مُثِير لِلْمَشاكِل
muṯīr li-l-mašākilmasculine
In Arabic, troublemaker is مُثِير لِلْمَشاكِل (muṯīr li-l-mašākil). Wiktionary also lists مُثِير لِلْمَتَاعِب (muṯīr li-l-matāʕib).
Meaning: one who causes trouble, especially deliberately (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| مُثِير لِلْمَشاكِل | muṯīr li-l-mašākil | masculine |
| مُثِير لِلْمَتَاعِب | muṯīr li-l-matāʕib |
The term describes someone who causes trouble, especially deliberately.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase مُثِير لِلْمَشاكِل is composed of the active participle muṯīr (one who stirs/provokes) and the prepositional phrase li-l-mašākil (the problems/troubles).
Which one should you use?
The form مُثِير لِلْمَشاكِل is more common when referring to social or interpersonal trouble, whereas مُثِير لِلْمَتَاعِب often implies causing physical or logistical hardship/troubles.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the feminine form for a female troublemaker, change the active participle to مُثِيرَة لِلْمَشاكِل.
How do you pronounce it?
muṯīr li-l-mašākil
Did you know?
- The word مُثِير (muṯīr) comes from the root for 'stirring up dust', which originally described a rider galloping on a horse to alert others or start a battle.
- In some Levantine dialects, a person who is a constant 'troublemaker' or a 'nuisance' might be called مَشْكِلْجي (maškilji). The suffix '-ji' is borrowed from Turkish and is used to denote a person's profession or habitual character trait.
- While مُثِير لِلْمَشاكِل is used for troublemakers, the word مُثِير on its own often means 'exciting' or 'stimulating' in modern contexts, such as an 'exciting' movie.
Examples in context
- هو مُثِير لِلْمَشاكِل في المدرسة.huwa muthīr lil-mashākil fī al-madrasah.He is a troublemaker at school.
- لا تكن مُثِير لِلْمَشاكِل اليوم.lā takun muthīr lil-mashākil al-yawm.Don't be a troublemaker today.
- يقولون إنه مُثِير لِلْمَشاكِل دائمًا.yaqūlūna innahu muthīr lil-mashākil dā'iman.They say he is always a troublemaker.
Example conversation
Yousef and Maryam are talking about a neighbor.
- يوسف Youssefهل تعرف جارنا الجديد؟Hal ta'rif jarana al-jadid?Do you know our new neighbor?
- مريم Maryamنعم، يبدو أنه مُثِير لِلْمَشاكِل.Na'am, yabdu annahu muthir lil-mashakil.Yes, he seems to be a troublemaker.
- يوسف Youssefلماذا تقول ذلك يا يوسف؟Limadha taqul dhalika ya Yousef?Why do you say that, Yousef?
- مريم Maryamلأنه يتشاجر مع الجميع دائمًا.Liannahu yatashajar ma' al-jami' da'iman.Because he is always fighting with everyone.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “troublemaker” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
