El Bulbul is a short-form podcast designed for intermediate to advanced Arabic language learners. The series is produced by The LevanTongue and hosted by Ashraf and Enas. In each episode, Ashraf and Enas discuss a different topic in Jordanian Arabic for about 10 minutes. Topics range from phobias to marriage to stress to proverbs. As of June 2021, about 20 episodes are available on Youtube or wherever you get your podcasts. There will eventually be 30 episodes total. Listening to El Bulbul podcast is free and full Arabic transcripts of each episode with English translations are available to purchase for $2.99.

In the first episode of the podcast, Enas and Ashraf discuss أشياء بتنرفزنا (things that get on our nerves). They spend the first half talking about things that other people do that bother them. Enas is annoyed by people who litter and gives a couple examples of situations where she sees people littering. Ashraf shares that he’s bothered when people eat with their mouths open. Both then discuss what they do if they’re in a restaurant and someone who chews loudly is sitting nearby. Enas adds that it’s gross when you’re talking on the phone with someone and can hear them eating on the other end.

During the second half of the episode, they flip the script and talk about things they do or have done that are bothersome to others. Enas tells a story about tripping and falling in public when she was out with friends. The incident got her thinking about the times she had laughed at friends when something embarrassing happened to them, and made her realize that maybe she shouldn’t do that. Ashraf admits that he’s a neat freak, which drives his friends crazy.

Vocabulary / مفردات

0:18
ضيف/ة
Guest

0:32
أشياء بتنرفزنا (نرفز)
Things that get on our nerves, or things that irritate us

0:49
رم النفايات
Littering
Literal translation: the throwing of trash

0:54
مزعج/ة
Annoying

1:33
بزتها
He tosses it

1:47
بشع/ة
Ugly

2:14
هو بأكل وواحد تمه مفتوح
A person who eats with his mouth open
In the Shami/Levantine dialect, فم becomes تم

2:52
موقف
Position or situation
Can also mean attitude

3:29
صوت مقزز
A disgusting noise or sound

3:31
أنا قاطعتك (قاطع)
I interrupted you

4:02
العادات الاجتماعية
Social habits

4:46
ما بدي أكون أحرجك
I don’t want to embarrass you or I don’t mean to embarrass you

4:50
كلنا بنغلط, ما في أي أنسان كامل
We all make mistakes, no one is perfect

5:32
أحكي, "يا ريتو ما حدا يكون شافني!"
I say, “goodness, I hope no one saw that!”

5:42
حسيت كل الأنظار عليي
I felt all eyes on me

6:48
أنا إنسان مختص بالنظافة
I’m a neat freak

7:40
آقمت
I set-up/arrange

8:06
أتوقع أنه…
I expect that…

8:09
دكتور/ة نفسي/ة
Psychiatrist

9:22
كنت مبسوط بحديث معكي
I enjoyed talking with you