# All dialects/MSA: to tease someone



## ssbws

Dear all,

we often use the word "to tease somebody" in the meaning of "to laugh at sb or make jokes in a friendly way or in order to annoy them". For example, "Don't get upset - I was only teasing"
In Colloquial Arabic, as far as I know, we tend to use ضحك على احد. I was just wondering if there was anything more specific with the same meaning in colloquial Arabic?


----------



## Hemza

Hello,

I think about "مزح" which means "to joke" (even used in Arabic dialects). I don't see anything else, but my level in standard arabic isn't that good so let's wait for someone else's reply.


----------



## cherine

Correct. You can say كنت أمزح معك or أنا فقط أمزح معك , in MSA.
In colloquial, it may differ from one dialect to another, so we need to know if you, ssbws, were interested in dialects or MSA (also to change the title accordingly). Just know that ضحك على is more "to laugh at someone", "to trick them" rather than "to tease them".


----------



## Abu Talha

How about, also: إنما ألعب بك ?


----------



## Hemza

Abu Talha said:


> How about, also: إنما ألعب بك ?



It would mean "I'm playing with you" but implies "using you as a toy"
Like if you say "I'm playing by using you to play"


----------



## ssbws

Dear Cherin,  

Exactly, I'm more interested in modern colloquial usage rather than MSA like Egyptian and/or Syrian versions (لغات عامية شامية). I'd appriciate it if you could share your ideas here.


----------



## Hemza

"مزح" is used in all dialects as far as I know. It might exist other words, depending of the dialects though, but the main word is "مزح".


----------



## octa8on

In Egypt, we use the word يغيظ too.  كنت بغيظك أو كنت بضايقك


----------



## Arab_Student

Levantine: كنت عم بمزح معك
Egyptian (and Sudanese): كنت بهظر معك


----------



## cmorris

In Jordan, التخوّط على is commonly used in the sense  of teasing someone. التخوّط means to play around.

Hope that helps!

Also, I was earlier reminded that التحريج, though literally translated as "to cause embarrassment, to embarrass) can also be understand as "tease". For example,

ما تحرّجني ثاني مرة! - Don't tease me again! 

However, I haven't heard this one used as often. Any native speakers have any clearer insight on its usage?


----------



## cherine

Hemza said:


> "مزح" is used in all dialects as far as I know.


No, it's not used in Egypt.
Please don't post an information if you're not sure about it, so as to not confuse anyone.



octa8on said:


> In Egypt, we use the word يغيظ too. كنت بغيظك أو كنت بضايقك


This is correct if you want to express the literal meaning/translation of "to tease". But the more correct equivalent is كنت باهزَّر معاك kont bahazzar ma3aak.


----------



## Hemza

cherine said:


> No, it's not used in Egypt.
> Please don't post an information if you're not sure about it, so as to not confuse anyone.



Sorry, I didn't want to give false informations but I have an Egyptian friend who made me a joke and told me: "bamza7 ma3ak" . Or may be, he knew I didn't know the Egyptian word so he might has used a word I know? His parents are from an area North of Cairo, I forgot its name but it's a small city.


----------



## cherine

We do sometimes use words that sound fuS7a to us, بامزح could fall under this category.


----------



## Hemza

Then it's his fault if I was wrong this time, abawarrih hal "gaban", hal "gazma"  (he called me like this time and told me: "bamza7 ma3ak")


----------



## khidmat

لقد كنتُ أمزح معك ولم أقصد أن أقوم بإزعاجك


----------



## tounsi51

In TA at the first person we would say

نفدلك معك or ندكك عليك


----------



## n8starr

I have heard يطقطق used by Saudis which I believe is something along the lines of "playing a joke on someone" but I can't get a clear interpretation of this.


----------

