ÇäèÍÏÉ ÇäÓÇÏÓÉ UNIT SIX á       â       ã       ä Ä       Æ In this unit you will learn four new consonants and two new seats for hamza. á ÒfaaÓ This letter is pronounced like English f as in feather. Listening Exercise 1.  Listen and repeat: áàîÑîÍ              áàîÑêàÏ              ÏîáàòÊàîÑ              ÓàîáêàÑ              ÙàîáÇá              Õïàáèá Writing á          áà           àáà          àá á is a connecting letter with a relatively stable shape. Its independent and final forms have a tail that is unusual in that it remains on the line rather than dipping below. To write independent á , begin above the line and draw a small flat loop around to your left, up, and down around. Keep the loop of á small and just above the line, resting on a short Òneck.Ó Continue along the line into a small hook to finish the tail as shown in the example below. Practice writing independent á : To write áà in initial position, begin the same way and finish with a connecting segment into the next letter. Copy the name áàîÑêÏ : The loop of medial àáà is small and oval (for example, it is much smaller than that of ×à , and has a different shape). Start from the connecting segment and loop up to your left and back around to the line and into the connecting segment, as the example shows: Now write ÓîàáêàÑ (ambassador): Final àá combines the shape of the medial position with the tail of the independent á . Copy Õîàáñ (class): Copy and sound out the following names: ª ÙàîáàÇá áàîÑîÍ  áîÑêàÏÉ   èîáàÇÁ            ÕîàáàÇÁ            ÕîàáàðêàñÉ Á áîàÑêàÏ Ùàîáêàá áàîÊàòÍê   áàÇêàðÒ   áàîèòÒê  ÑðáàòÙàîÊ Drill 1.  Dictation. 1. àààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 4. àààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 2. àààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 5. àààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 3. àààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 6. àààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà â ÒqaafÓ This letter represents a new sound, the emphatic counterpart to k. Like the other emphatic sounds, it is pronounced with the tongue low in the mouth. It differs from them in that it is pronounced farther back in the throat, at the very back of the tongue. Take a minute to become more familiar with your throat muscles. Open your mouth and say aah, as if you were at the doctor's. Your tongue should be flat in your mouth. Without raising your tongue, pull it back so that the base of your tongue closes off air by pulling back against the throat. At this point, you should not be able to breathe through your mouth, although it is wide open. Practice doing this first without making a sound. After performing this exercise several times, make a sound by releasing the air forcefully. The result will be the sound â . Listening Exercise 2.  Listen to â in the following words and repeat:   âÇá              âÇÑðÈ              ÏîâêâÉ              Ôàîáàêàâ              ÈîàÑâèâ               áðÑÇâ Drill 2.  Mark X for each word in which you hear â : 1. àààààààààààààààààààà 4. àààààààààààààààààààà 7. àààààààààààààààààààà 2. àààààààààààààààààààà 5. àààààààààààààààààààà 8. àààààààààààààààààààà 3. àààààààààààààààààààà 6. àààààààààààààààààààà 9. àààààààààààààààààààà WRITING â          âà            àâà           àâ â is a connector, and its shape is similar to that of á in all positions, except that â takes two dots above and a deep tail that drops well below the line like that of Ó and Õ . The two dots above â are usually run together in handwriting (like those of Ê). To write independent â , make the same loop you made for á , then drop below the line to draw the tail and make sure to bring the tail all the way back up to the line. Copy the example: Initial âà is written just like initial áà , but with two dots run together. Copy the example: Practice by writing âàîÑêàÈ (near). Do not stop to dot until you have finished writing the word: Medial àâà has the same shape and size as medial àáà , and is connected in the same way. Practice by writing ÏîâêâÉ (minute): Unlike final àá , final àâ takes a tail that drops well below the line, just like that of Ó . Make sure to bring it all the way back up to the line: Practice final àâ by writing ÈîàÑâàèâ (plum): Drill 3.  Dictation. 1. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 4. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 2. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 5. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 3. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 6. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà ã ÒkaafÓ This letter corresponds to English k as in likewise. Listening Exercise 3.  Listen to ã in the following words and repeat: ãðàÊàÇÈ              ÏïãÊèÑ              ÍðàãÇêÉ              ÃîãàêàÏ              Ôàïãèã              Ñîãàêàã Writing ã          ãà           àãà          àã ã is a connecting letter that has two distinct shapes, one in independent and final positions, and one in initial and medial positions. To write independent ã , start above the line at the top of the letter, draw straight down to the line, then curve and follow the line. Make a tiny hook at the end, then pick up your pen and draw a little hamza-like figure inside the angle. The shape of this mark, which may have originated as a miniature ãà , may vary slightly in different scripts. Copy the example: When ãà is connected to a following letter, it has a cross bar on the top; however, this is written last, like the vertical bar of × and Ø . To write initial ãà , start as you do the independent form, drawing down to the line, then make a right angle and draw along it into a connecting segment. Note that the body of initial ãà is not exactly perpendicular to the line on the paperÑit may be slightly slanted or even curved, depending on individual style.  After you finish writing the skeleton of the word, go back and "cross" the ãà as shown (it does not matter if the bar is not exactly lined up, but keep it as close as possible). Copy initial ãà , following the arrows: Now practice writing initial ãà in ãàîÈàêàÑ (big): Medial àãà is written like initial ãà , except that you must start from a connecting segment on the line and draw up, then trace the same line back down. (Again, the body does not have to be exactly perpendicular to the line, and its exact angle may vary somewhat.) Wait until you finish writing the word to draw the cross bar. Copy: Practice writing medial àãà in áàðãàÑÉ (idea): In certain artistic scripts and fonts, ãà takes a slightly different shape. Find ãà in each of these words:  ÏãÊàèÑ     ÏãÊèÑ      ÏãÊèÑ  ÇÓãæÏÑêÉ    ÇÓãæÏÑêÉ    ÇÓãæÏÑêÉ Be prepared to recognize ãà when written this way. Final àã is similar in shape to independent ã except that it is connected to the previous letter. Start from the connecting segment, draw a line up, roughly perpendicular to the line, then trace it back down, and give it a flat tail along the line (the same tail you draw for á). When you have finished writing, give it the little hamza-like mark as in the example: Practice final àã by writing Ôêã (check): ã represents a familiar sound that takes no extra effort on your part. Take care to distinguish between it and â , which is pronounced deep in the throat and which you must practice. Remember: â is an emphatic letter that deepens the quality of surrounding vowels, whereas vowels surrounding ã are frontal. Listening Exercise 4.  Listen to the difference between ã and â in the following pairs of words and repeat:  âàîÏñîÓ/ãàîÏñîÓ       Ñîâêâ¯Ñîãêã       âÇÈèÓ/ãÇÈèÓ        ÈàÇâðàѯÈàÇãðàÑ         Ôàîâñ ¯Ôàîàãñ Drill 4.  You will hear twelve words. Circle the sound you hear in each: 1. â ã 5. â ã 9. â ã 2. â ã 6. â ã 10. â ã 3. â ã 7. â ã 11. â ã 4. â ã 8. â ã 12. â ã Drill 5.  Read these words aloud with the tape, paying special attention to ã and â and the quality of the surrounding vowels: 1. (a) ãÇÏî (b) âÇÏî 6. (a) ÈîãîÑî (b) ÈîâîÑî 2. (a) Ôàïãèã (b)  Ôàïâèâ 7. (a) ÕîÏñîãî (b) ÕîÏñîâî 3. (a) ãàîÓòèÉ (b) âàîÓòèÉ 8. (a) ÇðãÊðáÇÁ (b) ÇðâÊðáÇÁ 4. (a) ãàîÏñîÑ (b) âàîÏñîÑ 9. (a) ÙðÑÇã (b) ÙðÑÇâ 5. (a) ÍîÈîã (b) ÍîÈîâ 10. (a) ãàïÑèÔ (b) âàïÑèÔ Drill 6.  Write the letter that you hear in each blank: 1. àààààààà àÑêÈ 4. Öîàêàðñà ààààààààà 7. ÍîàØàñï ààààààààà 2. Èàð×Ç àààààààà àÉ 5. ÇðÓÊÔÑÇ àààààààà 8. áðà ààààààààà àÑÉ 3. Õà àààààààà àèÑ 6. ÑÇ ààààààààà àÕ 9. Óïà ààààààààà àÑ Drill 7.  Dictation. 1. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 5. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 2. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 6. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 3. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 7. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 4. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 8. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà Read and copy these names: ª  ÑïâàîêñÉ ÔîÑêàáàÉ ãàîèËàîÑ   ÔàîáàêàâÉ    áàîêàÑèÒ           èîáÇÁ Á ÔàîèãàîÊ ×ÇÑðâ   ÔàïãàÑê  Êîèáêâ    Ôîáêâ           ÒîãàîÑðêàñÇ ä ÒlaamÓ This letter represents the sound of the Spanish or French l, that is, a frontal l in which the front part of the tongue is against the back of the teeth, and the tongue is high in the mouth. Americans tend to pronounce l with the tongue farther back and lower down in the mouth, resulting in a more emphatic sound than Arabic ä . Say the word terrible aloud, and pay attention to the position of your tongue when you say ble. It is similar to the position your tongue holds when you say Õ , Ö , and ×. To pronounce Arabic ä , hold the tip of your tongue against the back of your teeth at the roof of your mouth and keep your tongue as high and frontal as you can. Practice this position while imitating the words you hear on tape. Listening Exercise 5.  Listen to and repeat the following words containing the sound ä , paying particular attention to the frontal quality of the surrounding vowels:  äêÈêÇ           ÍîàäêÈ           ÙÇäðêÉ          Íïàäèä           ×àîèêä            ÕîäêÈ           ×îàäàîÙî As you may have noticed listening to the words ×îàäàîÙî and ÕîäêÈ in the above exercise, ä can take on an emphatic quality when it occurs near emphatic consonants. To pronounce emphatic ä , keep the front part of your tongue pressed against the back of your teeth, and drop the rest of your tongue low in your mouth. Repeat Listening Exercise 5, paying attention to the pronunciation of ä in its different environments. Only one word in Arabic has a ä emphatic in quality without outside influence, and that is the word for God, Allaah.  (In some cases, this word is pronounced with a regular ä Ñyou will learn this rule later.) Listening Exercise 6 introduces you to some common expressions that include the word Allaah.   Listening Exercise 6.  Listen to these expressions containing the word Allaah: Çääç¡  Allaah! (expresses admiration or delight) Åæ ÔÇÁî Çääç in shaaÕAllaah God willing åÇ ÔÇÁî Çääç¡  maa shaa'Allaah (used when praising or admiring) äÇ Åäç ÅäÇñ Çääç  laa ilaaha illa Allaah There is no god but God (said upon hearing bad news) Çääç êàðÑÍàîåàïç  Allaah yirHamuh May God have mercy on him (=May he rest in peace) ÈàðÓòàåð Çääç   bismillaah In the name of God (said upon beginning something) Writing ä           äà           àäà           àä ä is a connecting letter. The shapes of ä are similar to those of ã except that ä has no cross bar and has a narrower and deeper tail that dips below the line in its independent and final positions. Note how similar the shapes of medial àÇ (alif) and àäà appear: the only difference is that àäà connects, while alif does not. To write independent ä , start at the top and draw straight down, continuing below the line into the tail, which should be approximately the same shape as the tail of Ó , but a little narrower. The tail must come all the way back up above the line. Copy: Initial äà is begun the same way, down to the line. Rather than drawing the tail, continue into the connecting segment along the line: Practice writing initial äà in äêÈêÇ : To write medial àäà , start from the connecting segment, draw up and then trace back down to the line into the next connecting segment as shown: Practice àäà by copying ÈàîàäàîàÏ (country): Follow the same procedure to write final àä , but finish with the tail: Practice by writing ×ààîèêàä (long): äÇ Òlaam alifÓ The distinct shape of the combination of ä«Ç (laam followed by alif) is not part of the Arabic alphabet, but must be used to join these letters wherever they occur in this order in the same word. This shape varies slightly in print and handwriting styles. The form you see in the box above is the one you will see in print. Some people write it this way by hand as well, in one stroke (your teacher can show you how). In most handwriting styles, the laam and alif retain the angles you see above, but the two letters are written in two separate strokes. To produce äÇ in this handwritten form, start as you would connected äà , but instead of drawing the body straight down, draw it slanting down to the left. When you reach the line, pick up your pen and make a slanted alif stroke into the corner of äà as the example shows. Write the word äÇ , which means no: Remember that the alif does not connect to a following letter, therefore, äÇ does not connect to anything following it. Copy and pronounce the word ÃîèäÇÏ (children): Read aloud and copy the following names: ª ÏÇäêÇ ÙîàäòêÇ ÕàÇäðàÍÉ    ÏîäÇä   ÎàïäàèÏ    ÌîàäêàäÉ Á Ùîàäê        ÕàÇäàðÍ äàîÈàêàÈ  ÎÇäðàÏ   ÌîàäÇä     ÌîàÙòàáîàÑ Drill 8.  Dictation. 1. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 6. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 2. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 7. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 3. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 8. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 4. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 9. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 5. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 10. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà Drill 9.  You will hear ten words. Circle the word you hear in each row: 1. ãàîäàÈ âàîäàîÈ ãàðäÇÈ âîàäàòÈ 2. ÃÖàäñ ÃØàäñ Ã×àäñ ÃÐäñ 3. ÙÇâàðä ÙðàâÇä Ããä Ùàîâàä 4. áðàâÑÉ áàîãàñÑ áðàãàîÑ áàîâàÑ 5. Êàîãäñ Ôàîãàîä Ëàîãàîä Õîàâàîä 6. Ñîãàîä ÑîáàîÓ ÑîãàîÖ ÑîâàîÕ 7. ÔàîÑîá ØàîÑá ÕîÑîá ÐîÑîá 8. ÊàîâÑêÑ ÊàîãÑêÑ ÊàîãÏêÑ ÊàîâÏêÑ 9. ÎðàÒê ÍèÐê ÎàïÐê ÍïàÒñê 10. ÈàîäàîÌ ÈàîäàîÙ ÈàîäàîÍ ÈîàäàîÚ Drill 10. Read the following advertisements. You will see a variation of á : ÷ , which is sometimes used to indicate a v sound (Arabic has no letter for this sound). åæ  ÌÑêÏÉ ÇäÔÑâ ÇäÇèÓ× ¬ ²¹¹±   Á ÒhamzaÓ Thus far, you have seen hamza written on top of alif, à , at the beginning of a word, and below alif, Å , when the initial vowel is kasra. You have also seen hamza written with no seat, Á , when it occurs at the end of a word after a long vowel. When hamza occurs in the middle of a word, it may be written on top of alif or rest on the line, as in the box above, or it may be written on one of the other long vowels: Ä or Æ , depending on the surrounding long and short vowels. You will now learn the è and é seats for the hamza. Æ ÒãïÑÓê êÇÁÓ When hamza in the middle of a word is preceded or followed by a kasra or long vowel ê , it is written on a é seat ¨ãàïÑÓê êÇÁ©. Notice that when é serves as a seat for hamza, it takes no dots. Listening Exercise 7.  Listen to the following words containing Æà and repeat. Pay attention to the seat of the hamza and the vowels surrounding it: ×ÇÆðÑÉ           ÙÇÆðÔÉ           ÎÇÆðÈ           âÇÆðä           ÃîÓÆðàäÉ          âÇÑððÆ           ×èÇÑððÆ Practice writing and reading Æà by copying and sounding out these words: ËàÇÆðàÑ                ÓïàÆðààäî                ×ÇÆðàÑÇÊ                âàîÈàÇÆðàä                ÔàÇ×ðàÆ Ä ÒãïÑÓê èÇèÓ When hamza occurs in a word either preceded or followed by a Damma or long vowel è , it is written on a è seat ¨ãàïÑÓê èÇè© as long as there is no kasra (remember that, when preceded or followed by a kasra, hamza must be written as above, on Æà ). Listening Exercise 8.  Listen to the following words containing Ä and repeat. Notice the seat of hamza and the vowels surrounding it: áàïÄÇÏ              ÓïàÄÇä              ÑïÄèÓ              ÑîÄèá              ÈïàÄòÓ              êïàÄòÓðàá Practice writing and reading Ä by copying and sounding out these words: ÊàîáàÇÄïä                    ÙàîÔàÇÄïãî                      ÃîÕòàÏðâàÇÄïãî                     êïàÄîËðñÑ In other cases, that is, when medial hamza has only fatHa, alif, and/or sukuun, it is written on alif, as you learned earlier. The rules for writing hamza are rather complicated, so for now concentrate on recognizing these five seats of hamza when you see them. The best way to learn to write hamza correctly is to learn the spelling of words containing hamza one by one. Drill 11.  You will hear one word of the three in each row. Circle the one you hear: 1. ÒÃÑ ÒÇÑ ÐÙÑ 2. áÑÙ âÑÙ áÒÙ 3. ÚäÇÈ ãäÇÈ âäÇÈ 4. ÕèÑÉ ÓèÑÉ ËèÑÉ 5. ÙÑá ÙÑã ÙÑâ 6. ÎÇÆÈ ÚÇÆÈ ÙÇÆÈ 7. ÊáÇÄä ÊáÇÙä ÊáÇÁä 8. ÓÙä ÓÃä ÔÙä 9. âÈÇÈ ãÈÇÈ ÖÈÇÈ 10. ÓÇÆÑ ËÇÆÑ ÔÇÙÑ 11. ÓÑ ÕÑ ÒÑ 12. âÈÓ ãÈÓ ÌÈÓ Drill 12.  Fill in the long and short vowels and any shaddas that you hear: 1. Ò ààààà âà ààààà â 9. Óà ààààà àÙà ààààà Ï 2. âà ààààà àÈà ààààà àÓ 10. ãà ààààà àÊà ààààà àÈ 3. âà ààààà è ààààà ä 11. Ëà ààààà àÚà ààààà Ñ 4. × ààààà êà ààààà Ñ 12. Öà ààààà Ñ ààààà Ñ ààààà 5. Ôà ààààà Ñ ààààà È 13. êà ààààà Ôà  ààààà  Êà  ààààà  Ñ  ààààà 6. Õà ààààà àáà ààààà á 14. Ôà ààààà Ñ  ààààà  Ù 7. êà ààààà ãà ààààà Èà ààààà Ñ 15. Ñ ààààà  âà  ààààà  È 8. Öà ààààà àêà ààààà Ù 16. Õà ààààà àÙà ààààà È Drill 13.  Fill in the consonant that you hear in each of the following : 1. Êààî àààààà âêÏ 8. Õà ààààààà êÑ 2. àààààà ÑòáàÉ 9. ààààààà Ïêâ 3. ààààààà àêòàá 10. ÔîàÎàò ààààààà êàñÉ 4. áàïà àààààà èÑ 11. ààààààà Ñêá 5. àààààààà âÇÑðÈ 12. ààààààà ÍðãàîàÊ 6. Êàî ààààààà äêä 13. Êîà ààààààà Èàïä 7. àààààààà ÇÈààðâ 14. ààààààà àÌÑ Drill 14.  Read these phrases aloud: ×àîÈàòΠ×ÇÒîÌ èîØêáÉ ËÇÈàðÊÉ ÙàïãàñÇÒÇÊ ×ðÈñàðêñÉ  ÖîÈÇÈ ÔîÏêÏ ÑîÚàòÈÉ âàîèðêñÉ ×ÇÆðÑÇÊ ÍîÏêËÉ âîèÇÙðÏ ÕîÙàòÈÉ ÑîÌïä ÌîÒÇÆðÑêñ ÊîÑÇÌïÙ èîÊîÎÇÐïä ÃîÓòÆðäÉ ÐîãðêñÉ ÙðäÇÌ ×àîÈêÙðêñ ÃîÍàòÕðàæàÉ ÓîÑêÙÉ äÇ êÇ ÓîÙòÏðêñÉ ¡ ÍðãÇêÉ âàîÕêÑÉ ÃîÎàòÈÇÑ ÚîêÑ ÓÇÑñÉ ÊîÐÇãðÑ ÚÇäðêÉ ÊîáÇÄïä ãàîÈêÑ ÓðáÇÑÇÊ ÙîÑîÈðêñÉ ÑîÃòê âÇ×ðÙ áîÕä ×îèêä ãÊÇÈ ¢Ãîäàòá äàîêàòäÉ èîäîàêòàäÉ¢ Drill 15.  Connect the letters to form words, then listen to them on tape and write in the short vowels you hear: Ê « Ó « Ç « Ä « ä ½  ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 1. Ø « Ñ « è « á « ê  ½  ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 2.  è « Ø « ê « á « É  ½  ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 3. à« ã « ä « Ç « Ê  ½  ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 4. Ú « Ñ « Ç « Æ « È  ½  ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 5. Ì « Í « Ç « á « ä  ½  ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 6. á « è « Ç « Æ « Ï  ½ ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 7. à« á « Ñ « ê « â « ê « Ç  ½  ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 8. Π« ä « ê « á « É  ½   ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 9. Ö « Ñ « è « Ñ « Ç « Ê  ½  ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 10.   à« Ø « Ç « á « Ñ « ê  ½  ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 11. Drill 16.  Dictation. 1. àààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 6. àààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 2. àààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 7. àààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 3. àààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 8. àààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 4. àààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 9. àààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 5. àààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà 10. ààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààààà Drill 17.  Read and learn these nouns:           ×ÇäðÈ      ×ÇäðÈÉ        ãàïÑÓê                ×ÇèðäÉ        ãðÊÇÈ     ÔàîÑêà×        ÏîáàòÊîÑ      èîÑîâÉ áîÕòàä ¨Õîáñ©      ÔïàÈñÇã    ×ÇÆðàÑÉ áàïäàèÓ Now read and learn the following adjectives:           âàîÕêÑ                ×àîèêä             ÕîÚêÑ              ãàîÈêÑ                                Drill 18. How many phrases can you form with the words you know? Write them out. Culture ÇäËâÇáÉ   Video Watch Scenes 12 and 13 with your teacher. Coffee Coffee and tea are the most popular social drinks in the Arab world. They are served to visitors at home and in the workplace, and men gather to drink them in coffeehouses. The choice between coffee and tea is partly a matter of local custom and supply, and partly a matter of personal taste. In much of North Africa, tea is more common, and is often made with loose green tea and mint, and drunk very sweet. In restaurants, coffee is usually served European style. In Egypt and the Levant, Arabic coffee (also called Turkish coffee) is a strong drink made from very finely ground, dark beans, boiled in a little pot, and often served in demitasse cups or glasses. In Egypt, unless you request otherwise, coffee will be served to you maZbuuT, which means just right, referring to the amount of sugar (about one teaspoon per small cup). Tea is also popular, and served sweet. In the Arabian Peninsula, another kind of Arabic coffee is served. The coffee beans are roasted in a different manner, and the coffee itself is almost clear in color and has a unique flavor. It is served in tiny cups without handles, and the cup is refilled by the host until the guest signals that he or she has had enough by tilting it from side to side several times. Coffeehouses are popular meeting places, although by custom, they are frequented more by men than women in most Arab countries (women tend to socialize in houses for privacy). In addition to coffee, tea, and other hot drinks, games such as chess and backgammon are available.