ProverbHub
Arabic · Arabic scriptProverb: Verified

«مَا يِعْرَفْشْ طُظ مِنْ سُبْحَانَ الله»

Meanings

Each meaning is reviewed on its own.

Meaning: Verified
English translation

He can't tell a scornful 'pfft' from a word of praise to God.

Literal wording

He doesn't know 'tozz' from 'subhan Allah' (Glory be to God).

Meaning and lesson

The saying mocks a person so foolish and uninformed that they cannot separate 'tozz', a rude, scornful interjection for something worthless, from 'subhan Allah', a devout phrase of praise to God. If someone cannot tell those two extremes apart, the implication is that they lack even the most basic judgment.

In practice it works as a sweeping dismissal of someone's understanding. The speaker is not pointing to a single mistake but declaring the person generally ignorant and slow, unable to grasp obvious differences between worthless chatter and serious, meaningful speech.

When it is used

Said about someone, usually behind their back or in exasperation, to brand them as hopelessly dim. It is a blunt, insulting colloquial put-down for informal talk among peers; addressed directly it would offend, and pairing a crude dismissal with pious praise may strike some listeners as irreverent.

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Colloquial; disparaging
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