يلعن أبوك
yil'an abuk
To say "curse your father" in Arabic, you use يلعن أبوك (yil'an abuk).
This is an insulting expression used to express extreme anger, frustration or to insult someone's lineage by cursing their father.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb yil'an (to curse) and abuk (your father).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
يلعن أبوك is a highly offensive and vulgar expression used in colloquial speech rather than formal Arabic. In Levantine Arabic, you may also encounter the informal version خرب أبوك.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Levantine Arabic, خرب أبوك is an informal way to say "Curse your father".
How does it change in a sentence?
The suffix -uk in abuk is the second-person masculine singular possessive pronoun.
How do you pronounce it?
yil'an abuk
Did you know?
- While the phrase targets the father, in many Arabic-speaking cultures, the most severe insults actually target the mother or female lineage, making يلعن أبوك feel somewhat less extreme than alternatives involving women.
- In many Arabic dialects, the word for father أبو (abu) is used to create 'kunya' or honorary nicknames, making the use of أبو in a curse a deliberate corruption of a normally respectful social naming convention.
- The phrase can be used in some dialects as a highly stylized, hyperbolic exclamation of frustration when something goes wrong, similar to how an English speaker might shout 'damn it' in a non-aggressive way.
Example conversation
Yousef accidentally breaks Noor's favorite vase.
- نور Nourيوسف، يلعن أبوك! كسرت المزهرية!Yousef, yal'an abouk! kasart al-mazhariya!Yousef, curse your father! You broke the vase!
- يوسف Youssefأنا آسف يا نور، كانت حادثة.ana asif ya Noor, kanat haditha.I am sorry Noor, it was an accident.
- نور Nourدائماً تخرب كل شيء!da'iman tukharrib kull shay!You always ruin everything!
- يوسف Youssefسأشتري لك واحدة جديدة.sa-ashtari lak wahda jadida.I will buy you a new one.
