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Arabic · Arabic scriptProverb: Verified

«زَيِّ القَنَافِدْ مَا يِسْرَحْشْ إِلَّا بِاللِّيلْ»

Meanings

Each meaning is reviewed on its own.

Meaning: Verified
English translation

Like a hedgehog, he only comes out after dark.

Literal wording

Like the hedgehogs, he does not go out roaming except at night.

Meaning and lesson

The saying compares a person to hedgehogs, animals known for keeping hidden by day and going out to roam at night; the verb here means roaming about, not grazing. It describes someone whose comings and goings happen almost entirely after dark, so others rarely see them by day.

In practice it labels a habit rather than explaining it. The speaker notes that the person turns nocturnal and becomes visible only in the evening hours. Any further implication, such as laziness, secrecy, or simple night-owl living, comes from context rather than from the image itself.

When it is used

Use it about anyone, despite the masculine grammar, who stays out of sight by day and appears only after dark, such as a friend who sleeps through daylight or someone hard to find before evening. Let the situation set whether the remark is playful or critical.

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