Your comprehensive guide to insults in Arabic

If you’re planning a trip to an Arab country, it’s helpful to learn phrases for greetings and everyday conversational expressions like apologizing, asking for permission, and saying thank you. However, it can also be useful to pick up some bad words and insults in Arabic with their meanings—not to start fights, but to better understand Arab culture.

Overview of Arabic insults

Insults in Arabic, much like in other languages, serve as an outlet for anger, frustration, or resentment. While it’s never advisable to use these Arabic vulgar words offensively, knowing them can be helpful for avoiding misunderstandings and navigating Arab culture.

Insults in Arabic generally target aspects like intelligence, family, honor, or religion, with varying levels of severity depending on the social context.

How يا (ya) prefaces insults in Arabic

When addressing someone to insult them, start with يا (ya), similar to “hey” or “you” in English:

يا كلب
You dog!
يا حمار
You donkey!

Using يا is common in both regular and impolite speech. Let’s dive into the different categories of bad words in Arabic language and their meanings across various dialects.

1. Mild Arabic insults

Mild Arab insults often target intelligence, manners, and behavior or make animal comparisons. These insults reveal the values in Arab societies regarding education, manners, and social norms.

Intelligence and education: Insults targeting someone’s intelligence, such as calling them غبي (stupid) or مغفل (idiot), underscore the importance placed on education and intellectual capability. In Arab societies – like most others – being educated and knowledgeable is highly valued.
Mental health stigma: Terms like مجنون (crazy) or متخلّف (retarded) reveal the stigma around mental health issues. Mental health is often a sensitive topic, and such insults can be particularly damaging, reflecting a broader societal challenge in addressing and accepting mental health conditions. Again, such stigmas are not unique to Arab culture.

Behavior and manners: Insults that describe someone as غليظ (coarse), قليل ذوق (tactless) or قليل أدب (impolite) emphasize the importance of good manners and respectful behavior.
Animal comparisons: Many insults connect with animals, such كلب (dog) or حمار (donkey) . Different animals symbolize different traits, and not all animals are used as insults; some are used as pet names.

By understanding these cultural nuances, you can better appreciate the depth and complexity of Arabic insults and what they reveal about Arab values.

Here’s a table of relatively mild Arabic insults in singular masculine form. For most of these words, to convert them to feminine form, it suffices to add the letter ـة at the end.

English	Levantine	Egyptian	Gulf	Darija	Notes
Dog	كلب	كلب	كلب	كلب	Implies being disloyal, treacherous, or morally low, often conveying a sense of contempt. Can imply a person is subservient or shameless, as dogs can sometimes be associated with submission.
Donkey Jackass	حمار جحش	حمار جحش	حمار	حمار	Implies that someone is being stubborn, unintelligent, or foolish. Donkeys are often stereotyped as being slow and obstinate, so it suggests that they’re acting in a dumb or stubborn way.
Animal	حيوان	حيوان	حيوان	حيوان	Implies behaving in a crude, uncivilized, or unintelligent manner. Suggests that someone lacks refinement or basic social norms, acting instinctively or without thought, like an animal.
Livestock	بهيم بهيمة	بهيم بهيمة	بهيم بهيمة	بهيمة	Similar in meaning to حيوان (animal)
Pig	خنزير	خنزير	خنزير	خنزير	Implies someone is dirty, immoral, or shameless, often associated with filth or greed. In Islamic cultures, the pig is considered impure, making this insult particularly offensive.
Beast Brute	حقير	حقير	حقير	حقير	Meaning “despicable” or “contemptible,” it implies that the person is dishonorable and unworthy of respect.
Goat	تيس	تيس	X	X	Implies that someone is stubborn or foolish, but can also be used in a light-hearted way, depending on context.
Stupid Idiot Fool	غبي أهبل أجدب بليد سطل سمج	غبي أهبل بليد أهطل عبيط سمج	غبي أهبل سمج تنبل أهطل	غبي أثول مكلخ مجمّك مبوهل مطرنن
Liar	كذّاب خرّيط	كدّاب	كذّاب	عيّار كذّاب كدّاب
Crazy	مجنون	مجنون	مجنون خبل	مجنون احمق مسطّي هبيل
Retarded	متخلّف	متخلّف	متخلّف	معوّق
Shoe	صرماية	جزمة	جوتي	صبّاط	Shoes are considered filthy in the Arab world
Rotten Vile Foul	سافل قذر	معفّن سافل رمّة	حقير وسخ نذل سافل	خايس خامج معفون
Filthy	وسخ	وسخ	وسخ	موسخ مقدور
Impure Defiled	نجس	معفن	نجس	منجوس منگوس	Means filthy or impure in an Islamic context
Lowlife	واطي	واطي	X	X
Disgraceful	عايب	عايب عرة	عايب	عايب
Annoying	X	بيضان بيض	X	قلاوي	Literally: “testicles.” It’s used to describe anything annoying, not just people.
Shameless	وقح عديم الحيا قليل الحيا	قليل الحيا	وقح قليل الحيا	قليل الحيا
Lacking tact	قليل الذّوق	قليل الذّوق	قليل الذّوق	قليل الادب
Lacking manners	قليل الأدب	قليل الأدب	قليل الأدب	قليل الادب
Lacking good upbringing	قليل الأصل	قليل الأصل	قليل الأصل	قليل الأصل
Unpleasant	تقيل الدم سمج	سمج	ثقيل دم ثقيل طينة	قبيح تقيل
Lame, boring (Literally: acidic, sour)	ممل	ممل	ممل	حامض
Thief	حرامي	حرامي	حرامي	سرّاق
Grumpy	نفسيتو حامضة نكدي	مقريف نكدي	نكد منكد	مقلوب مخضر مغير

A clip from an Egyptian series shows some common insults used in everyday conversations.

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Though these insults are generally considered offensive and impolite, they’re regarded as less severe compared to insults directed against one’s family.

Just adding ابن الـ (son of) to insults such as كلب or جزمة makes them instantly more insulting, as in ابن الكلب (son of a dog) or ابن الجزمة (son of a shoe). But note that this doesn’t apply to all insults, so you wouldn’t usually hear ابن الحمار .

For others in Egyptian, the insult gets transferred to one’s mother for added intensity, such as ابن المجنونة (son a madwoman) instead of just مجنون or ابن الوسخة (son of a filthy woman) instead of just وسخ . These terms are kind of fixed too, so you wouldn’t normally hear يا ابن المجنون or يا ابن الوسخ .

From an Egyptian clip, one of the diverse real-world videos available on Playaling.

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Insults in Arabic can reveal much about Arab values and the social weight of respect and family. By recognizing the different forms, you can appreciate the depth of swear words in Arabic and what they reveal about cultural norms.

2. Religious and familial curses in Arabic

Religion is deeply integrated into daily life, and although these insults are described as relatively mild, cursing someone’s religion or God is still considered among the gravest insults. Such insults reflect the importance of religious respect and can lead to serious social and personal repercussions.

Understanding these insults provides valuable insight into Arab societal values and the profound respect they have for their religious beliefs and family ties. This knowledge can help navigate interactions in Arabic-speaking contexts more respectfully and avoid unintentional offense.

Here is a table of religious and familial curses found in various spoken Arabic dialects, including Levantine, Egyptian, Gulf, and Darija.

Literal English	Levantine	Egyptian	Gulf	Darija	Notes
Cursed Damned	لعين ملعون	ملعون	لعين ملعون	ملعون
May God curse you	الله يلعنك	الله يلعنك	الله يلعنك	الله يلعنك
Curse your father	يلعن أبوك	يلعن أبوك ينعل أبوك	يلعن بوك	يلعن بوك	ينعل is sometimes used as a euphemism for يلعن
Curse your religion	يلعن ديبك يلعن دينك	يلعن دينك ينعل دينك	X	ينعل دين ديماك	ديبك is sometimes used as a euphemism for دينك
Curse your God	يلعن ربّك	X	X	X
Cursed is the father of whoever gave birth to you	يلعن أبو اللي خلفك	ملعون أبو اللي جابك	ملعون بوك	ينعل اللي ربّاك ينعل والديك
Cursed is your mother’s father	X	ملعون أبو أمّك	يلعن بو أمّك	ينعل جدّك
May God curse whoever gave birth to you	يلعن اللي خلفوك	الله ينعل اللي خلفوك	يلعن اللي خلفوك	ينعل والديك
Curse your mother’s religion	X	يلعن دين أمّك	X	ينعل دين أمّك

3. The gravest insults in Arabic culture

Insults targeting honor and female family members

In Arab culture, the worst insults are directed at a person’s honor, especially through female relatives, carrying connotations of chastity and respect. Such worst Arabic insults can have grave consequences, as honor is a sensitive topic in Arab societies.

Here are some cultural insights into why these insults are particularly grave:

Family honor: An individual’s honor is closely tied to the honor of the women in their family, particularly their wife, mother, and sister. Insulting these women is seen as a direct attack on the family’s reputation and integrity, which is considered unforgivable.

Sexual connotations: The most egregious insults often refer to the reproductive organs of female family members and carry sexual connotations. This reflects the high value placed on female chastity and modesty in Arab societies. Accusations of promiscuity can severely damage a family’s honor.

Severe consequences: Such insults can lead to serious and even fatal consequences. In extreme cases, they can provoke violence or long-term feuds as families feel compelled to defend their honor.

Click here to view the table of insults targeting honor and female family members.

Literal English	Levantine	Egyptian	Gulf	Darija
Your mother’s pussy	كس أمّك	كس أمّك	كس أمّك	حتشون يمّك طبون يمّاك
Your sister’s pussy	كس أختك	كس أختك	كس اختك	X
Illegitimate child	ابن حرام	ابن حرام	ولد حرام	ولد الحرام
Fucked One	منيوك منتاك	منيوك متناك	منيوك	محوي
Fuck you	X	X	X	بارا نايك بارا نيك
Go fuck yourself	روح انتاك	روح اتناك	نيك نفسك	سير تحوّا
Fuck your mother	إيري بأمّك	نيك أمّك	X	امشي نيك أمّك نكليك أمّك

Gender norms and taboos in Arab culture

The nature of insults often reflects gender norms and societal expectations. Here are some cultural insights into gender-related insults:

Masculinity and honor: Concepts masculinity and honor are deeply tied to a man’s control over his household and the behavior of his family members, particularly women.
Modesty and behavior: Insults aimed at women typically criticize their modesty or behavior, highlighting societal expectations for women to uphold modesty and propriety. Accusations of promiscuity are particularly severe and damaging.
Homosexuality: Insults related to homosexuality are considered extremely offensive due to the prohibition and lack of acceptance of homosexuality in many Arab societies. These insults reflect deep cultural sensitivities and taboos surrounding sexual orientation.
Gender roles: Any behavior deemed masculine in females or feminine in males is taboo and considered highly insulting. This highlights the strict gender roles and expectations in Arab cultures.

Click here to view the table of insults targeting gender norms and taboos in Arab culture

English	Levantine	Egyptian	Gulf	Darija	Notes
Prostitute Whore Slut	قحبة شرموطة	قحبة شرموطة لبوة	قحبة شرموطة	قحبة شرموطة	لبوة literally means “lioness.” Female lions are thought to be really horny.
Cuckold (a man whose wife sleeps around)	ديّوث مقرّن	ديّوث قرني	ديّوث جرّار	ديّوت قرّان	مقرّن قرّان and قرني literally mean “horned” or “horns,” an old symbol associated with infidelity across cultures. جَرَّار (literally: “dragger”) is someone who “drags” his wife into bed with others.
Pimp	عرص	عرص معرّص قوّاد	قوّاد	قوّاد
Homosexual Faggot	شاذ لوطي	شاذ خول علق متناك	لوطي شاذ	زامل ملون ميبون شاذ	لوط is a prophet in the Bible and Quran, he warned the people of Sodom, who were punished for their sins, including sexual immorality. شاذ literally means “deviant” or “perverse”. متناك is literally a male who gets penetrated.
Effeminate man	مخنّث	منسون	مخنّث	نقش مبنت مخنّت
Manly woman	X	دكر	X	مرجلة

A Lebanese woman responds to some of her critics by proudly calling herself شرموطة, a very crude word meaning “slut” or “whore,” and usually reserved for insults directed at women.

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For insults related to female honor, they can be redirected to a man with the word ابن (son of), making it even more offensive, such as ابن الشرموطة or ابن القحبة (Son of a whore). Additionally, there’s a common insult in Egypt, ابن المرا where مرا is a derogatory term in Egyptian Arabic, although it’s neutral in other dialects. The word مرا is derived from the MSA terms امرأة or مرأة meaning woman.

Other insults

Click here to view the table of other insulting phrases

English	Levantine	Egyptian	Gulf	Darija	Notes
Get lost! Beat it! Scram!	انقلع حل عني هوّينا	غور	اذلف انقلع سرّي	بالاك علي سير فحالك
Get out of my face!	انقلع من وجهي حلّ عن سماي	غور من وشي	جب	قب من وجهي درق عليا كمارتك
Go to hell!	ع جهنّم	X	لجهنّم	لجهنّم
May you be struck with calamity!	X	غور في داهية داهية تاخدك	الطقّاق يطقّك انقلع قالع الله يقلعك	الله يخلّيك بالخلا
May God not return you!	الله لا يردّك	X	الله لا يخليك	الله لا يردّك
May God take you (your soul)!	الله ياخدك	ربنا ياخدك	ربنا ياخذك	الله ياخدك
Shut your mouth!	سد تمّك	اكتم خالص	شب	سد فمّك شد داك الدقوم
Shut your pie hole!	سد نيعك	حط جزمة في بقك literally: put a shoe in your mouth	صك حلقك	سد داك الحلق
Shut up!	اخرس	اخرس اتكتم	شب ولا كلمة انطم	سكوت	These are more harsh than اسكت (be quiet or silent).
Eat shit!	كول خرا	كل خرا	كل زق	كل الخرا
Eat shit	كول هوا	X	X	X	Literally: Eat air
Whatever! Do what you like! I don’t give a shit!	روح بلّط البحر	اتفلق اخبط راسك في الحيط	سير ولّي روح انطز سرّي	ضرب راسك مع الحيط	روح بلّط البحر Literally: Go pave the sea. Used to express a lack of interest or concern about what the other person is saying, especially a threat
May you have pain that will knock out your teeth (or eyes)!	وجع يخلع نيعك	X	X	عينك غادي يخرجو من بلاصتهوم
Screw that! Fuck that!	X	أحا	X	X	A crude exclamation of extreme disapproval
I spit on you!	تفو عليك	تفو عليك	تفو عليك	تفو عليك
To hell with it! What the hell!	العمى	X	X	X	Literally: blindness
May blindness strike you!	العمى يعميك العمى ضربك	عمى في عينك	عمى بعينك	يضربك العمى
You’re talking nonsense!	حكيك فاضي	طيزك حمرا	طيزك حمرا	غير كتخربق غير كطنز	طيزك حمرا literally means “your ass is red,” like a baboon’s
Lick my dick	تلحس إيري	X	X	X	Very crude
Lick my ass	تلحس طيزي	X	X	X	Very crude

A Saudi girl yells at a group of men harassing her.

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Even sounds can be considered insulting in Arab culture. A snort شخرة (which sounds like this ) is sometimes used to express annoyance or disapproval and is considered very vulgar.

A Jordanian comedian attacks the widespread belief in conspiracy theories. He uses شخرة (snort) to express contempt. He gets away with it on YouTube. However, on Arab TV and in movies, such a sound would never make it past censorship, as it is considered highly inappropriate.

Watch full video

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