“allow” in Arabic dialects
verb
How do you say allow across the major spoken Arabic dialects? Compare allow (verb) sense by sense across 5 dialects — Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Iraqi, Maghrebi — with English meaning, native script, transliteration and usage.
What does “allow” mean?
verb
- Make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen“This permits the water to rush in”
- Consent to, give permission“She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband”
- Let have“grant permission”
English definitions from Princeton WordNet.
Quick comparison across dialects
| Dialect | Arabic (allow) | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Egyptian Arabic | يسمح | yesmaḥ |
| Levantine Arabic | سمح | samaḥ |
| Gulf Arabic | سمح | samaḥ |
| Iraqi Arabic | يخلّي | ykhalli |
| Maghrebi Arabic | خلّى | khella |
Full breakdown by dialect
Egyptian Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| يسمح | yesmaḥ | to permit, give permission |
| يخلّي | yekhallī | to let someone do something |
Levantine Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| سمح | samaḥ | to give permission for something |
| خلّى | khalla | to let someone do something (colloquial) |
Gulf Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| سمح | samaḥ | to give permission to do something |
| خلّى | khalla | to let or permit, very colloquial |
Iraqi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| يخلّي | ykhalli | to let or permit (colloquial) |
| يسمح | yismaḥ | to permit (more formal) |
Maghrebi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| خلّى | khella | to let, permit, or allow |
| سمح لـ | smeḥ l- | to give permission to someone |
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