Arabic – Egyptian Dialect
Colloquial Egyptian Arabic Expressions
This lesson intends to educate the learner on common expressions (idioms) in Egyptian Arabic. Explore this page on Arabic Desert Sky to read more about each idiom and find examples of how they’re used. The table below teaches 3 idioms; what they mean, what they literally mean, and then you will practice pronunciation of each idiom and finally, matching the idiom to it’s meaning.
| Arabic script | Franco | Meaning | Literal meaning |
| حطّه على الرفّ | HaTTuh 3ala r-raff | to not make use of someone’s abilities | to put someone on the shelf |
| وجع – يوجع راسه | waga3 – yiwga3 raasu | to annoy or inconvenience someone | to hurt someone’s head |
| ناس مابتجيش الا بالعين الحمرا | naas matbitgiiš illa bil-3ein il-Hamra | people who only do things the hard way, like needing to be yelled at for correction | who only come by the red/evil eye |
Speaking in Idioms
The Franco column is a helpful starting point for pronunciation. Practice pronunciation using Lisaan Masry by typing in the individual Arabic script words at a time.
