Introduction
Traffic in Egypt sucks.
It’s one of the worst realities that foreigners have to deal with. Crowded streets, delays for just about everything, and (seemingly) crazy drivers.
You will hate it, that we can guarantee.
But can you have a conversation about it?
Today, Cleo Lingo will be explaining….how to complain about Cairo traffic in Egyptian Arabic.
Vocabulary
Here are some specific words related to today’s post. These are the “quick reference” words that are always useful. If you want more actionable phrases, though, continue to scroll down to our “example sentences.”
Traffic. : “MoROOR / ZAHHmuh.”
.مرور / زحمة
Taxi driver / Taxi. : “sowWEH TEKsee / TEKsee.”
.سواق تاكسي / تاكسي
Crowded. : “ZAHHmuh.”
.زحمة
Yup, same word. Egyptians basically consider streets full of cars and groups of people the same thing.
The streets. : “elshowWEARuh.”
.الشوارع
Pedestrians. : “elmooSHEH'”
.المشاه
Noisy / Loud noise : “DOWshuh / soot awEHlee.”
.دوشة / صوت عالي
Example Sentences
Here are some of the first things you need to know how to say. These are common things to say, especially when you are taking a taxi ride.
There is so much traffic today (literally: the world is very crowded today). : “elDOOneeuh ZAHHmuh OWee elnuhHARduh.”
.الدنيا زحمة قوي النهاردة
Once you are in the taxi, the complaints might get a little more specific. Just keep in mind: the traffic is not the driver’s fault.
Can you go / drive a little faster? : “MOOMkin TEHmshee / tihSAWruh UHSSraw’ SHWAYuh?”
ممكن تمشي اسرع شوية؟
Can you slow down a little? : “MOOMkin tuhHEHdee SHWAYuh?”
ممكن تهدي شوية؟
Can we take a different route? : “MOOMkin NEHkhood tawREE TEHnee?”
ممكن ناخد طريق تاني؟
When will we arrive, approximately? : “hawNOOsull EHMtuh TAW’REEbuhn?”
هنوصل امتى تقريبا؟
Do you know the way? : “AW’ruff eltawREE?”
عارف الطريق؟
The first word (“hawDREHtuck”) means “sir.”
There are some other things that are important to say. For that, check out our “How to” for dealing with taxi drivers:
https://cleolingo.com/get-a-taxi/
And when you are complaining to anybody else that will listen? To your foreign friends, or to Egyptians that are feeling sympathetic?
The taxi drivers in Egypt are crazy. : “SEHwawEEN elTEHKsee fee MUHsrr MEHgawNEEN.”
.سواقين التاكسي في مصر مجانين
The drivers in Egypt are the worst drivers in the world. : “elSEHwawEEN fee MUHsrr OWhehsh SEHwawEEN feelAWlehm.”
.السواقين في مصر اوحش سواقيين في العالم
They drive like they want to die. : “beeSOOkoo KEHNhome EYE’ZEEN beeMOOtoo.”
.بيسوقو كانهم عايزين يموتو
They never drive slowly. : “awmROHhome maw-beeSOOoo beeRAWhaw.”
.عمرهم ما بيسوقو براحة
Pedestrians don’t have any rights here! : “elmooSHEH mehlHOMESH EYEuh HEH HEHnuh.”
.المشاه ملهمش اي حق هنا
My taxi driver was smoking way too much. : “sowWEH elTEKsee KEHN beeDAWkhn kihTEER OWee.”
.سواق التاكسي كان بيدخن كتير قوي
If the cigarettes really bother you, here’s some advice:
These are all valid complaints, but likely not ones you want to share with your taxi driver. Still, even if you do, they’ll probably just laugh as they speed up.
And for near-death experiences? For those times when the traffic in Cairo was a legitimate threat to your life?
We have some vocab for that, too!
I almost got hit yesterday. : “koont huhTAWKHBUT emBAREuhh.”
.كنت هتخبط امبارح
I saw an accident yesterday. No surprise. : “Ana SHOOft HUHDsuhh emBAREuhh. Mish mooFEHG’uh.”
.انا شوفت حادثة امبارح. مش مفاجئة
Keep in mind here that Egyptian pronounce the ث like a “ss” and not like a “th.”
Yesterday I took the worst taxi ride of my life. : “EmBAREuhh rawKEHBT OWhehsh sowWEH TEKsee fee heyeYEHtee.”
.امبارح ركبت مع اوحش سواق تاكسي في حياتي
Let’s wrap this post up with some general complaints that everybody can relate to.
My least favorite thing in Cairo is the traffic (literally: The most thing I don’t love it in Cairo it is the traffic…”. : “AWKtaw HEHguh mish bawHEHbhaw feelCAWhuhruh HEEuh elZAHHmuh.”
.اكتر حاجة مش بحبها في القاهرة هي الزحمة
I am always late. Of course because of (from) the traffic. : “Ana AWluh TOOL mihTAWkhrr. AwKEED men elZAHHmuh.”
.انا علطول متأخر ..اكيد من الزحمة
For some healthy thoughts about “Egypt time,” check out this post:
The streets are so noisy. I can’t escape the noise! : “ElshowWEARuh DOWshuh OWee….mish AW’ruff EHbaw’dd ‘awn elDOWshuh.”
الشوارع دوشة قوي..مش عارف ابعد عن الدوشة
Culture Corner
While I thought Egyptians drivers were the worst in the world when I first moved to Cairo, I quickly developed a different opinion.
Actually, the exact opposite. Let me explain.
What is the ability to drive in crazy traffic, shout at people, listen to the call to prayer on the radio, talk to your cousin on the phone, weave between pedestrians crossing the road, and all the while smoke a cigarette, WITHOUT getting in an accident, if not incredible skill?
If you think drivers in Cairo are bad, you probably just haven’t been in Cairo long enough.
It’s one of these cultural realities that will just sort of hit you one day: “Wow,” you will think, getting out of the taxi, once again safe at your destination, “that guy was a damn good driver.”
Most of them are!
It also seems that the culture of not valuing time so much and always being late is somehow related to having crazy crowded traffic! all day, everyday!
Good luck, in any case, complaining about the traffic. 🙂
…
Happy learning,
Cleo Lingo
