Egyptian Arabic Conversation 22: What's The Plan?

Today we are back with Egyptian Arabic Conversation 22.

In each Conversations post, we will provide you with:

a screenshot from an actual conversation between two Egyptians
the translation of each line of text, including English, Franco and Arabic script
context on the conversation and further explanation

We think learning Egyptian Arabic from actual, authentic conversations between Egyptians is both fun and effective. We hope you like it too!

Egyptian Arabic Conversation 22: What’s The Plan?

As always, we will start out with a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation in Egyptian Arabic.

The conversation is in Franco, but we put the actual Arabic below.

Before getting started with this Conversations post, be sure to check out our post on writing in Franco Arabic.

Egyptian Arabic Conversation 22: Translation

This conversation is between two friends, Boody and Hoda.

They are making plans to see each other at the gym.

Boody, good morning. : boody, sabah elfoll.

.بودي، صباح الفل

Good morning Houda. : saba7 elfoll ya 7oda.

.صباح الفل يا حودة

What’s the plan today, when are you going to the gym? : eh elkalam elnharda, ray7 elgym emta?

ايه الكلام النهاردة، رايح الجيم امتى؟

Probably at 4 in the afternoon, are you coming? : ghaleban 3ala 4 el3asr keda, hategi?

غالبا على 4 العصر كده، هتيجي؟

Yes 4 is good, I will exercise legs, and you? : ah 4 helw, ana hatmran regl, w enta?

اه 4 حلو، انا هتمرن رجل ، وانت؟

I don’t really care honestly, I will exercise legs with you but I will go easy. : mesh far2li walahy, hatmran ma3ak regl, bas 3ala khafeef.

.مش فارقلي والله، هتمرن معاك رجل بس على خفيف

See you there. : ashofak henak.

.اشوفك هناك

Egyptian Arabic Conversation 22: Important Vocabulary

Good morning. : sabah elfoll.

.صباح الفل

Boody and Hoda are Egyptian names. Meanwhile, sabah elfoll (good morning) is one of the most common ways to greet somebody in Egyptian Arabic.

What’s the plan… : eh elkalam…

…ايه الكلام

Eh elkalam / ايه الكلام literally means “What is the talk?” and is slang for “What’s up” or “What is going on?”. You can use this in Egyptian Arabic to start a conversation to ask about plans.

When are you going to the gym? : ray7 elgym emta?

رايح الجيم امتى؟

Just so you know how to formulate this sentence, the literal translation of the phrase above is: Going the gym when?

Also, check out how to go to the gym in Egyptian Arabic.

Probably… : ghaleban…

…غالبا

A very normal way to say “probably / likely”, and usually at the beginning of a sentence.

At 4 in the afternoon… : 3ala arba3 el3asr keda…

…على 4 العصر كده

Ok, a lot to unpack here.

First, el3asr / العصر is basically how you say “in the afternoon” in Egyptian Arabic. The background of this is that 3asr is the third prayer of the day for Muslims, and it’s usually exactly between noon and sunset.

For more information about this, here are two useful resources:

(By the way, the number “4” is spelled أربعة in Arabic.)

Also, the word keda / كده in Egyptian Arabic can have a few different meanings, but here it’s more like a filler word. Imagine the speaker meaning “something like that / around that time” when he uses it.

I will exercise legs. : ana hatmran regl…

…انا هتمرن رجل

This is using the Egyptian Arabic future tense (adding the letter ه to the second word above) to say literally “I will exercise”, and regl / رجل (legs) are the things that he will exercise.

I don’t really care honestly…. : mesh far2li walahy…

….مش فارقلي والله

Mesh far2li / مش فارقلي is kind of how you say “It doesn’t matter to me”, and walahy / والله is a common way of saying “I swear to God” (although it’s so common that it’s more just saying “honestly / truthfully”).

But I will go easy. : bas 3ala khafeef.

.بس على خفيف

This last one is weird, because it doesn’t really mean “But I will go easy” at all. The literal translation is something like “But on weak”, and it’s closer to saying something like “But easier / not as hard.”

And honestly, leg day sucks, so we don’t blame them! 🙂

Content + Further Explanation

There are quite a few places to work out in Egypt, and Cairo specifically.

And while we could give you our own recommendations (most of them somehow involving frisbee), we’ll let the experts talk: