What does “على فكرة” mean in Egyptian Arabic?

على فكرة (ʕala fekra) means “by the way.” Literally “on an idea,” it’s how Egyptians slip in a side comment, a small correction or a bit of news: على فكرة، أنا جاية بكرة (“by the way, I’m coming tomorrow”). Said with a certain tone it has an edge: على فكرة، انت غلطان is “just so you know, you’re wrong.”

The video walks through everyday Egyptian verbs in short scenes, starting with محتاج / محتاجة (“need”): أنا محتاجة مية (“I need water”), أنا محتاجة مناديل (“I need tissues”). A friend teases back, لا ده انت محتاجة حاجات كتير قوي (“no, you need a LOT of things”), and the scene closes on مش فاكرة، بصراحة (“I honestly don’t remember”).