Understand the pattern
Mish often goes before a description: mish kwayyes means “not good”, and mish hina means “not here”. Many conjugated verbs take ma-…-sh: compare ro7t, “I went”, with maro7tish, “I did not go”. The spoken form can include an extra vowel, so learn the whole negative phrase. Mafeesh denies existence or availability. It is useful when something is unavailable, rather than when describing its quality. These are starter patterns; tense, pronouns and some constructions need more detail than this short guide covers.
Examples to use
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| Masri Latin | Arabic script | Meaning | Usage note |
|---|---|---|---|
| mish kwayyes | مش كويس | not good | — |
| mish hina | مش هنا | not here | — |
| ma3rafsh | ماعرفش | I don't know | — |
| mafehemtish | مافهمتش | I didn't understand | — |
| maro7tish | ماروحتش | I didn't go | — |
| mafeesh | مفيش | there is not / there are no | — |
Try it yourself
Choose a pattern for “not good”, “I did not go”, and “there is none”. Explain why mish kwayyes does not mean that an item is unavailable.
Answer and explanation
Not good: mish kwayyes (مش كويس). I did not go: maro7tish (ماروحتش). There is none: mafeesh (مفيش). Mish kwayyes describes quality; mafeesh says something is absent or unavailable.
Sources and editorial note
Further reading on this topic. These external references use their own transcription conventions; they are not an endorsement or a review of this guide.