Arabic Language and Culture Blog
!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
What’s the Best Online Resource for Learning Levantine Arabic?
If you have ever attempted to learn Arabic, you have undoubtedly observed that the majority of available resources concentrate on Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) or