30.10.06

Baladko eh?


Some untranslatable charm from the Middle East that’s never lost in my heart is in expressions I've learned since… ever.
Here are some I remember:
Noor 3ayneh – 7ayeteh – roo7 2albi – to2borneh – metl el fel – yee 3layeh (ana could be added for emphasis) – misk we 3anbar (old school) – alla ykhalikyerda 3laikkhalisneh ba2a (ba2a is optional, when added you'd better... let them be ) – wlo, wlik, wleh (and any variation thereof) – 2abl el daw (tiz el sobo7 in a more casual setting) – khayy (favorite, used to express… pleasance) – malla model (when used with indignation) – gheir shikil (... a good thing).
More complex ones (could be considered proverbs, but who knows):
3a sooss w ne2tah (she7tah could substitute ne2tah depending on where you’re from) – matra7 ma khereh shana2oo (which I never understood what it means) – she7adeh we bentah (don’t remember what it means, but I guess it has to do with something being very early in the day)

PS: I wanted to have them categorized but found out that most are multivalent, for instance “3ayneh” could be used to express endearment, anger, or even hard-bitten cynicism…


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21 comments:

Firas Wehbe said...

I would add:
-ma akhra min 7anna illa 7nein
-neekneh! (or neekna!)
-zee7neh! (or zee7na!)
-7asheeshet albeh min jouwwa
-tayyas 3abdak ya rab
-akhou manyoukeh (=bad, good, awesome)
-sha77ad w msharet
-3atlan hamm
-inshara7 albeh
-de2 sodri
-infalajit
-labbeela (car or a girl)
-jibna il 2a2ra3 la ywannisna, kashshaf 3an sali3to

gitanes legeres said...

wle bitjannin..enta wyyeeyeh..

Unknown said...

hahahaha
how about
shayel jildit tizo we leze'a 3a wejjo :))

Hashem said...

soooooooo sweet...:)

_z. said...

excellent repertoire. khwet! bi3a22id! bitawwish! bisattil!

fi we7de kamen b7ebba.
"yiii, ma32oul rasak?"
aw ma32oul raso hayda.

AND,
byekoul rass el bisso.

badde please, dakhlikoun 7ada y2elle chou houwwe el bisso.

w khallina! yalla kesskoun.

Firas Wehbe said...

-addah add il fara w sawta mtallah il 7ara

Hilal CHOUMAN said...

Hilarious post Ghassan.
fee kamein:
-3am yekhra w y6omm (very afraid of the consequences)

mitil esshe77adeh w benta comes with teez eddaw.
I categorized some phrases before which were related to lies, you can find it here.

gitanes legeres said...

ma byenshaba3 minno hal post ya ghassan..

Ghassan said...

ok here're some I remember (from egyptian movies):
- yama gab el ghorab lomo
- gat tl 7azeena tefrah ma le2ethash matra7
- redeena bel ham wel ham mosh radee beena
- la2eenee we la tghadeenee (egyptian version of 'ta3a wela tejeh' or is it?)
- ya dakhel ben el bassala w eshretha, ma ynoobak ila re7et7a.
- in konte nassee ellii gara negeeb el dafater ten2ara

Hilal CHOUMAN said...

- ya khabar bi floos bokra teb2a bi balash..
- ray7a ana w ekhwati 3annati (means 3a 'nnadi-club)
- ana kilmiti ma tenzalsh el ard abadan.. 7anafy! khalaaas! elmarra di 7a tenzel..
- ya khty 3ala jamaloo..
- 7ekammmm
- ma balsh el jaww da ba2a
- 7asal eih..?
- ahmaaaaaaaaaaaad.... monaaaaaaaa
- sharaf el bint zay 3ood el kabreet ma ywalla3sh gheir marra wa7da.. (ma khassneh ana)
- inta khalleit rasna bi66eeen
...

(ma byekhlaso..)

Ghassan said...

hahaha (I love the 7anafeh! one - I remember the movie, and of course the fool commercial)

Maya@NYC said...

hahahha.....el post maximum salbeh, wel comments bi 3a'do!

rouba said...

wlek khartoushet fardik ana

rouba said...

bil day3a, we say "ka beiti" instead of ya rou7eh (ka instead of ya for everything)
this post is like, awesome!

Hilal CHOUMAN said...

Breaking news.. breaking news:

"esslei7 b 2eed el khara b yejra7"

Unknown said...

shou ya ammoura? btekle nammoura?

Ghassan said...

(Beiruty o7 accent)
- ashbak leiweih?
- fardeh mta2alneh.

Ghassan said...

eh I remembered another one:
el belleh testrak - sater for emphasis (sater eh sater la2 for additional empahsis)

Ghassan said...

ka beiti ahhh as in house (I thought kebbeyteh as in cup)

Hilal CHOUMAN said...

- 7emma tosil2ik salo2..
- wlee 3ala 2amtak
- shou ya 7elo? fee mennak 3a jelo?
- 2elneila arrbeh sawbneh (y sawbna), 2aletelna msawbneh
- sheel ya t2eel..
...
:D

my favurite saying:
3eesh ya kdeech la yinbot el7asheeh.
webtejeh ma3a,
bokra bidoob ettalj w bibein el marj..

Unknown said...

LOOOL i love it! so funny!

The Syrian ones are so GRAPHIC: Tejeek el 7imma w da' el na'razan
(da' means marad, na'razan is the name of some kind of strange disease) lol

A Syrian one worst then to'bor 3dami: Tkaffinni inshalla

LOLOL Hilal - ahmaaaaaaaaaaaad.... monaaaaaaaa cracked me up... U forgot: Elgawaza di mosh lazem titim! ba7ibbo ya babaaaaa..aaaaa

This is a not so common one in Egyptian, but i really like it:
ma la'oosh fil ward 3aib aloolo ya7mar el khaddain
(i somehow feel they are talking about me...LOL)