More colloquial Egyptian words and expressions.
مكحكح (mkaHkaH)
Broken-down, decrepit. Can be used to describe someone who's old and in bad health, or an old, broken-down object like a car.
ملحلح (mlaHlaH)
Lively and resourceful, enterprising
ماليش | ماعنديش مزاج (maliiš/ma3andiiš mazaag)
I'm not in the mood, I don't feel like it; ex. ma3andiiš mazaag dilwa'ti lil-Hekaaya di (I'm not in the mood for that right now)
مبلغ (mablaġ)
(1) an amount or sum (of money); ex. 'iddet-lu šek bi-mablaġ 3ašara gneih (I gave him a check to the amount of ten pounds); (2) a large amount or great extent; ex. il-masaafa kaanit mablaġ (it was a considerable distance); 3ašaan ti3rafi mablaġ Hubbi liiki (so that you should know how much I love you)
زنّ - يزنّ (زنّ) على (zann - yizinn [zann] 3ala)
To nag, whine, or pester someone (lit. to buzz/hum).
حلنجي (Halangi)
Someone who's full of big talk but no action (all hat, no cattle, as you might say), whom you can't trust
رزل (rizil)
Someone impertinent who gives others a hard time
قنبر ('ambar)
To make something (generally one's bottom or bosom) appear larger; ex. heya labsa sutyaan bi'ambar bizazha (she's wearing a bra that gives her breasts prominence)
باين على (baayin 3ala)
To appear or seem a certain way; ex. baayin 3aleiha miš mabsuuTa (she doesn't look happy), baayin 3aleik mitDayyi' (you seem annoyed)
لحلوح (ج) لحاليح (laHluuH (pl.) laHaliiH)
Slang for a pound (money), especially in the context of bribery
فوّل على (fawwil 3ala)
To jinx someone by mentioning possible misfortune
عمل له حركة وسخة (3mal lu Haraka wisxa)
To play s.o. a dirty trick (lit. a dirty move)
مسمار جحا (musmaar goHa)
Goha's nail. An excuse or pretext to keep one's foot in the door. Goha is a popular character from folktales. The story goes that he sold his house except for one nail, with a stipulation that he could come back and do whatever he wanted with the nail whenever. So later whenever he would get annoyed with the new owner of the house, he would come back and hammer on the nail.
وليمة (ج) ولايم (wiliima (pl.) walaayim)
The standard meaning is "banquet," but whereas a banquet in English is a formal event, wiliima can be used to describe an informal get-together or party with lots of food.
عمل حسابه على كدة (3amal Hisaabu 3ala kida)
To take s.t. into account and plan for it.
مسك - يمسك (مسك) (misik - yimsik [mask])
(1) To take hold of or grab; (2) to capture or arrest; (3) to take on or be in charge of (e.g. a job); (4) to harp on or keep on about (ex. miskuu-lu l-ġalTa lli 3amalha, they kept reminding him of his mistake); (5) to stick, adhere, hold
مسك - يمسك في (misik - yimsik fi)
To start a fight with (s.o.), or to invite pressingly or insist that someone accept your invitation
لمّ - يلمّ (lamm - yilimm)
To collect or gather s.t., like money
اتلمّ على (itlamm 3ala)
To gather around or gang up on (s.o.)
علقة (3al'a)
A beating or thrashing; to say "I really beat him up/gave him a good thrashing," you can say "Darabtu 3al'a gamda" or "3al'a suxna."
زي الأطرش في الزفة (zayy il-aTraš fiz-zaffa)
Really out of it; describes someone who doesn't know what's going on around him (lit. like a deaf man at a wedding)
يدوب (yadaub)
Barely, hardly; ex. ana yadaub waaxid nafasi (I've barely caught my breath), ana yadaub maxadtiš nafasi (either "I'm just on the point of catching my breath" or "I've just this very second caught my breath")
الفار لعب في عبّه (il-faar le3eb fi 3ebbu.)
He smelled a rat, began to have suspicions (lit. the mouse played in the gap between s.o.'s shirt and chest)
مكسّح (mikassaH)
Literally mikassaH means crippled, but it can also mean really exhausted, so tired you can't move.
متدروخ (mitdarwax)
Literally "dizzy," but it can also mean really exhausted.
قرق - يقرق (قرق) ('ara' - yi'ro' ['ara'])
To complain about someone enviously, in an "evil eye" kind of way
راسه ناشفة (raasu našfa)
He's hard-headed, stubborn (lit. his head is dry)
نحس (naHs)
Bad luck, ill omen; you can call a person naHs if they bring bad luck
لا أبيض ولا اسود (la abyaD wala iswid)
No money at all (lit. neither black nor white); ex. ma3anduuš la abyaD wala iswid (he's penniless)
زي علب كبريت (zayy 3elab kabriit)
Like packs of matches (the equivalent of "packed like sardines")
أفلام الموسم (aflaam il-muusim)
The latest trend (lit. the season's [current] movies)
فيلم هندي (film hindi)
Something can be described as an Indian (Bollywood) movie if it's really fantastical and impossible.
تحفة (toHfa)
A collector's item or objet d'art; can be used to describe something/someone amusingly odd or eccentric
خنفس (xunfis)
A hippie or guy with long hair. Lit. "beetle" (because of the Beatles).
بيئة (bii'a)
Used as an adjective to describe something trashy, "ghetto," or low-life. Lit. "environment."
قطّع في فروة __. ('aTTa3 fi farwit __.)
To gossip about someone. Lit. to cut someone's fur.
Home