".كلُّ لفظٍ حسنٍ، فلهُ وزنٌ في النفس قبل أن يكون في اللسان"
"Every beautiful utterance has a weight in the soul before it finds its way to the tongue."
— Ibn Jinnī (ابن جني)

Speak in Chunks, Not Words

Why Collocations Matter in Levantine Arabic

If you've ever tried to say "make a decision" in Arabic by translating it word-for-word—maybe using the verb for "make" like يَعمَل—you might’ve ended up with something like "يَعمَل قَرار", which is wrong.

That’s because Arabic—especially Levantine Colloquial Arabic—doesn’t use words the same way English does. In English, we make a decision. But in Arabic, you take one:
يَأخُد قَرار (yaakhod qarār).

This is just one example of a collocation—a group of words that naturally go together. In English, you say pay attention, get to the house, or make a decision. But Arabic uses completely different combinations. For example:

• In English, you start a fight. In Arabic, you open a problem: فَتَح مُشْكِلة

• You break the law in English. In Arabic, you go against it: خالف القانون

• You break a promise in English. In Arabic, you leave it behind: يُخلِف الوَعد

If you only memorize individual words, you’ll sound like a robot trying to glue sentences together. But when you learn collocations—the natural chunks native speakers actually use—you’ll sound fluid, confident, and real.

What Are Collocations?

Collocations are combinations of words that naturally appear together in fluent speech. In English, we say:

• Pay attention

• break the silence

• Make a mistake

In English, you wouldn’t say, "He took a decision" —it sounds off. Arabic has the same logic, just with different rules. You must learn which words go together to sound natural and local.

Why Collocations Matter in Levantine Arabic

Focusing on collocations will transform your learning experience. Here’s why:

• You speak faster and with more confidence

• You reduce translation errors and hesitation

• You sound more expressive and culturally attuned

• You stop memorizing—and start internalizing

If you’ve ever struggled to say get ready or go out with friends on the spot, the issue likely isn’t vocabulary—it’s not knowing the right chunks.

Why Collocations Matter in Translation

As a trained interpreter, I can tell you: collocations are the core of real-time translation. When someone speaks quickly, you don’t have time to translate word-by-word. You rely on phrases you’ve already heard a hundred times.

For example, if someone says:
"She made a scene"
You might try to say "عملت مشهد"—but that’s literal, and strictly speaking incorrect. A Jordanian Arabic speaker would say:
"عملت جَرْصة" (ʿamlet jarṣa) — a much stronger and more natural phrase.

The word جرصة captures embarrassment, chaos, volume, and public drama—all in one. And it only works if you’ve heard the collocation before.

Translation isn’t about substituting words. It’s about recognizing pre-built expressions that carry emotion, timing, and rhythm. And that’s exactly what collocations give you.

Different Words, Same Structure

Often, Arabic and English mirror each other in sentence structure—but use totally different words.

English Collocation -- Levantine Arabic Collocation -- Literal Meaning

Start a fight فَتَح مَشاكِل (fataḥ mashākil) Opened problems

Lose hope راح الأَمَل (rāḥ il-ʾamal) The hope left

Make a scene عَمَل جَرْصة (ʿamal jarṣa) Make a scandal

Catch a cold أَخَد بَرِد (ʾakhad barid) Took a cold

For that reason; therefore منشان هيك (minshaan hayk) Because it's like this

Learning these collocations helps you listen for meaning instead of translating piece by piece.

When English and Arabic Actually Match

Sometimes, English and Arabic collocations align closely—verb and noun both. These are helpful early wins for learners.

English Collocation | Levantine Arabic Collocation | Literal Meaning

Take a shower | أَخَد دُوش (ʾakhad dūsh) | Took a shower

Take a picture | أَخَد صُورَة (ʾakhad ṣūra) | Took a picture

Open the door | فَتَح الباب (fataḥ il-bāb) | Opened the door

Drive a car | ساق سيارة (sāʾ sayyāra) | Drove a car

Just don’t get too comfortable—most Arabic expressions won’t match so easily.

When English Uses Collocations but Arabic Uses One Word

Arabic often uses a single word where English uses a full phrase.

English Collocation | Levantine Arabic Verb | Literal Meaning

Take a nap | غَفّى (ġaffā) | He napped

Get tired | تْعِب (tʿib) | He got tired

Wake up | صِحي (SiHee) He woke up

Get angry عَصَّب (ʿaṣṣab) He got angry

In these cases, don’t try to overbuild a phrase. Use the one-word Arabic equivalent as a full, fluent expression.

Collocations vs. Idioms: What’s the Difference?

Not all phrases are created equal. Some combinations of words make sense just by knowing their parts—others don’t. That’s where we draw the line between collocations and idioms. Knowing the difference can help you avoid confusion and focus your learning where it matters most. Collocations are common word pairings that retain their literal meanings.

• Pay attention

• take a shower

• get a job

Idioms, on the other hand, are metaphorical or culturally specific expressions.

• يودّي ملاعب (to kick the bucket, lit. "say goodbye to the playgrounds")

• طِلِع من طوره (he lost his temper, lit. “he came out of his form”)

• شو جاب لجاب؟ (what does that have to do with anything?)

Idioms must be memorized as-is. Collocations, however, give you a flexible toolkit you can apply and adapt.

Learning Collocations Is Like Martial Arts

When I began studying more advanced Arabic, and subsequently training as an Arabic interpreter, I realized vocabulary wasn’t enough. If I paused to translate each word, I fell behind. What saved me were collocations—chunks I’d drilled until they came out naturally.

Vocabulary is your raw technique. Collocations are your combinations.

Just like a martial artist drills jab-cross-hook until it’s muscle memory, an Arabic learner must repeat key phrases until they feel automatic.

Below are some phrases that can get you rolling when you get stuck in a variety of live colloquial situations, so have them at ready at the hip like a six-shooter:

• تأخدي العائل – You look stunning!

• ما إِلِي خُلُق – I don’t feel like it

• شو بدّي احكي لك تحكي لك– What can I say?/What can I tell you?

Steps to Learn Collocations in Levantine Arabic

1. Collect Phrases in Context
Don’t write down isolated verbs. Write down the whole expression.
Examples:

• راح ينام – He went to sleep

• خلصنا الشغل – We finished work

2. Use Flashcards for Phrases, Not Words
Use Anki or Quizlet to review full expressions, not isolated vocabulary.
Examples:

• ❌ أكل

• ✅ أكل من البوفيه – Ate from the buffet

3. Drill Out Loud with Rhythm
Repetition with rhythm locks in pronunciation and recall.
Example: ما بدي شي … رح يكون بدي … ما كان بدي شي

4. Shadow Native Speakers
Mimic intonation, speed, and style.
Recommended sources:

• Shows: Al Hayba, Dollar

• Music: Fairouz, Bu Kolthoum, Mashrou’ Leila

Final Thoughts: Speak in Blocks, Not Bricks

If you want to speak Levantine Arabic with confidence, stop assembling your speech word by word. Learn to speak in chunks—collocations that flow naturally from native speakers.

Grammar matters. Vocabulary matters. But collocations are what make your speech fluent, believable, and alive.

They’re not just building blocks of meaning—they’re what Ibn Jinnī called "utterances with weight in the soul."

Want a shortcut?

I’m putting together a Levantine Collocation Starter Pack—a printable resource filled with everyday expressions you can use immediately.

Subscribe to The Arabic Soundscape and start speaking in rhythm, not translation.