“worry” in Arabic dialects
verb
How do you say worry across the major spoken Arabic dialects? Compare worry (verb) sense by sense across 5 dialects — Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Iraqi, Maghrebi — with English meaning, native script, transliteration and usage.
What does “worry” mean?
verb
- Be worried, concerned, anxious, troubled, or uneasy“I worry about my job”
- Be concerned with“I worry about my grades”
- Disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress“I cannot sleep--my daughter's health is worrying me”
English definitions from Princeton WordNet.
Quick comparison across dialects
| Dialect | Arabic (worry) | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Egyptian Arabic | يقلق | yeʾlaʾ |
| Levantine Arabic | قِلِق | qiliq |
| Gulf Arabic | يحاتي | yḥāti |
| Iraqi Arabic | يقلق | yiqlaq |
| Maghrebi Arabic | تقلّق | tqallaq |
Full breakdown by dialect
Egyptian Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| يقلق | yeʾlaʾ | to feel anxious or troubled |
| يشيل هم | yeshīl hamm | to carry a burden, worry about |
Levantine Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| قِلِق | qiliq | to feel anxious, to worry |
| حَمَل هَمّ | ḥamal hamm | to be worried about (lit. to carry a worry) |
| شَغَل بال | shaghal bāl | to cause worry, occupy one's mind |
Gulf Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| يحاتي | yḥāti | to be anxious or worried |
| يشيل هم | yshīl hamm | to carry a worry, be concerned |
| يقلق | yeglag | to feel anxious |
Iraqi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| يقلق | yiqlaq | to feel anxious or troubled |
| يشيل هم | yshīl hamm | to be concerned about, to carry a worry |
Maghrebi Arabic
| Word (Arabic) | Transliteration | English sense / usage |
|---|---|---|
| تقلّق | tqallaq | to feel anxious or troubled |
| خمّم | khammam | to worry, overthink (esp. Algerian/Tunisian) |
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