Language/Egyptian-arabic/Vocabulary/Idiomatic-Expressions
Hi Egyptian Arabic learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on idiomatic expressions that are commonly used in Egyptian Arabic. Idiomatic expressions are phrases whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal meaning of the words used. Understanding and using these expressions is crucial to improving your fluency in any language, and Egyptian Arabic is no exception!
To make the lesson more engaging and interesting, we will include cultural information and fun facts about the expressions. We will also use analogies to illustrate complex concepts.
Before we dive into the idiomatic expressions, let's review some basic vocabulary. If you need more vocabulary, you can check out the Vocabulary section on the Polyglot Club website.
After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Tongue twisters & Seasons.
Expressions for Everyday Conversation[edit | edit source]
Here are some expressions you might hear in everyday conversation:
| Egyptian Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| كُل ٱلّي حَلو بيروح و بيجيلَه | kul illi ḥelw byrūḥ w bygīlah | All that is sweet goes and comes back to it. (meaning: Nothing lasts forever) |
| يَخلّي بالَك | yekhalli balak | Keep it in mind / Be careful / Take care. |
| خَلاّفُ البَيت بَينَ السِّتَّات | khallaf el-bayt bayn el-sittat | The house disputes are between the women. (meaning: Women fight a lot) |
When you hear someone say "kul illi ḥelw byrūḥ w bygīlah," you know that they're referring to the temporary nature of things. This idiomatic expression is used to suggest that you should enjoy life while you can, because nothing lasts forever.
When someone says "yekhalli balak," they're reminding you to keep something in your mind or to be careful. This expression is used when you're about to do something risky or when you're not paying attention.
As for "khallaf el-bayt bayn el-sittat," it refers to the tendency of women to argue and is often used to describe a situation where women in a family or a household are fighting.
- Dialogue:**
- Person 1: يَخلّي بالَك (yekhalli balak)
- Person 2: ايه، حَ ياريتَنا نِتَذَكّرْ (aye, ha yaretina nitathakkar) (Yes, we should remember)
Expressions for Surprise[edit | edit source]
These expressions are used when you're surprised or in disbelief:
| Egyptian Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| عَلي عَزَّك | ʿala ʿazzak | With all due respect / Excuse me?! |
| أَلَا حِلاه و سَهلاه | ala helwa w sahla | Welcome / How nice! |
| و الله ؟! | wallah?! | Really?! |
"Ala ʿazzak" is a polite way to say "excuse me" or "with all due respect" when you're about to contradict someone or say something that might be perceived as impolite.
"Ala helwa w sahla" is a common expression used to welcome someone or show appreciation for something. It could be translated as "how nice" or "how lovely."
Finally, "wallah" is a versatile word that can be used in different contexts, but it's often used to express disbelief, surprise, or excitement. It could be translated as "really?!" or "no way!"
- Dialogue:**
- Person 1: ممكن أجيبَك بُكَمَّة؟ (mumkin ajibak bukamma?) (Can I punch you?)
- Person 2: عَلي عَزَّك! (ala ʿazzak!) (With all due respect!)
Expressions for Agreement and Refusal[edit | edit source]
These expressions are used when you want to agree or refuse something:
| Egyptian Arabic | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| إيوَا | ewwa | Yes / Alright / Okay |
| ما يِنْفَعْش | ma yinfash | It's impossible / It won't work |
| بَصّرة | baṣṣara | Wait a minute / Hold on |
"Ewwa" is a common way to say "yes" or show agreement. It can also be translated as "alright" or "okay."
"Ma yinfash" literally means "it won't fit" or "it won't work," and it's used to express that something is impossible or cannot be done.
Finally, "baṣṣara" is an expression used to ask someone to wait for a moment or hold on. It's a more polite way to ask someone to wait compared to "shwayya shwayya" (slowly, slowly) or "intazar" (wait).
- Dialogue:**
- Person 1: أَنا شايفلَك مخدّرات. مُمْكِنْ تِجِيْبَها؟ (ana shayflek mukhadarāt. mumkin tigibha?) (I see you have drugs. Can you bring them?)
- Person 2: ما يِنْفَعْش. (ma yinfash) (It's impossible)
Another example could be:
- Person 1: بدَّيْ أروح لبيتَك غدًا. (beday arūḥ lebetak ghadan) (I want to come to your house tomorrow.)
- Person 2: بَصّرة، بَس ما تتأخرْش. (baṣṣara, bas ma teta'kharsh) (Wait a minute, but don't be late.)
I hope you found these idiomatic expressions useful to improve your understanding of Egyptian Arabic. Don't forget to practice and use them! To improve your Egyptian Arabic, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]