Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ولا حاجة | wala haga | |
| مفيش حاجة | mafeesh haga | also common |
مفيش حاجة (mafeesh haga) means the same thing and is used just as often, especially as a quick answer to 'what's wrong?' or 'what happened?'
What does it mean word for word?
ولا حاجة literally means 'not even a thing'. مفيش حاجة means 'there isn't a thing', using the negation pattern مفيش, 'there isn't'.
Which one should you use?
Both phrases are interchangeable in most situations. ولا حاجة can feel slightly more emphatic, closer to 'nothing at all'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both are casual and used at every level of closeness, from a quick answer to a friend to a calm reply to a worried parent.
How does it change in a sentence?
Neither phrase changes with gender or number, they stay the same regardless of who is speaking.
How do you pronounce it?
ولا حاجة has a breathy h in the middle, wala HA-ga, with the stress on the second word.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Saying just لا, 'no', when asked 'what happened?' can sound incomplete. Egyptians expect the fuller ولا حاجة or مفيش حاجة.
When do people say it?
Answering ولا حاجة to 'what's wrong?' while clearly upset is a common, recognisable pattern in Egypt, and people often gently push past it to find out what is really going on.
Did you know?
- مفيش is built from the Egyptian negation pattern ma plus فيش, the same pattern used to negate many other words across the dialect.
- Answering ولا حاجة while visibly upset is such a common pattern in Egypt that it is often not taken at face value by close friends and family.
Examples in context
- مالك؟ ولا حاجة، أنا تمام.malak? wala haga, ana tamam.What's wrong with you? Nothing, I'm fine.
- حصل إيه؟ مفيش حاجة خالص.hasal eh? mafeesh haga khales.What happened? Nothing at all.
- عايز حاجة من السوق؟ لا، ولا حاجة.ayez haga mes-soo'? la, wala haga.Do you want anything from the market? No, nothing.
Example conversation
Samar notices her friend Wael looks upset and asks what's wrong.
- Samarمالك؟ شكلك زعلان.malak? shaklak za'lan.What's wrong? You look upset.
- Waelولا حاجة، أنا تمام.wala haga, ana tamam.Nothing, I'm fine.
- Samarمتأكد؟ تقدر تقول لي.mutaakked? te'dar te'ool li.Are you sure? You can tell me.
- Waelبجد مفيش حاجة، بس يوم تعبان شوية.begad mafeesh haga, bas yom ta'ban shwaya.Really, nothing, just a slightly tiring day.
