“meanwhile” in Arabic dialects
adverb
How do you say meanwhile across the major spoken Arabic dialects? Compare meanwhile (adverb) sense by sense across 5 dialects — Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Iraqi, Maghrebi — with English meaning, native script, transliteration and usage.
What does “meanwhile” mean?
adverb
- At the same time but in another place“meanwhile, back at the ranch...”
- During the intervening time“meanwhile I will not think about the problem”
English definitions from Princeton WordNet.
Quick comparison across dialects
| Dialect | Arabic (meanwhile) | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Egyptian Arabic | في الوقت ده | fel-waʾt da |
| Levantine Arabic | بهالوقت | b-hal-waʾt |
| Gulf Arabic | في هالأثناء | fi hal-athnāʾ |
| Iraqi Arabic | بِهَالأثناء | bi-hal-athnāʾ |
| Maghrebi Arabic | فهاد الوقت | f'had l'weqt |
Full breakdown by dialect
Egyptian Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| في الوقت ده | fel-waʾt da | in the intervening period of time |
| في نفس الوقت | fe nafs el-waʾt | at the same time |
Levantine Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| بهالوقت | b-hal-waʾt | in the intervening time |
| بهاي الأثناء | b-hāy il-athnāʾ | in the intervening time (slightly more formal) |
Gulf Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| في هالأثناء | fi hal-athnāʾ | in the intervening time |
| في نفس الوقت | fi nafs al-wagt | at the same time |
Iraqi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| بِهَالأثناء | bi-hal-athnāʾ | in the intervening time |
| بهذا الوكت | b-hātha al-wakit | during this time |
Maghrebi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| فهاد الوقت | f'had l'weqt | in the meantime, during this time |
| في هذيك الدورة | fi hadik ed-doura | in the meantime (Algerian) |
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