South Levantine Arabic
Etymology
From diminutive of شَيْء (šayʔ)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʃwajj/, [ʃwaj]
Noun
شويّ • (šwayy) m
- alternative form of شويّة (šwayye)
Adverb
شوي • (šwayy)
- a little, a bit
- Antonym: كتير (ktīr)
كننا نحكي قبل شوي.- kunna niḥki ʔabl šwayy
- We were talking a little while ago.
- (literally, “We were talking a little before.”)
أنا مضغوط شويّ هالإيّام.- ʔana maḍḡūṭ šwayy hal-ʔiyyām
- I'm a bit under pressure these days.
Derived terms
- شوي شوي (šwayy šwayy, “slowly, step by step”)