Making Out in Arabic. Fethi Mansouri, Ph.D.

      maadha hadath?

      What’s on your mind?

      maadha yaduur bifikrik?

      Nothing.

      laa shay’

      I was just thinking.

      kuntu ufakkir

      I was just daydreaming.

      laqad sarihtu bit-tafkiir

      It’s none of your business.

      haadha al-amr laa yahummuk

      Mind your own business.

      ihtamm bimaa huwa min sha'nik

      Leave me alone.

      utruknii liwahdii

      Go away.

      idhhab min hunaa

      Fuck off.

      hill ’annii

      This is a colloquial expression which means “get out of my sight”. The actual expression “fuck off” is not used in Standard Arabic.

      Really?

      haqqan?

      Is that so?

      ahaakadhaa?

      Are you sure?

      hal anta muta'akkid?

      Oh, yeah?

      aah, na’am?

      You’re lying.

      anta takdhib

      This expression is very impolite in Arabic and should be avoided as much as possible. You can suggest to your interlocutor instead that their information might be incorrect using the expression “ma’luumatik khaatia”.

      Don’t lie.

      laa takdhib

      Stop lying.

      tawaqqaf ’an il-kadhib

      How come?

      wa kayfa dhaalik?

      What do you mean?