Syrian Colloquial Arabic 1

Question 1

دوبو عمرو عشر اسنين

Answer 1

He’s barely ten

Question 2

انت عم بتصف معها؟ (int ‘am bitsaf ma’a?)

Answer 2

You’re taking her side? -you’re siding with her?

Question 3

لساتك عم تتوحمي؟

Answer 3

You’re still having cravings?

Question 4

سلملي عليه (sellimli alih)

Answer 4

Say hi to him for me

Question 5

لا تفهمني غلط

Answer 5

(La tefhemni ghalat) Don’t get me wrong; don’t misunderstand me.

Question 6

مقطوع من شجرة

Answer 6

Cut from a tree (lit.) someone with no family

Question 7

خيرها بغيرها

Answer 7

Maybe some other time

Question 8

انت قاعد توقف معها

Answer 8

انت عم بتصف معها

Question 9

بتخاف ما؟

Answer 9

You’re scared, right?

Question 10

ما بتعرف تسبح؟

Answer 10

You don’t know how to swim

Question 11

ايه عادي

Answer 11

(Fig.) what’s so strange about that?

Question 12

اذا وقعت انا بنقذك

Answer 12

(Iza wa’at ana banqizak)

If you fall i’ll save/rescue you

Question 13

بالله؟!

Answer 13

(Ballah?!)

Really!?

Question 14

ايه بلا حكي فاضي وخلينا ندوّر ع الزلمي

Answer 14

Yes, quit BSing and let’s go look for the man!

Question 15

على رأسنا والله

Answer 15

We’re really grateful!

Question 16

كبّه بالزبالة

Answer 16

(Kibbo biz-zibaleh) throw it in the trash

Question 17

كبّ الطابة

Answer 17

(Kabb at-Tabeh)

He threw the ball

Question 18

باقة

Answer 18

(Ba’ah’?) bouquet

Question 19

ليش حتى كبّها؟ نشّفها وبعملها زهورات

Answer 19

Why should/would I throw them out? I’ll dry them and make dried flowers (for tea) out of them. (She’s probably joking here)

Question 20

ليش لحتى أدرس بما انو رح اغش

Answer 20

Why should I study since I’m going to cheat?

Question 21

سوريا بخير ليش لحتى ما نضحك

Answer 21

Syria’s fine, why shouldn’t we laugh? (Sarcastic political comment)

Question 22

زِتّ الطابة

Answer 22

He threw the ball.

Question 23

عارف؟/عارفة؟

Answer 23

Know what I mean?

Question 24

احترنا يا قرعة من وين/منين نبوسك؟

Answer 24

We’re confused baldy(lit. Pumpkin) where do we kiss you?

-means to indicate someone who is hard to satisfy, is giving you a hard time. Bc one greets with a kiss on the cheek in the Arab world, so when someone is bald it is like their cheek and so confusing. (Any implication of a kiss ass?)

Question 25

فصعب ترضيه

Answer 25

And so it’s hard to satisfy him.

Question 26

شبهوها ب

Answer 26

It’s likened to; they likened it to…

Question 27

مدورة

Answer 27

Round

Question 28

فبتحتار تبوسك

Answer 28

So you get confused where to kiss it. (The relative pronoun/connecting phrase here is implied)

Question 29

كيف بدنا

Answer 29

How can we…how should we… how do we want to…

Question 30

يكون كتير كتير بيغلّب

Answer 30

He really really gives people a hard time

Question 31

ومهما حاولت معاه مش ضابط ولا إشي.

Answer 31

No matter how hard you try with him nothing works