غبي
ghabimasculine, rude
In Lebanese Arabic "stupid" is غبي (ghabi) for a man and غبية (ghabiyye) for a woman. The colloquial أهبل (ahbal) means "silly" or "foolish".
Meaning: lacking intelligence or good sense (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Lebanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| غبي | ghabi | masculine, rude |
| أهبل | ahbal | masculine, colloquial |
| غبية | ghabiyye | feminine, rude |
غبي is a direct insult. Between friends أهبل is often said as a joke. Use both with care with people you do not know well.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine of أهبل is هبلة (habale).
Did you know?
- A gentler way to say someone is not being smart is مش فاهم (mish fāhem), which just means "not understanding".
Examples in context
- هيدا سؤال غبي.haydā suʔāl ghabi.This is a stupid question.
- شو هالهبل؟shū hal-habal?What is this nonsense?
- ما كنت غبي، كنت مستعجل.mā kent ghabi, kent musteʿjel.I was not stupid, I was in a hurry.
Example conversation
Two friends, Joe and Elie, laugh about a mistake Joe made at work.
- Joeنسيت المفاتيح بالبيت.nsīt el-mafātīḥ bil-bēt.I forgot the keys at home.
- Elieيا أهبل! مرة التانية.yā ahbal! marra et-tānye.You silly man! Again.
- Joeخلص، ما تذكّرني.khalaṣ, mā tdakkerni.Enough, do not remind me.
