‘Egyptian proverbs’ is one of the fundamental components of Egyptian culture. The proverb or ‘saying’ is a direct reflection of the gained wisdom throughout the generations. Due to Egypt’s rich history and culture, knowing the right language in Egypt will open many doors for you. Furthermore, knowing Egyptian proverbs, especially as you learn Arabic or Egyptian Arabic, is recommended because it gives an amazing reflection of Egyptians’ attitudes and perspectives.
In this article, we will discuss five of the most common Egyptian proverbs or sayings that you will definitely hear in daily spoken Egyptian. Accordingly, in my spoken Egyptian online courses, I always address proverbs just like this within my conversation sessions. Let’s explore these wonderful proverbs and build important background knowledge about them.
Egyptian proverbs: No.1
العين بصيرة والإيد قصيرة (el-ayn basseerah, w’ el-eed as’eerah)
Literal meaning in English:
The eye can see, but the hand can’t reach
Usage:
This proverb is used when someone wishes for something that he/she can’t attain or beyond reach. Therefore, you will usually hear this word from simple people who have simple lives and can’t afford overpriced goods and services.
Egyptian proverbs: No.2
القرعة بتتباهى بشعر بنت اختها (el-2ar3ah betetbaaha besha3r bent oktaha)
Literal meaning in English:
The bald woman is boasting her niece’s good hair.
Usage:
This proverb is used when somebody lacks certain abilities or qualities and keeps bragging about those of other people. This proverb is very sarcastic and reflects the funny side of Egyptians. In general, Egyptians tend to be funny in many instances, especially during disasters. They use fun as a powerful tool to gain motivation and avoid despair. In another article, I talk about the spoken Egyptian and why it is an amazing dialect that you should consider while searching for Arabic learning online facilities.
Egyptian proverbs: No.3
دخول الحمام مش زي خروجه (dokhool el 7ammam mesh zay khoroogoh).
Literal meaning in English:
Entering the bathroom is not like leaving it!
Usage:
Egyptians use this proverb when they enter a difficult situation, and they find difficulty leaving it. It means things before the situations are no longer the same when you leave it (if you can!). I remember talking about this proverb in one of my weekly conversation sessions that I offer for unlimited weekly participation for my Accelerator course members. I remember how much we laughted during the explanation of the this proverb 😀
Egyptian proverbs: No.4
ما فيش حلاوة من غير نار (mafeesh 7alaawah men gheer naar)
Literal meaning in English:
There is no dessert without a fire
Usage:
Egyptians use this proverb when stating that success or good things are coupled with hard work and effort. Egyptians usually say this proverb not only to motivate themselves but also to motivate others, especially before attempting hard work.
Egyptian proverbs: No.5
ديل الكلب عمره ما ينعدل ولو ركبوا فيه قالب (deel el-kalb omroh mayen3edel walaw rakkeboh feeh aaleb)
Literal meaning in English:
The dog’s tail will remain curved, even if people installed a weight to flatten it!
Usage:
This proverb is one of the very common proverbs you may hear in daily spoken Egyptian. That is because it has a sarcastic tone, and Egyptians love sarcasm. People use this proverb to state that the person whose character has bad qualities will still be the same, no matter how. In one of my weekly conversation sessions, I explained this proverb to the students, and they couldn’t help laughing.
So that was it.
Do you know other Egyptian proverbs? Share with me in the comments.