لَا سَمَحَ اللّٰه
lā samaḥa llāh
The English phrase "God forbid" can be translated into Arabic using several forms, most commonly لَا سَمَحَ اللّٰه (lā samaḥa llāh). Wiktionary also lists لَا قَدَّرَ اللّٰه (lā qaddara llāh) and مَعَاذَ اللّٰهِ (maʕāḏa llāhi).
Meaning: don't let it be (intj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| لَا سَمَحَ اللّٰه | lā samaḥa llāh |
| لَا قَدَّرَ اللّٰه | lā qaddara llāh |
| مَعَاذَ اللّٰهِ | maʕāḏa llāhi |
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase لَا قَدَّرَ اللّٰه literally means "may God not decree it", while مَعَاذَ اللّٰهِ literally means "I seek refuge in God", used to ward off a bad possibility.
Which one should you use?
While لَا سَمَحَ اللّٰه is a common way to say "God forbid", لَا قَدَّرَ اللّٰه specifically refers to God's decree or destiny.
How do you pronounce it?
lā samaḥa llāh
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, saying لَا سَمَحَ اللّٰه during a conversation can be seen as a way to avoid 'the evil eye' or tempting fate by speaking a misfortune into existence.
- The phrase مَعَاذَ اللّٰهِ is often used as a strong, emphatic 'no' to reject a suggestion that the speaker finds morally shocking or absurd.
- In many Arabic dialects, if someone mentions a terrible possibility, a listener might simply say لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰه. While it means 'there is no power except with God', it serves as a functional equivalent to 'god forbid' to ward off bad luck.
Examples in context
- لَا سَمَحَ اللّٰه أَنْ نَفْقِدَ مَنْزِلَنَا.lā samaha Allāhu an nafqida manzilana.God forbid we lose our house.
- لَا سَمَحَ اللّٰه، لَنْ يَحْدُثَ ذٰلِكَ.lā samaha Allāhu, lan yaḥdutha dhālika.God forbid, that will not happen.
Example conversation
Sarah and Ziad are talking about a potential car accident.
- سارة Saraماذا لو تعطلت السيارة في الطريق؟madha law ta'attalat al-sayyara fi al-tariq?What if the car breaks down on the road?
- زياد Ziadلَا سَمَحَ اللّٰه، السيارة جديدة تماماً.la samaha Allah, al-sayyara jadida tamaman.God forbid, the car is brand new.
- سارة Saraأنا فقط قلقة من الرحلة الطويلة.ana faqat qaliqa min al-rihla al-tawila.I am just worried about the long trip.
- زياد Ziadلا تقلقي يا سارة، كل شيء سيكون بخير.la taqlaqi ya Sarah, kull shay' sayakun bikhayr.Don't worry Sarah, everything will be fine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “God forbid” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
