Meaning
To pay money for goods or services.
Cultural Background
The 'Battle of the Bill': It is culturally significant to fight over who pays the bill at a restaurant. It demonstrates 'Karam' (generosity). People often use the word 'حق' (Haq - right/truth) instead of 'ثمن' (Thaman) for the price of small items. In Egypt, 'يدفع' is often replaced by 'يحاسب' (to settle up) in service contexts like taxis or cafes. Hospitality is paramount. If you are a guest, you are rarely allowed to 'pay the price' for anything; it is considered an insult to the host.
The 'Ayn' Sound
Make sure to pronounce the 'ع' in 'Yadfa' clearly, or it might sound like 'Yadfa' (to warm up) in some dialects.
Don't translate 'Pay Attention'
This is the most common mistake. Use 'Intabih' instead.
Meaning
To pay money for goods or services.
The 'Ayn' Sound
Make sure to pronounce the 'ع' in 'Yadfa' clearly, or it might sound like 'Yadfa' (to warm up) in some dialects.
Don't translate 'Pay Attention'
This is the most common mistake. Use 'Intabih' instead.
Use 'Ghalian'
Add 'Ghalian' (dearly) to the end to sound like a native speaker when talking about big mistakes.
The Bill Fight
If someone says 'Khalli' (Leave it/It's on me), you should still offer to pay at least twice.
Test Yourself
Fill in the missing verb in the correct form.
أنا ______ ثمن العشاء أمس.
The sentence refers to 'I' (أنا) and 'yesterday' (أمس), so the past tense first-person singular 'دفعتُ' is correct.
Which sentence uses the phrase figuratively?
Choose the figurative usage:
This sentence refers to a criminal paying for his crimes (consequences), not a monetary transaction.
Match the Arabic phrase to its English context.
Match the following:
These are standard translations for these specific collocations.
Complete the dialogue.
أحمد: هل اشتريت السيارة؟ خالد: نعم، و______ الثمن اليوم صباحاً.
The context implies the action is completed because he said 'Yes' to buying it.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Literal vs Figurative
Practice Bank
4 exercisesأنا ______ ثمن العشاء أمس.
The sentence refers to 'I' (أنا) and 'yesterday' (أمس), so the past tense first-person singular 'دفعتُ' is correct.
Choose the figurative usage:
This sentence refers to a criminal paying for his crimes (consequences), not a monetary transaction.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
These are standard translations for these specific collocations.
أحمد: هل اشتريت السيارة؟ خالد: نعم، و______ الثمن اليوم صباحاً.
The context implies the action is completed because he said 'Yes' to buying it.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, but add the preposition 'li'. Example: 'Dafa'tu lil-rajul' (I paid the man).
No, 'Si'r' (سعر) is also used, but 'Thaman' is more common in this specific collocation.
Use the prefix 'sa' or 'sawfa'. Example: 'Sa-adfa' al-thaman'.
Yes, though the pronunciation of 'Thaman' might change to 'Taman' in Egypt.
It's better to use 'Saddad' (سدد) for debts, but 'Dafa'a' is understood.
It would be 'Yaqbid al-thaman' (to receive the price/payment).
It is neutral. It works in a palace or a pizza shop.
Yes! If you see 'Dafa'a' on a door, it means 'Push'.
You can say 'Al-thaman ghali jiddan'.
Yes, 'Yadfa' al-gharama' (paying the fine).
Related Phrases
دفع الحساب
similarTo pay the bill
سدد الديون
specialized formTo settle debts
تحمل المسؤولية
similarTo take responsibility
ببلاش
contrastFor free
ثمن باهظ
builds onAn exorbitant price
