Arabic Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

Arabic idioms can be difficult to remember and produce, especially since they are difficult to decode from the literal meaning alone. Understanding an idiom requires a certain degree of cultural embedding. On the otherhand, idioms and proverbs can be a wonderful way for learners to gain some cultural understanding through language.

Whilst learning Arabic idioms and proverbs can be challenging, learning chunks of language improves vocabulary and helps to develop advanced Arabic language skills. Understanding Idioms can also boost conversational Arabic skills as they are most often encountered in everyday speech.

Idioms and slang offer us an insight into language that goes beyond basic communication: they combine culture and history and create words that often work as a type of code or understanding for those that exist within a certain community. In all languages, learning idiomatic expressions or slang terms gives language learners a nuanced understanding of the language, and there is often more than what meets the eye.

An idiom is a phrase or an expression that operates as a single unit. In other words, it cannot be understood word for word. For example, the English idiom, ‘Brings to the table’, loses its meaning when broken down word for word. It is meant to be understood as a whole to mean ‘contribute’.

The Arabic idioms below are presented in the Gulf Arabic dialect. Since they are commonly used throughout the Arab world, pronounciaiton may not vary considerably from region to region.