How To Argue in Egyptian Arabic

Knowing how to argue in Egyptian Arabic is useful.

It let’s you bargain, talk about football, and generally express your opinion about Egyptian culture.

But how do you do it? Today we’re showing you how! 🙂

Let’s get started.

Argue in Egyptian Arabic: Vocabulary

Here is the most important vocabulary if you want to argue in Egyptian Arabic.

Argue. : yegadel.

.يجادل

Discussion. : mona2sha.

.مناقشة

Check out the curious case of the missing “qaff” for some information on pronunciation of the ق.

Convince. : yeqne3.

.يقنع

Argument. : gedal.

.جدال

Disagree. : y3tared / mesh motafeq.

.يعترض/ مش متفق

Opinion. : ra2y.

.رأي

Wrong. : ghalat.

.غلط

Right. : sa7.

.صح

Stupid. : ghaby.

.غبي / غبية

Crazy. : magnon.

.مجنون / مجنونة

Nonsense. : habal.

.هبل

Incorrect. : ghalat / ay kalam.

.غلط / اي كلام

Argue in Egyptian Arabic: Example Sentences

Of course, there are two different ways to argue in Egyptian Arabic.

One is respectful. The other…not so much.

Because so many of these are personal statements, we’ve put both “man talking to woman” and “woman talking to man.”

If you are a woman disagreeing with a woman, or a man disagreeing with a man, you could combine the beginning and ending of sentences.

A Respectful Argument

This is for when neither of you really cares about being right.

Egyptian Arabic compliments would be a good post to check out right now!

I don’t want to argue. : ana mesh 3ayz/a agadel.

.انا مش عايز اجادل / انا مش عايزة اجادل

If you want to discuss, let’s do is respectfully. : law 3ayz/a netna2esh, yaret ne3ml da b e7tram.

.لو عايز نتناقش ياريت نعمل ده باحترام / لو عايزة نتناقش ياريت نعمل ده باحترام

We have different ideas. We don’t need to argue. : ehna 3andna ara2 mokhtalefa, mesh lazem netgadel.

.احنا عندنا اراء مختلفة. مش لازم نتجادل

It’s ok to disagree. : 3ady en ehna mantfe2sh.

.عادي ان احنا منتفقش

There a few different ways to use the word 3ady.

I think you are wrong. But why do you think that (Male talking to male/female)? : ana shayf enak ghaltan, bas enta/y shayf/a keda leh?

انا شايف انك غلطان/غلطانة..بس انت/انتي شايف/شايفة كده ليه؟

I think you are wrong. But why do you think that (Female talking to male/female)? : ana shayfa enak ghaltan, bas enta/y shayf keda leh?

انا شايفة انك غلطان/غلطانة..بس انت/انتي شايف/شايفة كده ليه؟

I could be right…and maybe not. : momken akon sa7 w momken la2.

.ممكن اكون صح…. وممكن لأ

I disagree, but I don’t think you’re stupid. : ana mesh mwafe2/mwaf2a, bas mesh asdi enak/enek ghabi/ghabia.

.انا مش موافق بس مش قصدي انك غبي/غبية

.انا مش موافقة بس مش قصدي انك غبي/غبية

Sometimes I think you are crazy. But that’s ok. : sa3at ba7es enak/enek magnon/magnona, Bas tamam.

.ساعات بحس انك مجنون/ة. بس تمام

A Disrespectful Argument

These phrases are for when you’re a bit angrier.

In this case, also check out our post about insulting your friend’s stupidity. Quite fitting!

I’m not going to argue with you. : ana mesh hatna2esh ma3ak/ma3aki.

.انا مش هتناقش معاك/ معاكي

Check out future tense in Egyptian Arabic for more information on how this is conjugated.

You want to argue? I don’t talk with people like you! : enta/enty 3ayz/3ayza tetgadel/tetgadli? ana mabtklmsh ma3 nas. zayak/zayek.

!انت/انتي عايز/عايزة تتجادل/تتجادلي؟ انا مبكلمش ناس زيك

Mabtklmsh is a perfect example of making mish sandwiches.

I am completely against your crazy / stuipd idea (Lit. I against your idea the crazy this completely). : ana ded fekrtak/fektek el magnona de tamaman.

.انا ضد فكرتك المجنونة دي تماما

Your opinion doesn’t mean anything to me (Lit. Your opinion no mean to me anything). : ra2yak/ra2yek la ya3ni lee ay haga.

.رأيك لا يعني لي اي حاجة

You talk nonsense. : enta/enty bt2ol/bt2oli ay kalam/ 

.انت/انتي بتقول اي كلام

This is bullshit / what is this nonsense? : da kalam faregh / a elhabal da?

ده كلام فارغ / ايه الهبل ده؟

You are wrong, 100 percent. : enta/enty ghalat 100%.

.انت غلط مية في المية

100% can also be used nicely. Check out our post about saying OK in Egyptian Arabic.

I am right of course! : ana sa7 tab3an.

!انا صح طبعا

Are you always this stupid (Lit. You always stupid that)? : enta/enty 3altool ghabi/ghabia keda?

انت علطول غبي/غبية كده؟

Crazy / stupid idea! : fekra motkhalefa!

!فكرة متخلفة

Example Conversation

Girl – What is your opinion about smoking shisha? I think it’s a stupid idea.

A ra2yak f el shisha, ana shayfaha fekra motkhalefa.

ايه رأيك في الشيشة. انا شايفاها فكرة متخلفة؟

Boy – I don’t agree with you. : ana mesh motafeq ma3aki.

.نا مش متفق معاكي

Girl – Why? : leh?

ليه؟

Boy – Look…shisha isn’t good for you. Everybody knows that. But it’s fun sometimes  (Lit. Great thing) and is a good way for making friends with Egyptians. : bosi, hya elshisha modera, kol elnas 3arfa keda, bas hya haga laziza w tare2a helwa te3rafi beha nas f masr.

.بصي هي الشيشة مضرة..كل الناس عارفين كده..بس هي حاجة لذيذة وطريقة حلوة تعرفي بيها ناس في مصر

Girl – Hmm….ok, maybe you have a point. : mmm wegeht nazar kwaissa.

.ممم وجهة نظر كويسة

Boy – You smoke shisha? : enty btshrabi shisha?

انتي بتشربي شيشة؟

Girl – No, not at all. But you are right about making friends! : la2 khales, bas enta sa7 f fekrt enha btsa3ed yb2a 3andak so7ab!

!لا خالص. بس انت صح في فكرة انها بتساعد يبقى عندك صحاب

Cultural Insight

In my experience, Egyptians can be very “hot blooded.”

What I mean is that they can be very loud and aggressive…but don’t really mean it.

Just kind of the way they talk. Egyptians are loud, super funny, and have some pretty aggressive hand movements when they’re expressing something.

As a foreigner from a “quieter” culture, this can be confusing, and it’s something to be prepared for if you want to argue in Egyptian Arabic.

Your Egyptian friend might seem angry at you. They’re not – I promise. 🙂

…

Happy learning,

Cleo Lingo