It’s funny, because when I think of Arabic I certainly don’t think of curse words. Maybe that stems from the fact that written Arabic is so different from English, or that I had never visited an Arabic-speaking country until earlier this year. ‘How to curse in Arabic’ actually never even crossed my mind until a month or so before I had a stopover in Qatar on a work trip. I figured it would be in my best interest to learn a few slang terms.
I quickly learned that cursing in Arabic is not only easy to learn – it’s quite fun. Phrases commonly used for cursing in Arabic seem to have a bit of narrative to them, unlike in English where the practice is typically based solely on a four-letter word.
Let’s take a look at how to curse in Arabic, the most common expressions, and a bit of the culture behind the swearing.
Basic Arabic Swear Terms
| Ya Ibn el Sharmouta | Son of a Bitch |
| Ayreh Feek | f*ck You |
| Telhas tee*ze | Kiss My Ass |
| Ya Sharmouta | You Bitch! |
| Kol Khara | Eat sh*t! |
| Ya Khara | You sh*t! |
| Kess Ikhtak | f*ck Your Sister! This is one of the more offensive terms, as it refers to sexual acts with the person’s sister. |
| Kess Ommak | Tour Mother’s vagin*. This is along the same lines as far as offensiveness. |
How to curse in Arabic: Add visual elements
Visual elements help the brain memorize terms in a foreign language. A quick YouTube search for Arabic curse words brings up a number of video results for both pronunciation and written forms of bad Italian words. It is important to remember that viewing and reviewing the words will make you more likely to remember them. Here’s a great one to get the party started:
Use cue cards
Cue cards are a great technique to use for general language learning. Add swear words, and the process gets that much more enjoyable. Adding visual cues to the bad Arabic words can help you learn them faster. Use white flash cards to memorize your vocabulary words.
Write the curse words on a cue card, with the English translation on the back side. This is a fun game to practice with friends. Soon, you’ll be calling each other Ya Sharmouta more often than you call them by their actual name.
How often do Arabic speakers swear?
About the same amount as the average English speaker. Arabic curse words are used to express frustration, cause offense when needed, and be edgy. Most who speak Arabic won’t be shy about cursing right back at you – even if it’s in a friendly manner.
Arabic speaking countries are typically deeply religious and built on customs. Cursing doesn’t always fit in the mold in that aspect. We don’t advise blatant profanities in public or any type of lewd behavior. Keep it among friends, family, and social situations where others break the mold first.
Putting It All Together
While studying Arabic curse words, go over each term, repeating it out loud. If you don’t remember what the vocabulary means, look on the back of your cue card to see the English translation. Review the pronunciation by watching the YouTube video, clicking on the pronunciation in Google Translate or listening to online audio clips. After a few repetitions, while looking through the cards, you’ll remember the vocabulary through both the audio and visual associations. Continue repeating the vocabulary out loud until you memorize it.
Why not take it a step further and learn some more Arabic? It’s a beautiful language spoken by over 330 million people around the world. Our native Arabic speakers offer Arabic lessons online to get you speaking Arabic regularly
As we noted earlier repetition is key to success. Use your key cards, practice with a friend, or better yet – do some Skyping with a fluent Arabic speaker. You two can swear at each other like one of you just punched the other’s son square in the face. Bet you never thought learning a new language could be so much fun!
The moral of the story is to just do it. Learn the words. Use the words. Then, expand your Arabic vocabulary to cover basic daily interactions and conversations. Practice every day and we promise – you’ll see some f*cking results.
