Arabic Language and Culture Blog
بالله — A Levantine Expression for “Really?” and “Please”
If you spend time listening to Levantine speakers (Syrian, Lebanese, Palestinian, or Jordanian), you’ll almost certainly hear بالله؟ — a short, expressive word used to
!يا لهوي (Ya Lahwi) — The Egyptian Cry of Shock, Fear, and Sudden Surprise
If you spend any time around Egyptians, you’ll quickly hear يا لهوي — a loud, expressive exclamation used in moments of shock, fear, sudden panic,
شو في؟ — The Levantine Way to Ask “What’s Wrong?” or “What’s Going On?”
If you spend any time around Syrian, Palestinian, Jordanian, or Lebanese speakers, you’ll almost certainly hear شو في؟ — a short, emotional question used for
Inshallah — More Than Just “God Willing”
You’ll often hear Arabic speakers say إن شاء الله — one of the most common and deeply meaningful expressions in the language. If you’re looking
أهلًا وسهلًا (Ahlan wa Sahlan) — The Classic Arabic Welcome
If you spend any time around Arabic speakers, you’ll often hear أهلًا وسهلًا — a timeless, elegant way to say “Welcome!” in Modern Standard, Levantine,
ماشي الحال (Mashi El-Hal) — The “It’s Okay” That Says a Lot
Suppose you spend time in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, or Palestine. In that case, you’ll quickly hear people say ماشي الحال. It literally means “the situation
خير إنشالله (Khair Inshallah) — The Many Shades of a Classic Levantine Phrase
If you spend time with people from Syria, Lebanon, or Palestine, Jordan, you’ll hear خير انشالله often. Literally, it means “Good, God willing” — but
فيه إيه؟ (fih eh) — The Egyptian Way to Say “What’s Going On?”
If you’ve spent any time around Egyptians, you’ve almost certainly heard فيه ايه — a short, catchy phrase that Egyptians use all the time. It
Understanding Colloquial Arabic: A Beginner’s Guide
If you’ve started learning Arabic, you may have faced a common surprise: after months of studying Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), you realize that Arabs don’t