Dictionary of Spoken Arabic in Saudi Arabia, compiled between

2008 and 2010

by J‫ﻘ‬rg Matthias Determann

Draft, last modified 30 August 2013

1
 ‫أ‬ ‫ﺔ‬ bissa (speaker from Nağd) cat | heard in
Riyadh in 2008 by MD
‫ أ ﻮ‬abūy dad, daddy (in Bīshah) | heard in
Riyadh in 2008 by MD [= Matthias Determann] mubasbis (speaker from Nağd) gay,
from a man from Bīshah bottom (homosexual) | heard in Riyadh in 2008
by MD
‫ﻃ أ‬bī I want | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

‫ أ‬aḫ brother | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

‫ﺔ‬ biʿṯa scholarship (for studying abroad) |

‫ ﷲ‬aḷḷ‫ ﻣ‬yisall‫ث‬mak thank you (to a man) | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

heard in Riyadh in January 2010 by MD

‫ ﻮ‬būy dad, daddy (in Bī a) | heard in Riyadh
in 2008 by MD

‫ﺮ‬ ban ar (speaker from Abh‫ )ﻣ‬to have a

ē whatŠ | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD puncture | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

‫أ ﺎ‬ ēsh akhb‫ﻣ‬rak (to a man) how are ‫ﺎ‬ ‫ﺮ‬ ban arat sayy‫ﻣ‬ratī (speaker from
youŠ | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD Abh‫ )ﻣ‬my car had a puncture | heard in Riyadh
in 2008 by MD
‫ أ ﻮ‬aywa yes1
‫ﺮ‬ ban ar (speaker from Abh‫ )ﻣ‬puncture /
etymology: English puncture | heard in Riyadh
in 2008 by MD

‫ ﺎ ﺎ‬b‫ﻣ‬b‫ ﻣ‬dad, daddy | heard in Riyadh in 2008

by MD

‫ﺰ‬
‫ﻰ‬ takk‫ﻣ‬, yutakkī to sit | heard in Riyadh
in 2008 by MD
‫ ﺰ‬bazar child | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

mutakkī sitting | heard in Riyadh in 2008

‫ ﺰ‬bizranğī homosexual having sex with
by MD
boys (and being top) | heard in Riyadh in 2008
by MD

Heard in London on 30 July 2010: aywaŠ

1

2
 thintēn two2 abba kiss | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by
MD
‫ﺎ‬ tham‫ﻣ‬ni eight3
‫ أ‬a sant well done! | heard in Riyadh in
2008 by MD

‫ﺪ ﻮ ﺎ‬ al- ayy al-diblūm‫ﻣ‬sī Diplomatic

nağlis shall we sit downŠ | heard in
Quarter (in Riyadh) | heard in Riyadh in
Riyadh in 2008 by MD
November 2009 by MD
‫ﻮ‬ jlūwi Jalawi (male proper name) | heard in
‫ﺎ‬ ayy‫ﻣ‬k (to a single person) thank you! /
Riyadh in February 2010 by MD
literally: may he let you live! | heard in Riyadh
in October 2009 by MD
‫ ﺎ ﻮ‬m‫ ﻣ‬ğūr how are youŠ (among Bedouins,
in Najran) | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD
‫ﷲ‬ ‫ﺎ‬ ayy‫ﻣ‬k all‫ ﻣ‬thank you very much /
literally: may God let you live! | heard in Riyadh
in October 2009 by MD
‫ﺎ‬ ğan‫ ﻣ‬suite | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by
MD
‫ﷲ‬ ‫ﺎ‬ ayy‫ﻣ‬kum all‫( ﻣ‬to two or more
persons) thank you very much | literally: may
God let you live! | heard in Riyadh in October
‫ﺮ‬ ‫ ﺎ‬m‫ ﻣ‬yajīk sharr (speaker from Abh‫)ﻣ‬ 2009 by MD
It’s good that you’re okay! (after someone had
an accident, but is fine) | heard in Riyadh in ‫ ﷲ‬all‫ ﻣ‬yi ayyīk you are very welcome (in
2008 by MD response to ayy‫ﻣ‬k all‫ | )ﻣ‬heard in Riyadh in
October 2009 by MD
‫ﺰ‬ ğayz‫ﻣ‬n (speaker from Ǧayz‫ﻣ‬n) Ǧayz‫ﻣ‬n,
Jizan, Jazan (town in southern Saudi Arabia) |
heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

‫ﺔ‬ mḫīssa (speaker from agra in Nağd)

awful | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

2 Heard in London on 30 July 2010: al-s‫ﻣ‬ʿa wa da,

thintēn. ‫ﺮ‬ ‫ﺔ‬ w‫ﻣ‬ṣila maʿī li-ṭaraf
3
Heard in London on 30 July 2010: tham‫ﻣ‬ni ḫa mī I have enough! | heard in Riyadh in
milyūn riyal. 2008 by MD
3
 ‫ ﻮ‬diyūd female breasts, tits | heard in Riyadh
in 2008 by MD

ukhluṣ hurry up! (in ʿAsīr) | heard in Abha

‫ ﻮ‬diyūs female breasts, tits| heard in
in 2010 by MD
Riyadh in 2008 by MD

‫ﻼ‬ ḫaml‫ﻣ‬n (speaker from Abh‫ )ﻣ‬weak |

heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD
‫أ‬

‫ﺮ‬ ‫ﻰ‬ ‫ ﺮ‬nar‫ﻣ‬k ʿala khayr good bye! | heard

in Riyadh in October 2009 by MD

‫ ﺎ‬dabb‫ﻣ‬b motorcycle | heard in Riyadh in

2008 by MD
‫ ﺮ ﺎ‬mar aba hello! | heard in Riyadh in 2008
by MD

‫ ﺪ‬yadrī to know | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by

MD
‫ﷲ‬ ‫ ﺮ‬yar amak all‫ﻣ‬h God bless you! (after
sneezing) | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD
‫ ﺎ أ‬m‫ ﻣ‬adrī I don’t know | heard in Riyadh
in 2008 by MD
‫ أ‬arkhaṣ cheaper4

d‫ﻣ‬rī I know | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by

MD ‫ﺪ‬

‫ﺎ ﻮ‬ d‫ﻣ‬rī y‫ ﻣ‬ḫūya I know, brother! | ‫ﻮ‬ ‫ﺪ‬ ragatt al-hōl (speaker from Abh‫ )ﻣ‬I
heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD slept much (in ʿAsīr) | heard in Riyadh in 2008
by MD

r‫ ﻣ‬, ‫ ﺮ‬yirū to go | heard in Riyadh in

‫ﻰ‬ dagg ʿala (speaker from Abh‫ )ﻣ‬to call
October 2009 by MD
(somebody on the phone)

‫ ﺮ ﺎ‬al-riy‫ﻣ‬ḍ Riyadh5
daggēt ʿaleyh (speaker from Abh‫ )ﻣ‬I
called him (on the phone) | heard in Riyadh in
‫ ﺎ‬riy‫ﻣ‬l riyal | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD
2008 by MD

‫ ﺎ‬riy‫ﻣ‬lēn two riyals | heard in Riyadh in

‫ﺪ‬
2008 by MD

‫ ﺪ‬dayd female breast, tit; bottle for babies |

heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD
Heard in London on 30 July 2010: arkhaṣ.
4

5 Heard in London on 30 July 2010: kayf al-riy‫ﻣ‬ḍŠ

4
 -ismu what’s his nameŠ; what’s it
calledŠ | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

zaggan maʿī I have enough! | heard in

‫ﻮ‬ -nū ak (in ‫’ﻣ‬il) how are youŠ (in ‫’ﻣ‬il)
Riyadh in 2008 by MD
| heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

‫ﺮ‬

‫ﺮ‬ ar a , ‫ﺮ‬ yi ar i (speaker from

agra in Nağd) to insult | heard in Riyadh in
‫ﺎ‬ ‫ﻮع‬ ‫ ﻷ‬al-usbūʿ al-ğ‫ﻣ‬y next week | heard
2008 by MD
in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

‫ﺮ‬

‫ﺮ‬ a - argīye (speaker from Abh‫ )ﻣ‬the

yisağğil he scores (a goal, in football) |
Eastern Province | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by
heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD
MD

‫ﻮ‬
‫ﻐ‬ shughl work6
‫ﻮ‬ saʿwada saudisation | heard in Riyadh in
2008 by MD

‫ﺔ‬ mu kila problem | heard in Riyadh in

2008 by MD
taslam and tislam thanks | heard in
Riyadh in 2008 by MD ‫ﻮ‬

‫ﺎ‬ sh‫ﻣ‬f, ‫ﻮ‬ yishūf to see | heard in Riyadh

in October 2009 by MD
‫ ﻮ‬law sama t please | heard in Riyadh
in 2008 by MD
‫ﻮ‬ ūf see! | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

‫ﻮ‬ siyūs female breasts (in ʿAsīr) | heard in ‫ﻮ‬ bi- ūfak see you! | heard in Riyadh in
Riyadh in 2008 by MD 2008 by MD

‫ﻮ‬ ‫ﻮ‬ nishūfak see you! see you later! | heard

in Riyadh in October 2009 by MD
‫ﺎ‬ sigh‫ ﻣ‬let’s go! (among the youth) | heard
in Riyadh in 2008 by MD
‫ﺎ‬ ‫ﻮ‬ ‫ ﺎ‬m‫ ﻣ‬t ūf b‫ﻣ‬s (speaker from Abh‫)ﻣ‬
It’s good that you’re okay! (after someone had
an accident, but is fine)

Heard in London on 30 July 2010: kayf al-sughlŠ

6

5
 gabl before (in Najd) | heard in Riyadhfrom
a speaker from al-Gaṣīm in October 2009 by
īʿi Shiite | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD
MD
‫ ﺪ‬gudd‫ﻣ‬m (speaker from Ǧayz‫ﻣ‬n) before (in
Ǧayz‫ﻣ‬n) | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

‫ﺮ‬ ‫ﻮ‬ gaṭwa (speaker from Nağd) cat | heard in

Riyadh in 2008 by MD
‫ﺮ ﺔ‬ bi-ṣar‫ ﻣ‬a frankly | heard in Riyadh in
2008 by MD

‫ﺪ‬ ‫ ﻮ‬kūrat al-qadam football | heard in

Riyadh in 2008 by MD

ṭaʿm and ṭiʿm yummy | heard in Riyadh in

October 2009 by MD: al-akl ṭaʿm and al-akl
ṭiʿm.
kayf how7

‫ﺮ‬ ‫ﻮ‬ ṭawwala ʿumrak (to a man) good

kēfak how are youŠ (to a man, in Riyadh)
bye! / literally: may he let you live long | heard
| heard in Riyadh in October 2009 by MD
in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

‫ع‬
lē whyŠ | heard in Riyadh in October
ʿilk chewing gum | heard in Riyadh in 2008
2009 by MD
by MD
‫ﻮ‬
‫ﻮ‬
‫ﻮ‬ -lōnak (to a man) how are youŠ | heard
‫ﺎ‬ yaʿṭīk al-ʿ‫ﻣ‬fiyah thank you! | heard in Riyadh in October 2009 by MD
in Riyadh in October 2009 by MD

‫ﺎ‬ ‫ ﷲ‬all‫ ﻣ‬yiʿ‫ﻣ‬fīk you are welcome! (in

‫ﻰ‬
response to yaʿṭīk al-ʿ‫ﻣ‬fiyah) | heard in Riyadh
in October 2009 by MD
‫ﺎ‬ ma ēn‫ ﻣ‬let’s got! | heard in Riyadh in
2008 by MD
‫ﻮ‬

‫ﻮﺿ‬ ‫ ﷲ‬all‫ ﻣ‬yiʿawḍak (to a man) thank you! | ‫ﺎ‬ im ayn‫ ﻣ‬let’s go! | heard in Riyadh in

heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD 2008 by MD

7 Heard in London on 30 July 2010: kayf al-riy‫ﻣ‬ḍŠ

6
 ‫ﺎ‬ wirʿ‫ﻣ‬n (plural, speaker from Abh‫)ﻣ‬
children | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD
‫ﺎ‬ maʿ‫ﻣ‬k with you | heard in Riyadh in
October 2009 by MD wu whatŠ (in and around Riyadh) | heard
in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

‫أ ﻮ ﺎ‬ mumkin a ūfh‫ ﻣ‬can I see itŠ | ‫أ ﺎ‬ wush akhb‫ﻣ‬rak how are youŠ |
heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD heard in Riyadh in October 2009 by MD

wu ti iss bih what are you

‫ﻮ‬ milyūn million8
feelingŠ | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

wu hī what is itŠ | heard in Riyadh in

2008 by MD
‫ﺎ‬ nis‫ﻣ‬wī, ‫ﺎ‬ nis‫ﻣ‬wīya feminist| heard in
Riyadh in October 2009 by MD

‫ﺪ‬
‫ﻰ‬ ittaṣal ʿala to call (somebody on the
phone) | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD
‫ ﻮ‬nuhūd female breasts | heard in Riyadh in
2008 by MD
wēn whereŠ | heard in Riyadh in October
2009 by MD

wēnak (to a man) where are youŠ | heard

‫ ﻼ‬hala hello9
in Riyadh in October 2009 by MD
‫ ﻼ‬hala waḷḷa hello, hello!10
wēnu where is heŠ | heard in Riyadh in
October 2009 by MD

‫ﷲ‬ waddaʿt‫ﻃ‬lla (speaker from Abh‫)ﻣ‬

Good bye! | heard in Riyadh in 2008 by MD yuba dad, daddy (in Riyadh) | heard in
Riyadh in 2008 by MD
‫ع‬ wirʿ (speaker from Abh‫ )ﻣ‬child | heard in
Riyadh in 2008 by MD yumma mum, mummy (in Riyadh) | heard
in Riyadh in 2008 by MD

Heard in London on 30 July 2010: tham‫ﻣ‬ni

8

milyūn riyal.
9 Heard in London on 30 July 2010: hala!
Heard in London on 30 July 2010: hala waḷḷa!
10

7
8