How to Talk About Racism in Egyptian Arabic

Introduction

This is a difficult topic in any language

Last week we had a little fun and just threw out all the stereotypes we could think of. Regardless of what you think, it’s good to know stuff like this.

This week, we are getting serious again.

Today, Cleo Lingo will be explaining….how to talk about racism in Egyptian Arabic.

Vocabulary

Here are just a few words that might come up in conversations like this.

Racism. : “‘AWNsohRAYuh.”

.عنصرية

Make sure you get the pronunciation right on this one, as so many of today’s examples include words with the letter ع. It’s very “in the back of the mouth.”

Skin color. : “LOON elBUHSHruh.”

.لون البشرة

White / black / brown (people) (This last one is literally “wheat color.” That’s what Egyptians call themselves, something between black and white) : “AWbeeawthdh / EHSSwid / AWMhee.”

.ابيض / اسود / قمحي

Unfair. : “GHARE ‘AW’dull /hhuhRAWM.”

.غير عادل/حرام

The famous حرام. This basically is anything bad.

(Equal) rights. : “MEHsawWEH.”

.مساواة

Example Sentences

Here are some of the “big statements” you might bring out in a conversation about racism.

Being the enlightened Cleo Lingo reader that you are, we will just assume you are against racism.

Racism is a very big problem. : “el’AWNsohRAYuh mooSHKEHluh kuhBEEruh.”

.العنصرية مشكلة كبيرة

Racism still exists everywhere. : “el’AWNsohRAYuh LISSuh muhGOOduh fee KOLE elmeeKEHN.”

.العنصرية لسة موجودة في كل مكان

Racism is never going away. The people are not going to change. : “el’AWNsohRAYuh mish huhTEKHuhTEHfee. elNEHSS mish huhTUHtuhGHEYErr.”

.العنصرية مش هتختفي. الناس مش هتتغير

Here are some of the more “negative” or emotional things you might say.

That’s racist! : “Daw ‘awnSOree.”

!ده عنصري

Be sure you mean what you say when calling somebody this.

While we don’t support racism, we also don’t support people that have no sense of humor. Laugh a little, especially if the person didn’t really mean what they said.

And if you have to apologize for something you just said?

Racism is horrible (bad thing). How can people think that way? : “el’AWNsohRAYuh haga WEHHshuh. eeZAY feelNEHSS bitFEHkrr KEHduh?”

العنصرية حاجة وحشة. ازاي في ناس بتفكر كده؟

Why do you think people are racist (Lit: You think why people are racist)? : “TifTIKrr LEE elNESS ‘awnSOOreeEEN?”

تفتكر ليه الناس عنصريين؟

Why is your skin color important? : “Lee MOOMkin LOON elBUHSHruh yawKOON mooHEHM?”

ليه ممكن لون البشرة يكون مهم؟

Have you ever experienced racism (Lit: Your life has something happened racist against you)? : “‘AWMruck hhawSEHluck MOWuhfawn ‘awnSOree THUHdtuck?”

عمرك حصلك موقف عنصري ضدك؟

For questions that are much less heavy (then again, Egyptians take football pretty seriously):

And these are what you would say in a situation where one of you friends was taking things too far.

Don’t be racist. It’s not cool (not a good thing). : “mawtehbEHSH ‘awnSOree. Dee haga mish zawREEfuh.”

.متبقاش عنصري. دي مش حاجة ظريفة

متبقاش is a great conjugation to know. Use it whenever you want to tell a guy “not to be” something.

If you are talking to a girl? That’s right: add the “ee” before the “shh” at the end.

Here is some information on those pesky Egyptian “mish sandwiches.”

What you said is (very) racist.  : “EHlee ENtaw OOltoo DAW ‘awnSOree (GEHdin).”

.اللي انت قلته ده عنصري

Racist jokes aren’t funny at all. : “ElNOHkut el’AWNsohRAYuh mish lawZEEzuh KHAWliss.”

.النكت العنصرية مش لذيذة خالص

In case you need actual laughs:

Everybody deserves equal rights. : “Kole elNESS TEHSStawHHEH MEHsawWEH.”

.كل الناس تستحق المساواة

And to end it on a more philosophical note:

Do you think everybody is a little racist? : “TifTIHkrr KOLE elNESS gooAWhuh HEHtuh  AWNsohRAYuh?”

تفتكر كل الناس جواها حتة عنصرية؟

Are you racist sometimes (again: In your life…? : ‘AWMruck ‘awnSOOree saw’EHT / AWHHeeEHnehn?”

عمرك بتكون عنصري ساعات؟ احيانا؟

Culture Corner

While Egyptians are great at making fun of themselves (see last week’s “Culture Corner”), they are also great at being racist to one another.

Unfortunately.

One good example is Egyptians from Aswan. They tend to be a bit darker than Egyptians further north, and have to deal with their fair share of racism. This could be because they are often as dark as Sudanese people, a population that doesn’t have the easiest time in Egypt.

Then again, in what country are people NOT racist to each other?

Good luck, well, not being racist.

Cause that’s not cool. 🙂

…

Happy learning, 

Cleo Lingo