# Levantine Arabic: زنخ



## squeezed90

I've also wondered how to say زنخ in English. I don't mean it as in when meat is gamy, instead I mean when someone is unpleasant or annoying, but I don't think those words explain it. A derivative would be "زناخة" as in "Bala zanaakha!".


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## CZAREK

Well I am not expert in LA but for me word زنخ" is a person who annoys \irritates\messes you.


Verb زنخ or تزنخ as far as I know means to annoy/piss someone off.

I heard an expression like "عقله زنخ"
=a(q)2lo zenekh=he is stupid.

Bye
Czarek


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## WadiH

I just wanted to add that when you say something is زنخ, you are literally saying that it stinks.


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## elroy

I would probably translate it as "obnoxious" in most contexts.

As for the other meaning of the word, yes, something that is زنخ stinks, but not everything that stinks is زنخ; it refers to a specific type of bad odor.  I've never heard it used to mean "gamy."


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## Ghabi

Does it literally mean "to become rancid"?


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## elroy

In Palestinian Arabic, the verb يتزانخ means "to _act _زنخ."


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## CZAREK

Elroy can you give more explanation for this verb in PA
I mean "to act" but in what context?.

*"to act "as a way of behaving  close to word"تصرف"
*"to act"(as on the stage of  the theater?)"مثل"

...any others.

Salam


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## elroy

The first one.

إذا واحد عم بتزانخ يعني عم بتصرف متل الزنخين. مرات الواحد بتزانخ مع إنه بشكل عام مش زنخ


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## squeezed90

elroy said:


> I've never heard it used to mean "gamy."



Actually you're right it probably refers more to the smell. I've just heard it commonly used as "السمك بيترك ريحة  زنخة ". But is "zifir" (زفر) a synonym?

But I'm referring to the other meaning... I think you're right elroy it might be obnoxious.


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## Golden-Rose

[Moderator's Note: Merged with a previous thread]
Syrian Arabic: الزنخة

I keep hearing it in cooking videos, and according to context, it seems to be something unpleasant/unwanted.

I'm not sure if it's specific to Syrian Arabic, though.


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## WannaBFluent

Yes, you're right it' unpleasant! It means *evil-smelling, ill-smelling, smelly, stinking*.


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## apricots

It's also used to describe obnoxious people.


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## Golden-Rose

WannaBFluent said:


> Yes, you're right it' unpleasant! It means *evil-smelling, ill-smelling, smelly, stinking*.



These are all adjectives, is it not a noun?


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## elroy

زَنَخة is a noun that only refers to the bad odor meaning.  The noun referring to the obnoxious meaning is زَناخة.

The adjective زِنِخ can mean either.


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## emanko

@elroy 
كيف نعبر عن ريحة الزفارة اللي في السمك أو اللحم النيء؟ هو لم يفسد بعد لكن به رائحة زفارة، رائحة مرتبطة دائما بمنتجات الحيوانات 

شكرا لك


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## elroy

بالإنجليزية؟


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## emanko

elroy said:


> بالإنجليزية؟


نعم، من فضلك


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