6 famous lines we always hear in Arabic drama

It’s probably safe to say that we’ve all watched at least one Arabic movie or TV series, or 9,615 if you are a Ramadan drama addict . It’s also safe to say that you’ve heard one or two of these famous lines uttered by the actors at some point.

Yes, these lines are cliché. But they're cliché because we love them and seamlessly insert them into our conversations for ironic dramatic effect.

I give you the 7 most famous lines we always hear in Arabic drama:

"الجوازة دي مش لازم تتم"

This is probably the most famous of them all! How many times have you used this line? And how many times have you heard it from the lips of an angry looking, moustache clad, finger waving father, while the tearful daughter said …

"بحبه يا بابا"

The hopelessly in love leading lady rebels for likely the only time in the show. It's a breathless, last ditch effort before she’s forced to marry her cousin or the rich (and much older) doctor.

"أنا مش أبوك"

That heartbreaking moment when Abdul Halim or Ahmed Ramzy discovers that the man who raised him is not his real father and that he’s actually an orphan or “ibn el bawwab”… cue effusively sentimental five minute long song.

"إنتِ طالق"

Usually said with an echo effects: divorced … vorced … vorced … vorced … and accompanied by a shocked look on the heroine’s face.

"عملنا اللي علينا والباقي على ربّنا"

Said in a robotic way by a "combarse" doctor who has no idea where the camera is or whether he should even look at it.

"حاضر ابن عمي"

Cousin here means "husband." It’s a phrase usually heard in Syrian (Shami) dramas, said by a blushing young wife when her macho husband orders her to do anything from covering her face in public, to rubbing his feet ... or giving him 17 children. Talk about women empowerment!