WARNING: In this article you will find explicit, graphic language. Furthermore, I strongly discourage any reader – especially non-native speakers – to use any of these expressions!
In daily life, when listening to native Arabic speakers, sadly enough, you will encounter swear words – like in most other languages, of course. It is quite difficult to look them up in dictionaries or even to correctly identify them as insults.
I have compiled a list of frequent Arabic swear words and curse words (Schimpfwörter und Fluchwörter for the German readers).
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Arabic swear words and curse wordsHide
- About the nature of Arabic swear words
- Words related to women
- Words that accuse men of being feminine
- Egyptian Arabic swear words
- What is the origin and literal meaning of the word ars?
- Levantine (Syrian and Lebanese) Arabic swear words
- Tunisian Arabic swear words
- Other Arabic dialects
- Pejorative expressions associated with LQBTQ
In my opinion, it is important to know which words people might throw at you. Thus, it is important to know swear words – but NOT, I repeat, NOT to use them!
I can only strongly underline that people should not use such words – especially, if you are from outside and may harm people's feelings without even knowing it.
How did I compile this list? I have asked friends, listened to street conversation, and analyzed chat language.
Of course such a list can never be comprehensive. It should only give you an idea and some hints to identify situations when people use such strong words.
If you know any other expressions which are used as swear words or curses, please feel free to add them by using the comment section!
Note that many swear words listed under a certain country on this page may also be used in other countries.
About the nature of Arabic swear words
It is usually about sex or animals – that's basically not really different compared to other languages. However, there are some specialties which are related to Arab culture which we will examine now:
Words related to women
Oftentimes, when people want to insult another person, they use words which are related to women:
- … by insulting a person's mother or sister – because the mother is kind of sacred in Arabic culture.
- … by using words that describe women's genitals. The most infamous, filthy Arabic swear word is probably “kuss ummak” (kiss immak) which literally means “your mother's vagin*“.
Words that accuse men of being feminine
Besides, you will hear swear words that use the following ingredients: people use expressions that describe men as feminine: for example, by accusing them of looking like women or behaving like women. Often this comes down to call other people “gay”.
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Egyptian Arabic swear words
Son of…
Ibn el-Labwa (ابن اللبوة) – son of a bitch
Ya-bn-el-mitneka (يا ابن المتناكة) – son of a bitch
Ibne-sharmouta (ابن الشرموطة) – son of a bitch (whor*)
Ibn el-Fash-kha (ابن الفشخة) – son of a bitch
Ars (عرص) – pimp (قَوّاد). Sometimes also in the meaning of jerk (شخص أحمق).
What is the origin and literal meaning of the word ars?
Ars (عرص) is probably one of the most common insults in Egypt. What does it literally mean? It is, in fact, pretty difficult to translate. It became infamous recently. When the current leader of the regime, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, seized power in the 2013 coup d'état, a twitter hashtag was trending: “Vote for the pimp” (#انتخبوا_العرص).
Now, where does the word عرص come from?
It is an expression that was probably coined during the British colonial period in Egypt. In line with the policies of the English occupier, prostitution in Egypt was a legal and permissible economic activity. Egyptians used the term during the British colonial era to denote a policeman who monitors prostitutes in their profession (حارسالرذيلة).
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Baa' boos (بعبوص) – middle finger
Hanikak (هنيكك) – I will f*ck you
Remark: A lot of slang and insults are based on the verb “naak” (ناكَ) in the past or in the present tense: “yaneek” (يَنيكُ). It is a verb, used in several dialects, which expresses “to have sexual intercourse”; vulgar: to f*ck someone.
Khawal (خول) – gay
Loty (لوطي) – gay
Ya gazma (يا جزمة) – f*ck you! (literally, the word means shoes)
Zebby febo'ak (زبي في بقك) – my penis in your mouth!
Ya zebala (يا زبالة) – you piece of garbage!
Levantine (Syrian and Lebanese) Arabic swear words
Son of…
Ibne-sharmouta (ابن الشرموطة) – son of a bitch (whor*)
Ibnel ghahba (ابن القحبة) – son of a whor*
Ibnel ahbe (ابن الاحبة) – son of a whor*
Ibnel aahra (ابن العاهرة) – son of a bitch
Ibnel balla'a (ابن البلاعة) – son of a co*ck sucker
Ibnel memhoune (ابن الممحونة) – son of a horny/very slu*tty bitch
My penis/co*ck in…
Airi feek (ايري فيك) – my penis in… (often, you will hear the preposition ب). It denotes “f*ck you” when someone is dissing a person. Literally, it means “my dick is in you“. It is used in Lebanon and Syria as well. It does not necessarily express an insult. Young people use the expression among friends (usually male only). It is typically only said to men.
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Airi bikhtak (ايري باختك) – my penis in your sister
Airi bimmak (ايري بامك) – my penis in your mother
Airi bsittak (ايري بستك) – my penis in your grandmother
Airi babuk (ايري بابوك) – my penis in your father
Airi betizak (ايري بطيزك) – my penis in your ass
Airi bebzezat ikhtak (بيري ببزيزات اختك) – my penis between your sister's tit*
Airi beshafrat kiss immak (ايري ببخش طيزا لامك) – my penis in your mother's asshole
Akroot (عكروت) – jerk
Biddi inkahak (بدي انكحك) – I will f*ck you!
Nayik ikhtak (نايك اختك) – f*ck your sister!
Ib'etli ikhtak (ابعتلي اختك) – send me your sister (to f*ck her)!
Zebetly likhtak (زبطلي اختك) – Prepare your sister for me to f*ck her!
Kiss immak (كس امك) – you mother's vagin*
Khrinte (خرنتة) – sissy
Firshaye (فرشاية) – oral sex
Muss airi (مص ايري) – suck my co*ck
Ruh intak (روح انتاك) – f*ck off!
Shrab minne (سراب منة) – Drink cum!
Dahri aleik (ضهري عليك) – I will cum on you!
Tilhas airi (تلحس ايري) – lick my co*ck
Tilhas beidi (تلحس بيضي) – lick my balls
Tilhas bekh-shi (تلحس بخشي) – lick my ass(hole)!
Kharaya aleik (خرايا عليك) – my sh*t on you!
Yil'an kiss immak (يلعن كس امك) – damn your mother's vagin*!
Qawwad (قواد) – pimp [also, like in Egypt, ars (عرص) is used].
Dayous (ديوث) – pimp
Ya kalb (يا كلب) – You dog!
Ya-hmar (يا حمار) – you idiot! (literally, donkey)
Allah yel'ena'k (الله يلعنك) – Allah damn you!
Yikhreb beitak (يخرب بيتك) – Allah shall destroy your house!
Tunisian Arabic swear words
Barra nayk (بارا نايك) – f*ck you (avery strong insult)
Mossi krary (مصلي كرارزي) – suck my balls
Malhat (ملحات) – bitch
Asba ala Sormek (اصبع على صرمك) Get a penis in your hole (vagin*)!
Zaaka (زاكا) – ass
Nouna (نونا) – cl*tor*s
Hawi (خاوي) – impotent
Other Arabic dialects
Makwah (مكوه) – ass (in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf dialects)
Jarrar (جرار) – pimp (in Saudi Arabic)
Ayre billi bazzarak (ايري بيلي بزرك) – it is used in the meaning of: screw the one who brought you to life!
Khaneeth el-‘oud (خنيث العود) – f*cking asshole (in Bahraini Arabic)
Memsouk (ممسوخ) – gay (in Moroccan Arabic)
Pejorative expressions associated with LQBTQ
shadhdh (شاذ) – sexual deviant
luTiy (لوطي) – sodomite
su7aaqiyya (سحاقية) – sapphist
For effeminate male, there are many insults in colloquial Arabic:
- mukhannath (مخنث)
- khaniith (خنيث)
- khunthaa (خنثى)
- mista2nith (مستأنث)
- khawwal (خول) – Egypt
- manyak (منيك) – Levant
- banuuti (بنوتي) – Levant
- jiru (جرو) – Iraq
- farikh (فرخ) – Iraq
- zanaana (زنانة) – Iraq
- zaamil (زامل) – Morocco
The following expressions mean a man who has sex with boys
- taba3 awlad (تبع أولاد) – Levant
- qarram (قرام) – Iraq
- abu al-walad (أبو الولد) – Iraq
- bizranji (بزرنجي) – Saudi-Arabia
