Questions & Answers about معلش، انا متاخر.
Not exactly, but sorry is a very good translation in this sentence.
In Egyptian Arabic, معلش is a very common everyday word with several meanings depending on context, such as:
- sorry
- never mind
- it’s okay
- don’t worry
In معلش، انا متاخر, it works like a soft, casual apology: Sorry, I’m late.
It sounds natural and conversational, not overly formal.
Because Arabic usually leaves out the verb to be in the present tense.
So:
- انا متاخر literally looks like I late
- but it means I am late
This is completely normal in Arabic.
If you wanted a past meaning, Arabic would use a form of to be, for example I was late.
You can sometimes say just متاخر if the context already makes it clear who you mean, especially in conversation.
But for learners, انا متاخر is the safest and most natural full version.
Since متاخر is an adjective, not a fully conjugated verb, saying انا helps clearly show the subject: .