It’s usually asked in a sarcastic tone to question someone’s actions or statement (it can be on a serious note, too).ĭo you want to practice these expressions and many more? Start learning Arabic!Ībout the Author: Randa A. Loves experimenting and being creative with food and recipes. This question is used to express disbelief and frustration. The next time you hear a Syrian talking, listen carefully and observe. Remember, it all goes back to the tone it is said in.Īlmost every Syrian person you’d encounter would throw fahamit alyee shlon into a conversation! It is more or less a rhetorical question said to emphasize an important point (after an explanation or description of something or a situation). “Ya haram, are you ok?” It can be used when you’re being serious or sarcastic. Lebanese people use this phrase to make someone feel welcome, express surprise, frustration and so on. Translation: even if / it’s ok / of course/ don’t mention it (when someone thanks you) It can be used as a casual greeting or when checking up on someone: “ Hey! Shaku maku?”. If you wish, you can reply with “maku shi” (nothing’s new). All Arabs are familiar with this popular colloquial phrase that translates word-for-word to what’s there and what’s not?

Shaku maku is literally a phrase that you’d hear throughout the day when Iraqis converse. Translation: what’s up?/ what’s new? how’s it going? Usually used for confirmation, emphasis or to state something so obvious. “Don’t reply to his messages, khali wali.” If you live or have lived in the UAE, you’d hear Arabs, and non-Arabs say it to express annoyance with a person or situation. “khali wali” has to be one of the most well-known expressions around the Gulf regions. Those who’ve heard it are most definitely laughing right now. Translation: let it be/ forget about it/ whatever If someone thanks you, you’d reply back with hala wallah, too. When someone says hi to you say “hala wallah!” (like saying hi back basically).

It is said when you meet and greet your friends, when welcoming a guest to your home, and …when flirting! This phrase is widely common in the Gulf countries. Translation: hi there! / welcome/ my pleasure Whether you want to begin or end a conversation (you can add it in between as well) inshallah is your go-to word: “ khalas, I’ll finish it today inshallah”. Oh, you’ve surely heard it because Arabs tend to use it so often when speaking. Tweak it up and write it in Arabizi, i.e., the cooler way: “ya3ni”. It frequently comes up in any conversation. In Arabic, yaani is the English word for the slang interjection “like”. As you can see above, the translations are endless! It can be used to end an argument “khalas now!!” and said when you finish a task, yell at your kids or even when you tell yourself to stop overthinking. Translation: done / OK / alright / finish / enough / stop itĭepending on the situation, there are many different versions (and tones) of ‘khalas’ that Arabs use. Here you have it, we’ve selected 11 Arabic expressions from across the Arab world and how they’re used in basic conversations. Learn all that and other Arabic expressions with our Arabic language course. Nonetheless, with exposure to several varieties of the Arabic language and culture by means of mass media, socializing, traveling, etc., many Arabs are becoming more and more familiar with and are using expressions from other countries in daily life situations. When it comes to country-specific conversational terms, the list of such is never-ending! There are over 22 Arabic dialects with slang words and phrases differing from one country to another. Some spoken phrases can express two or more different ideas. The Arabic language is known to have many words with innumerable different meanings.

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