Grammar
Shinu, Wein, Cham: Iraqi Arabic Question Words Explained
منو
mino
Who? (Iraqi)
The big four: What, Where, Who, Why
Iraqi question words bear little resemblance to Standard Arabic. 'What' is شنو (shinu). 'Where' is وين (wein). 'Who' is منو (mino). 'Why' is ليش (leish). These four words are used dozens of times daily and are your key to asking about anything in Iraq.
شنو
shinu
What?
وين
wein
Where?
منو
mino
Who?
ليش
leish
Why?
How, When, How many, What's up
'How' is شلون (shloun). 'When' is شوكت (shwaket) — very Iraqi. 'How many' is كم؟ (cham?) with the Iraqi 'ch' sound. And شكو (shkoo) — 'what's up?' — is short for شكو ماكو. These question words make your Iraqi instantly sound authentic.
شلون
shloun
How?
شوكت
shwaket
When?
Very Iraqi — others use 'meta'
كم
cham
How many?
Iraqi 'ch' instead of 'k'
شكو
shkoo
What's up?
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