“fancy” in Arabic dialects
verb
How do you say fancy across the major spoken Arabic dialects? Compare fancy (verb) sense by sense across 5 dialects — Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Iraqi, Maghrebi — with English meaning, native script, transliteration and usage.
What does “fancy” mean?
verb
- Imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind“I can't see him on horseback!”
- Have a fancy or particular liking or desire for“She fancied a necklace that she had seen in the jeweler's window”
English definitions from Princeton WordNet.
Quick comparison across dialects
| Dialect | Arabic (fancy) | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Egyptian Arabic | نفسه في | nefso fi |
| Levantine Arabic | جاي عبالي | jāy ʿa bālī |
| Gulf Arabic | اِشْتَهَى | ishtahā |
| Iraqi Arabic | يعجبه | yiʿijba |
| Maghrebi Arabic | تشهّى | tshahha |
Full breakdown by dialect
Egyptian Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| نفسه في | nefso fi | to want or desire (lit. his soul is in) |
| يتخيّل | yetkhayyal | to imagine or suppose |
Levantine Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| جاي عبالي | jāy ʿa bālī | to feel a desire for (lit. 'it comes to my mind') |
| تْخَيَّل | tkhayyal | to imagine or suppose |
Gulf Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| اِشْتَهَى | ishtahā | to desire, crave, or want something |
| تَخَيَّل | takhayyal | to imagine or suppose |
Iraqi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| يعجبه | yiʿijba | to find something pleasing or attractive |
| مشتهي | mishtihi | to feel a desire or liking for (used as an adjective) |
| يتخيّل | yitkhayyal | to imagine |
Maghrebi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| تشهّى | tshahha | to crave, desire something (esp. food) |
| عجب | ʿjeb | to find attractive (e.g., 'she fancies him') |
| بغا | bgha | to want, desire |
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