Shankaboot

Shankaboot (شنكبوت) is a Lebanese web series that ran from 2009-2011. The show is about Suleiman, a teenage delivery driver in Beirut, and the many people he meets along the way. There’s Ruwaida the aspiring artist, Badr the crime boss, Chadi the double agent, Doulica the housekeeper, Yara and her lively grandmother, to name just a few. It’s an eventful series that dives into the complexities of interpersonal relationships, corruption, and economic status.

Because Shankaboot was published online, the creators had more freedom to explore societal issues that were not commonly discussed on broadcast television. The subject matter as well as the amateur casting and production made Shankaboot an innovative show that quickly gained popularity. 

Nearly fifteen years later, Shankaboot is one of our favorite shows to recommend to fellow Arabic language learners. Episodes are five minutes on average, so you can watch them multiple times for comprehension. English captions are now available for the show, though we encourage you to watch it at least once through without them.

Shankaboot includes depictions of violence and some strong language

Season 1 / الموسم الأول

Vocabulary / مفردات

خوذة ج خوذات
Helmet/s

الميتور ج الميتورات
Motorbike/s

بيوصل طلبات / وصل طلبات
He does delivery / He did delivery

الناطور/ة
The watchman

اوضة ج اواضة
Room/s
Common way to say bedroom in the Lebanese dialect

فنان/ة
Artist

مغني/ة
Singer

غير قانوني/ة
Illegal

الشرطة
The police

شاكك / شاكة
Suspicious

يطرد / طرد
He kicks out; he evicts; he expels / He kicked out; he evicted; he expelled

عميل مُزدَوَج / عميلة مُزدَوَجة
Double agent

Questions / أسألة

ليش ناطور البناية طرد رويدا من شقة سليمان؟

ليش الشرطة شاكة بسليمان؟

شادي بيشتغل لمين؟

خلص سليمان طلبية الشرطة؟ ليش او ليش لا؟

1. Why did the building watchman kick Rawaida out of Suleiman’s apartment?

2. Why are the police suspicious of Suleiman?

3. Who does Chadi work for?

4. Did Suleiman complete his delivery for the police? Why or why not?

Season 2 / الموسم التاني

Vocabulary / مفردات

يهربو / هربوا
 They escape / they escaped

يسوق / ساق
He drives / he drove

الريف
The countryside

ضاحية ج ضواحي
Suburb/s

دكان ج دكاكين
Shop/s

غريب/ة ج غرباء
Stranger/s

ست ج ستات
Similar to ma’am

قصر ج قصور
Mansion/s

مُخَدِرات
Drugs

علاقة غرامية ج علاقات غرامية
An affair or an amorous relationship

وفي/ة
Loyal
وفاء
Loyalty

Questions / أسألة

لوين راحوا سليمان ورويدا وشادي بعد ما هربوا من بيروت؟ وليش طلعوا من المدينة؟

مين وصل لحفلة شادي؟ شو عملوا بالحفلة؟

العلاقة بين شادي وبين ابو مو منيحة شو السبب؟ شو صار؟

ليش بيشتغل شادي مع الشرطة؟

1. Where do Suleiman, Rawaida, and Chadi go after they escape from Beirut and why do they leave the city?

2. Who comes to Chadi's party? What do they do at the party?

3. The relationship between Chadi and his dad is not good. Why is that? What happened?

4. Why does Chadi work with the police?

Season 3 / الموسم التالت

Vocabulary / مفردات

بيقتل / قتل
He kills / he killed

موقف السيارات ج مواقف السيارات
Parking lot/s

المطار ج المطارات
The airport/s

صالون ظفر ج صالون اظافر
Nail salon/s

تتزوّج / تزوّجت
She gets married / she got married

غريب/ة ج غرباء
Stranger/s

جواز سفر ج جوازات سفر
Passport/s

خدام/ة
or
خادم/ة
Maid/s

مُسىء/ة
Abusive

بيتسلل / تسلل
He sneaks / he snuck

Questions / أسألة

What happened with Chadi?

Where did Yara travel to? What's her opinion about the trip?

Who is Doulica? How does Suleiman know her?

How is Ruwaida? What did she do between the day Chadi died and now?

شو صار مع شادي؟

لوين سافرت يارا؟ شو رأيها بالسافر؟

مين دوليكا؟ كيف سليمان بيرفها؟

كيف رويدا؟ شو عملت بين اليوم يلي مات فيه شادي وهلا؟

Season 4 / الموسم الرابع

Vocabulary / مفردات

صحافي/ة
Journalist

مشّوش/ة
Confused

مربي/ة اطفال
Babysitter

منتج/ة تلفزيون
Television producer

رهينة
Hostage

بيّاع/ة ورد
Flower seller

عم بيقوص / قوص
He is shooting / he shot
It's not common to say, "he shoots" in Arabic. It's usually in the gerund or the past

تشجع / شجعت
She encourages or supports / she encouraged or supported

Questions / أسألة

Why did Suleiman think that his mom and Lina’s mom were the same woman?

What did the group of guys do to Rommel and why?

What did the television producers want Ruwaida to do before working with them? Did she do it?

ليش سليمان فكر انه امه وام لينا نفس المرأة؟

شو عملت مجموعة الشباب مع رومل؟ وليش؟

شو كان بدهم منتجين تلفزيون انه رويدا تعمل قبل ما تشتغل معهم؟ رويدا عملت الشي؟

Season 5 / الموسم الخامس

Vocabulary / مفردات

محاور/ة ببرنامج حِواري
Talk show host

متوتر/ة
Nervous

بيطلعو / طلعوا
They leave / they left

بترث / ورثت
She inherits / she inherited

طليقها / طليقتها
Her ex-husband / her ex-wife

بيغير رأيه / غير رأيه
He changes his mind / he changed his mind
Literal translation: he change/d his opinion

المستقبل
The future

بيت الطاعة
A very old law in Lebanon that allows a man to legally compel a wife who has left him to return home

Questions / أسألة

Why do Firas' friends leave him?

Who is the man who comes to Ruwaida's work and what does he want from her?

Lina leaves her house because there are problems between her and her father's sister. What happened?

What happens when Suleiman, Rommel, and Rommel's friend return to the school to take the weapons?

ليش اصحاب فراس طلعوا وتركوه؟

مين الرجال يلي اجى لشغل رويدا وشو كان بده منها؟

لينا طلعت من بيتها لأنه صار مشاكل بينها وبين عمتها. شو صار؟

شو صار لما سليمان ورومل ورفيقة رومل رجعوا للمدرسة لياخذوا الأسلحة؟