Complaining in a language is something every learner should know how to do. It’s a natural thing, allows you to understand native speakers, and makes you more fluent as a result. That’s why we wrote this post about complaints in Egyptian Arabic.
Below you will find a variety of complaints in Egyptian Arabic. We have separated them into “formal” and “informal” complaints. For each entry, we also give you a little bit of useful background and a few links to useful posts you might check out.
Enjoy!
10 Complaints In Egyptian Arabic
Here are some of the most common complaints in Egyptian Arabic that you can use in a variety of situations:
Informal Complaining:
1) The weather is very hot / cold today. : Elgaw 7ar / bard awy elnharda.
.الجو حر/ برد قوي
We start with perhaps the most universal complaint: the weather. Let’s be honest though – the weather in Egypt will usually be quite hot!
2) It’s really crowded. : Eldenia za7ma awy.
.الدنيا زحمة قوي
Cairo is pretty much always crowded. This is also a cool complaint to know because it uses the word eldenia / الدنيا which literally means “the world.” In everyday use, though, the word is used to imply something close to “everywhere.”
3) Microbus drivers drive like donkeys. : Sawa2een el microbus byso2o zai el7meer.
.سواقين الميكروباصات بيسوقو زي الحمير
This is more of a “tongue in cheek” complaint. Even though they drive fast, Egyptian minibus drivers are some of the most skilled drivers in the world!
4) I’m very hungry and want to sleep. : Ana ga3an awy w 3ayz anam.
.انا جعان قوي وعايز انام
This is a common complaint you will hear during Ramadan in Cairo. With that in mind:
5) Fees got very high this year. : Elmasaryef ghlyt awy elsanadi.
.المصاريف غليت قوي السنادي
This is a very “current” problem in Egypt. When I first moved to Egypt in 2015, one US dollar was about ~7 Egyptian pounds. These days, it’s over 50 Egyptian pounds. Prices are going up in Egypt – which makes this complaint especially useful.
6) Marriage became impossible with these prices. : Elgawaz ba2a mosta7eel bel-as3ar de.
.الجواز بقى مستحيل بالاسعار دي
Marriage is a hugely important topic in Egypt. Sadly, money is a big barrier for many Egyptians who would otherwise love to get engaged.
Formal Complaining:
7) I want to file a complaint. Until now the internet service still hasn’t returned. : Ana 3ayz a2dem shakwa. l7ad dlwa2ti el net lesa marge3sh.
.انا عايز اقدم شكوى. لحد دلوقتي النت لسه مرجعش
The internet is quite slow in Egypt. Maybe just get used to it. 🙂 Still, this is definitely a useful complaint to have in your back pocket.
8) The service here is very bad. : El khedma hena we7sha gedan.
.الخدمة هنا وحشة جدا
From my experience, the service is actually quite good in Egypt. Not sure if you would need this one – but still good to know just in case.
9) I ordered around an hour ago and the food has not been served yet, where is the manager? : Ana taleb ba2ali sa3a w el akl lesa manzlsh, fen elmoder?
انا طالب بقالي ساعة والاكل لسه منزلش، فين المدير؟
10) I will report this at the police station. : Ana ha3mel ma7dar f elesm.
.انا هعمل محضر في القسم
While Egypt is generally quite safe, there are certain things you should definitely report to the police. One example is being sexually harassed as a woman. Check out the posts below for more information:
Complaints In Egyptian Arabic: Example Conversation
What’s up boss, why are you upset? : eh ya m3alem, alak meday2 leh?
ايه يا معلم، مالك مضايق ليه؟
I’m fed up, everytime I save some money the prices go up. : ana zeh2t, kol ma7wesh shwyt flos elas3ar bteghla.
.انا زهقت، كل ماحوش شوية فلوس الاسعار بتغلى
Yes true the prices go up almost every day. : ah fe3lan elas3ar bt3la ta2reban kol yoom.
.اه فعلا الاسعار بتعلى تقريبا كل يوم
I will never get married. : ana mesh hatgwez abdan.
.انا مش هتجوز ابدا
No dude don’t say that, God-willing everything will be OK. : la ya3am mat2olsh keda, inshallah kheer.
.لا يا عم متقولش كده، ان شاء الله خير
God-willing, thank God anyway. : inshallah, elhamdulelah 3ala kol hal.
.ان شاء الله، الحمد لله على كل حال
One Last Important Phrase
This last phrase from the conversation is a very important one to know, because it shows you two important cultural realities of Egyptians-
The are religious, and they also tend to complain in a humorous way.
Let’s take a look at that last phrase:
Thank God anyway. : elhamdulelah 3ala kol hal.
.الحمد لله على كل حال
This is basically a way to be grateful to God even after a complaint. It literally means “Thanks be to God in every situation.”
This phrases does two things:
- Reaffirms their belief in God
- Puts a little humor into shitty situations
If you know Egyptians, you know they are world class at this. 🙂 Definitely an important phrase to learn!
…
Happy learning,
Cleo Lingo
