How to say "watch out!, mind yourself (Levantine Arabic) → watch it! (Israeli slang warning)" in Arabic
LoanwordMeaningwatch out!, mind yourself (Levantine Arabic) → watch it! (Israeli slang warning)
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
dīr bālakדיר באלך
دير بالك
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
dir balakدِير بَالَاك
How the two words are related
Borrowed between the languages (or by both from a third).
Arabic root
د-و-رLiterally 'turn your mind (to it)': dīr is the Levantine imperative of dār, 'to turn' — the circling root d-w-r many link to Hebrew דור, a 'cycle' of generations — plus bāl, 'mind'. In Israeli slang it survives mostly as a warning with an edge of threat.
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On the street
How people actually say it in the spoken dialects, where it differs from the standard word.
Egyptian · Cairo and the Nile Delta
Cairo says khallī bālak, 'keep your mind on it' — same bāl, different verb.
Moroccan · Morocco — Casablanca, Rabat, Fes
Darija: redd bālek, 'turn your mind to it' — watch out.
In a phrase
take care of yourself
More words from this root
More in Arabic You Already Speak
- stoned, dazed (colloquial Arabic) → stoned, high (Israeli slang)masṭūlمَسْطُولמסטול
- misery, wretchedness (Arabic) → bummer, downer (Israeli slang)buʾsبُؤْسבאסה
- pit, cesspool (Levantine Arabic) → filthy place; sewer mouth (Israeli slang)jūraجُورَةג'ורה
- garbage (Arabic) → trash, worthless junk (Israeli slang)zubālaزُبَالَةזבאלה
- idle talk, tall tales (Arabic) → nonsense, baloney (Israeli slang)kharṭخَرْطחרטה
- 'as you please' (Arabic) → terrific, tip-top (Israeli slang על הכיפאק)ʿalā kayfikaعَلَى كَيْفِكَעל הכיפאק
All Arabic You Already Speak words Explore all root families