Arabic Idioms
A curated set of 13 idioms in Arabic — literal translations, real meanings, and where each one comes from.
- القرد بعين أمه غزال — Parents see their children as beautiful no matter what. Literally: A monkey in its mother's eyes is a gazelle.
- اللي ما يعرف الصقر يشويه — Failing to recognize something valuable and destroying it. Literally: He who doesn't know the falcon, grills it.
- على قد لحافك مد رجليك — Live within your means. Literally: Stretch your legs to the length of your blanket.
- رمى بنفسه في التهلكة — Someone deliberately puts themselves in danger or a hopeless situation through recklessness. Literally: He threw himself into destruction/ruin..
- أكل العيش والملح مع شخص — Shared intimate bond or deep friendship forged through shared hardship and simple living together. Literally: Ate bread and salt with someone..
- حط في بطنك بطيخة صيفي — Relax completely; do not worry about a thing. Literally: Put a summer watermelon in your belly.
- يعمل من الحبة قبة — To blow something tiny completely out of proportion. Literally: To build a dome out of a seed.
- اللي على راسه بطحة بيحسس عليها — The guilty person gives himself away. Literally: He who has a bump on his head keeps touching it.
- الحبل على الكذب قصير — Lies never last; they are soon exposed. Literally: The rope of lies is short.
- يد واحدة لا تصفق — Nothing is achieved without cooperation. Literally: One hand does not clap.
- الجمل ما يشوف عوجة رقبته — People are blind to their own faults. Literally: The camel can't see the bend in its own neck.
- تمخض الجبل فولد فأرا — A huge fuss producing a tiny result. Literally: The mountain went into labour and gave birth to a mouse.
- يضرب في حديد بارد — To waste effort on a hopeless task. Literally: To strike cold iron.
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