5 Arabic Words That Have No English Equivalent

Arabic is a wonderfully expressive, visual language. Many terms used throughout the Arab world would not make much sense out of context, or if translated into another language. Oftentimes, colloquialisms or even idioms are the hardest part of a language for a foreigner to understand, as they are so deeply rooted in the culture. Arabs, a traditionally desert people, have several words that describe particular kinds of desert winds, something very unique to the language, just like Eskimos in Alaska have several words to describe different types of snow and ice.

1) Na’eeman (نعيماً)

-A term used after someone gets a clean shave, a haircut or takes a shower. It’s kind of like blessing them and saying “Congrats on looking cleaner/fresher” and there is certainly no way of saying it in English. Oftentimes, after a man gets a fresh shave or hair cut, his pals will slap the back of his neck saying this term. The response is “Allah yena’am ‘alek”.

2) ‘Ala Rasi (على راسي)

-Literally translated into “On my head”, this is a saying commonly used when someone asks you for something or demands something. If a friend says “I need you to give me a ride later today,” the response could be “‘Ala Rasi”, kind of like saying “Anything for you”.

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5 Arabic Words That Have No English Equivalent