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: I.

Yes—more careful spelling would usually be:

• أنا
• متأخر

In informal writing, especially texting or casual online Arabic, people often leave out hamzas. So:

• انا = أنا
• متاخر = متأخر

This is very common in colloquial Egyptian writing.

A rough learner-friendly pronunciation is:

maʿlesh, ana meta'akhkhar

A few notes:

• معلش is often pronounced something like maʿlesh
• انا is ana
• متاخر / متأخر is roughly meta'akhkhar

The sound ع in معلش does not exist in English. Many learners write it as 3 in informal transliteration, so you may see ma3lesh.

Don’t worry if your pronunciation is not perfect at first—معلش is such a common word that people will usually understand you.

Yes.

A male speaker says:

• انا متأخر

A female speaker says:

• انا متأخرة

So the sentence changes to match the speaker’s gender.

معلش does not change.

Usually no. It is more of a light, everyday apology.

So معلش، انا متاخر sounds like:

• Sorry, I’m late
• Oops, I’m late
• Sorry about that, I’m late

If you want to sound more direct or more serious, you could use آسف:

• male: أنا آسف، أنا متأخر
• female: أنا آسفة، أنا متأخرة

That sounds more explicitly like I’m sorry.

It is clearly colloquial, and it fits Egyptian Arabic very well.

Clues include:

• معلش, which is extremely common in spoken Egyptian Arabic
• the casual spelling انا and متاخر
• the overall informal tone

In formal Modern Standard Arabic writing, you would normally choose a more formal style and more careful spelling.

Because this is a very common Arabic sentence pattern:

• subject + adjective

So:

• انا = I
• متأخر = late

Together: I am late

This is the basic, natural order learners should use.

Yes—very often. That is one reason it is such a useful word.

Depending on context, معلش can mean things like:

• sorry
• never mind
• it’s okay
• don’t worry
• no problem
• too bad

So even though it means sorry in this sentence, you should think of it as a flexible everyday expression rather than a single exact English word.