Ways to say it
| Palestinian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بشع | bashe' | |
| قبيح | qabih | more formal |
The more Standard Arabic قبيح (qabih) is also understood and used, though it sounds slightly more formal or literary.
What does it mean word for word?
بشع describes something unpleasant to look at, and can also stretch to mean something unpleasant in general, such as bad behaviour.
Which one should you use?
بشع is the natural word in daily conversation. قبيح appears more in writing or more careful speech.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both words can sound blunt, so Palestinians often soften them with 'a little' or avoid saying them directly about a person present.
Is it said differently in some regions?
بشع is shared across the Levant with the same meaning and use.
How does it change in a sentence?
Neither word changes much with gender in casual speech, though formal Arabic would add a feminine ending, بشعة (bash3a).
How do you pronounce it?
The ع in بشع is a deep throat sound, often written by learners as 3: bash3.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Calling a person بشع directly is considered rude. It is more often used about things, situations or jokingly between close friends.
When do people say it?
Palestinians often use بشع for an unpleasant situation or bad weather, not only appearance, similar to how English speakers say something is 'ugly' in a broad sense.
Did you know?
- بشع is used for bad weather and bad behaviour just as often as for appearance, giving it a broader reach than the English word 'ugly'.
- Calling a person بشع to their face is considered impolite, so Palestinians usually reserve it for things, not people.
Examples in context
- الجو بشع اليوم.iz-zaw bashe' lyoum.The weather is ugly today.
- هاد التصرف بشع.had it-tasarruf bashe'.This behaviour is ugly.
- شكله مش قبيح، بس بشع شوي.shaklo mish qabih, bas bashe' shwiy.It does not look terrible, just a little ugly.
Example conversation
Nasser and his friend Ihab talk about the weather before a trip.
- Nasserالجو بشع اليوم، خلينا نأجل.iz-zaw bashe' lyoum, khallina nu'ajjel.The weather is ugly today, let us postpone.
- Ihabمعك حق، مش طقس مناسب.ma3ak haqq, mish taqs munasib.You are right, not good weather.
- Nasserنروح بكرا أحسن.nrouh bukra ahsan.Let us go tomorrow instead.
- Ihabتمام، نشوف الجو.tamam, nshuf iz-zaw.Alright, we will see the weather.
