Signification
In a dangerous or critical situation.
Contexte culturel
The concept of 'The Edge' is frequently used in political discourse to describe the 'brinkmanship' often seen in regional conflicts. Egyptians might use 'على حرف' (on the letter/edge) as a dialectal variation for physical edges. In Lebanon and Syria, the phrase is often used to describe the precarious economic situation of the middle class. Historically, navigating the 'edges' of safe paths in the desert was a survival skill, which is why the imagery remains so potent.
Use with 'Nerves'
The most common way to use this idiom personally is with 'A'sabi' (my nerves).
Avoid Positives
Don't say you are 'on the edge' of a promotion unless you might actually lose it instead.
Signification
In a dangerous or critical situation.
Use with 'Nerves'
The most common way to use this idiom personally is with 'A'sabi' (my nerves).
Avoid Positives
Don't say you are 'on the edge' of a promotion unless you might actually lose it instead.
News Listening
Listen for this phrase in Al Jazeera or BBC Arabic headlines; it appears almost daily in economic reports.
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition and noun.
بعد العمل لمدة 12 ساعة، أشعر أنني ___ ___.
The idiom for being stressed or in a critical state is 'على الحافة'.
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly in a literal sense?
اختر الجملة الصحيحة:
This describes the physical position of the book on the edge of the desk.
Match the situation to the phrase.
A company is about to go bankrupt.
'على الحافة' indicates a critical situation like bankruptcy.
Complete the dialogue.
أحمد: كيف حالك مع الامتحانات؟ سارة: لست بخير، أعصابي ___.
Sarah is expressing that her nerves are stressed due to exams.
Match the Arabic phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are the standard translations for these common idioms.
🎉 Score : /5
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
5 exercicesبعد العمل لمدة 12 ساعة، أشعر أنني ___ ___.
The idiom for being stressed or in a critical state is 'على الحافة'.
اختر الجملة الصحيحة:
This describes the physical position of the book on the edge of the desk.
A company is about to go bankrupt.
'على الحافة' indicates a critical situation like bankruptcy.
أحمد: كيف حالك مع الامتحانات؟ سارة: لست بخير، أعصابي ___.
Sarah is expressing that her nerves are stressed due to exams.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are the standard translations for these common idioms.
🎉 Score : /5
Questions fréquentes
6 questionsIt is neutral. You can use it in a newspaper or with a friend.
Yes, it is the standard way to say 'on the edge' of a table or cliff.
The plural is 'Hawaf' (حواف). You can say 'حواف العالم' (the edges of the world).
No, it only means 'on the brink' or 'stressed'. It doesn't have the English slang meaning of 'cool/rebellious'.
You can say 'أنا على الحافة' or 'أنا على آخري' (I am at my limit).
90% of the time, yes. It implies a precarious situation.
Expressions liées
على وشك
similarAbout to
على المحك
specialized formAt stake
في خطر
synonymIn danger
على شفا حفرة
builds onOn the brink of a pit
قاب قوسين
similarVery close
