# killing time



## viseph

hi all!
i was wondering how could you translate the expression "killing time" in Arabic... for some reason, I don't find convincing the verb قتل followed by the word زمان . Could anyone suggest me a more appropriate way?
thank you


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## barkoosh

You can use قتل in this context. It's common and found in modern dictionaries. But use الوقت with it, not الزمان.


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## viseph

So I should translate the sentence "... and I'm (just) killing time" with "و أنا أقتل/قاتل الوقت..."?


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## barkoosh

Yes, you can say
أنا أقتل الوقت


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## viseph

thank you very much!


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## suma

barkoosh said:


> Yes, you can say
> أنا أقتل الوقت



Really? Is that understood in everyday Arabic speech as "using up time"?


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## Timesieve

The linked dictionary entry does list that use. I didn't know that either.

Is is used colloquially or does it come off sounding fus7a?

قاعد اقتل الوقت هنا في المنتديات بدل ما اكمل واجباتي 
><


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## barkoosh

I don't think it's used colloquially. In my country's dialect, the words مرّق الوقت (lit., making time pass) or ضيّع الوقت (wasting time). Other dialects could be using other words.


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## Timesieve

Where are you from, barkoosh? If you don't mind my asking.

I've heard ضيّع الوقت before but not مرّق الوقت


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## barkoosh

Timesieve said:


> Where are you from, barkoosh? If you don't mind my asking.
> 
> I've heard ضيّع الوقت before but not مرّق الوقت


Sorry  I added my location to my profile
مرّق is Lebanese slang for مرّر


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## إسكندراني

waste time ≠ kill time


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## Timesieve

إسكندراني said:


> waste time ≠ kill time



Truth but they are related. Passing time is probably a little closer to killing time (though it doesn't have exactly the same connotations) so مرق might be a better translation.

Do Egyptians say مرر الوقت?




barkoosh said:


> مرّق is Lebanese slang for مرّر



Interesting. If you're from Beirut than the ق is a glottal stop (ء) right?


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## barkoosh

Timesieve said:


> If you're from Beirut than the ق is a glottal stop (ء) right?


Yes.


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## cherine

إسكندراني said:


> waste time ≠ kill time





Timesieve said:


> Truth but they are related. Passing time is probably a little closer to killing time (though it doesn't have exactly the same connotations) so مرق might be a better translation.
> 
> Do Egyptians say مرر الوقت?


No.

We say ضيّع وقت/وقته/الوقت for wasting time
قاعد يضيع وقته بدل ما يذاكر
And قضّى وقت/وقته for killing/passing the time (doing something):
بيقضِّي وقته كله على النت

You can note that these 2 sentences can both have the meaning of wasting time, but using قضّى doesn't have the negative connotation of ضيّع.

Another example for killing time:
 وأنا مسافر في القطر بقضِّي الوقت في القراية
 wana'msaafer fel-aTr, ba2aDDi 'l-waet fel-eraaya
While travelling by train, I kill/pass the time reading.


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## إسكندراني

I don't think Egyptians really use 'kill time' (even if they do it in practice). All that comes to mind is the expression
الوقت كالسيف إن لم تقطعه قطعك


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## Abu Talha

How about إذهاب الوقت ?


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## إسكندراني

Not idiomatic as far as I know.


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## Paterimon

As a matter of fact people in Syria do say:
قاعد عم يقطّع الوقت بلِعب  الطاولة  (backgammon)
And I think   قتل الوقت   was not genuinely Arabic, but was _borrowed _from  French  _tuer le temps _ or English _kill the time_


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