How Repeating Any Two Letters Can Create Real Words in Damascene Dialect!

Here’s a cool little secret about the Syrian (especially Damascene) dialect: If you take any two letters and repeat them… chances are, you just created a real word!

No kidding. it’s like the language has its own rhythm and melody built right in. From laughter to exhaustion, to food, to gossip… every repeated sound tells a whole story.
Let’s explore some of the most fun “double-sound” words you’ll hear around Damascus:

Image Source: Al-Alam Channel

Laughter & Fun

• Sakh-sakh (سخسخ): To laugh really hard.
• Karkar (كركر): To giggle when someone tickles you.
• Zahzah (زهزه): To enjoy yourself, feel totally happy.
• Natanat (نطنط): To jump around playfully.
• Dagdag (دغدغ): To tickle someone.

Fatigue and Laziness:

• Batbat (بطبط): Feeling exhausted.
• Fashfash (فشفش): To crumble or deflate.
• Dabdab (دبدب): To gain weight.
• Tartar (ترتر): To shiver from cold… or get really angry.
• Kankan (كنكن): To hide something or calm down after anger.
• Matmat (مطمط): To stretch dough, clothes, or anything similar.

Thinking and Talking:

• Barbar (بربر): To talk endlessly.
• Tharthar (ثرثر): Same thing — talk, talk, talk!
• Ta’ta’ (تأتأ): To stutter.
• Ba’ba’ (بعبع): To speak nonsense.
• La’la’ (لعلع): To raise your voice.
• Walwal (ولول): To cry out loudly.
• Waswas (وسوس): To whisper negative thoughts.
• Makhmakh (مخمخ): To think deeply.
• Shabshab (شَبشَب): To act like you’re younger than you are.
• Washwash (وشوش): To whisper softly.

Food and Drink:

• Na’na’ (نأنأ): To eat slowly, bite by bite.
• Marmar (مرمر): For something to taste bitter.
• Fasfas (فصفص): To crack and eat sunflower seeds.
• Sharshar (شرشر): To spill soup or sauce.
• Sa’sa / Nagh’ngh (سأسأ / نغنغ): When food gets too soggy (especially shawarma).
• Ba’ba’ (بقبق): When food starts boiling.
• Tash-tash (طشطش): To drizzle or splash liquid (like pouring butter on fatteh).
• Kabkab (كبكب): To toss things randomly… or to roll kibbeh balls.

Scents and Senses:

• Fahfah (فحفح): A strong smell spreads out.
• Shamsham (شمشم): To sniff carefully.
• Khamkham (خمخم): To smell bad.
• Nashnash (نشنش): To feel re-energized after being lazy.

Movement and Positions:

• Lahlah (لحلح): To move something.
• Halhal (حلحل): To untangle or ease up.
• Hat-hat (حطحط): To collapse tired after hard work.
• Tah-tah (طحطح): To carry something heavy with effort.
• Tabtab (طبطب): To pat someone’s shoulder gently.
• Jarjar (جرجر): To drag someone (literally or with words).
• Daqdaq (دقدق): To knock on the door.
• Dasdas (دسدس): To feel something with your hands.
• Khashkhash (خشخش): The jingling sound of keys or coins.
• As’as (عسعس): When firewood turns to glowing embers.
• Zamzam (زمزم): To squeeze or tighten something, like clothes.
• Qasqas (قصقص): To cut things up.
• Lamlam (لملم): To gather things.
• Dabdab (ضبضب): To put everything back in its place.
• Harhar (هرهر): When crumbs or bits of food fall.
• Tantan (طنطن): When the bell rings.
• Basbas (بصبص): To peek secretly

See? Just a couple of repeated sounds and suddenly you’ve got a whole mini-story in the Damascene dialect. It’s playful, musical, and so expressive.

What’s YOUR favorite word from the list?
And do you know more “double-sound” gems we missed? Drop them in the comments!

You might also like: 12 Things That Remind Us Exactly Why We Love Damascus