sneezes or “cheers” after a toast has been made, na’eeman has no origin or reference to religion, but has become such a common idiom and set phrase in the Arabic language that it has become a part of dialects across the region.
Legendary Egyptian singer and actress Leila Mourad had a popular song Na’eeman Ya Habiby which translates to Na’eeman my Love.
The song was from the 1950 romantic musical The Shores of Love, where Mourad plays a character also named Leila, a penniless, beautiful singer who falls in love with Adel, a rich bachelor from a well-known upper-class family played by Husain Sidqi.
Mourad sings the words Na’eeman Ya Habiby and other iterations of the phrase to Adel after they marry, despite his family’s schemes to separate them. Even though Mourad’s character serenades Adel after he showers, shaves and while he gets ready for work, the phrase is used also as a blessing to protect him and their marriage from anyone who means to cause them harm.
The lyrics of Na’eeman Ya Habiby are by celebrated Egyptian poet and writer Salah Jawdat, while the melody was composed by Mohamed Alqasbijee, who is widely regarded as one of the 20th century's leading Egyptian composers.
Scroll through the gallery below to see more of The National's Arabic words of the week
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
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THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
2/5
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Jawan
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Stan%20Lee
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
JERSEY INFO
Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.
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Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
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Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
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First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Wonka
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Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
