AlRawabi School for Girls

AlRawabi School for Girls (مدرسة الروابي للبنات) is a classic, mean girls, high school drama set amid the insular world of a private, all-girls school in Amman, Jordan. The show follows Mariam as she and her friends, Dina and Noaf, exact revenge on the school bullies, Layan, Rania, and Ruqayya. The bullies are simultaneously struggling to navigate the complexities of being rebellious teenage girls in a conservative society. As Miriam’s plots become increasingly severe, it's hard to tell whether Miriam has the moral high ground, or if she’s just another bully.

The show was created by Tima Shomali (actress in Female) and Shirin Kamal and directed by Shomali. The entertaining and scathing dialogue captures the linguistic patterns of many younger, affluent Jordanians - sprinkling English phrases and idioms in with their colloquial Arabic dialect. AlRawabi School for Girls is available on Netflix with subtitles in many languages.

Scroll down for episode summaries, vocabulary lists, and songs. Hopefully you enjoy this series (and the soundtrack) as much as we did!

Character Glossary / الشخصيات

The main character, Mariam (مريم), and her childhood friend, Dina (دينا), face the challenges at Al Rawabi school together. They’re joined by the new girl, Noaf (نوف), but fractures in their relationships at key moments cause the group to splinter and reunite throughout the show.

The quintessential popular, mean girls at Al Rawabi are 3 friends named Layan (ليان), Rania (رانيا) and Ruqayya (رقية). From the start, they bully Mariam and other girls at school, but will they continue to terrorize the school or outgrow their nasty ways?

The girls are shepherded through their years at Al Rawabi by their very traditional teacher, Ms. Abeer (عبير) and Principal Faten. Both women have good intentions, but out of touch with the realities of the girls’ lives.

Episode 1 / الحلقة الاولى

Despite occasional bullying, Mariam used to love going to Al Rawabi school. But all that changes one day when she’s brutally assaulted behind the school by her fellow classmates. When the perpetrators avoid punishment and Miriam ends up in trouble, she takes matters into her own hands. From that moment on, Mariam’s relationship with the other characters and the school is redefined by how they respond to her recovery. Seeking revenge, she starts plotting ways to extract her own justice.

مفردات

50:26
ما شفتش حدا
I didn't see anyone
“ش” can be added to the end of a verb to negate the action. In this case, it’s used to emphasize the already negated verb

48:17
تحاولي تكوني زنقة؟
Are you try to be a jerk
Literal translation: are you trying to be shit?

48:05
!اقعدو
Sit down (you all)!

47:55
راح عليكي اشي؟
Did you get up to anything?
Literal translation: did anything pass you?

47:50
!مش مقول
Unbelievable/amazing

45:54
شو مالك؟
What’s wrong with you?

44:54
فتيات/بنات
Girls

41:02
مو مداوم
Not at work or school
The adjective مداوم means to be present at your ‘job’ for the day - be that work or school

35:07
يسلمو يدك
Thank you
Literal translation: peace be upon your hands

34:03
عم بموت لحدا بقولو عنه
I’m dying to tell someone about it

32:51
محلها
Her place
Used as a command in show to mean “take her place”

32:17
!مرري
Pass [the ball]!

31:57
طابة
A ball

26:38
نمنم
Gossip

26:07
نفسي اكوني
I wish I was….

Listen to Inni Mneeh by Mashrou’ Leila

Lyrics and listen to Law Kol el Nas by Do3souqa

Listen to Ma Lkit by Emel Mathlouthi

Episode 2 / الحلقة الثانية

The feud between Mariam and Layan, Rania, and Ruqayya escalates when they bully Mariam on her first day back in class. Mariam is ready though - she broadcasts a recording of the girl’s private conversations in which they complain about school and insult the teachers. Ms. Abeer takes the affronts personally and sees that the girls are duly punished.

Noaf also gets pulled back into the conflict when Rania lets slip that Noaf witnessed the whole assault. Layan, Rania, and Ruqayya don’t waste any time in making sure Noaf knows that they can exact revenge whenever they want.

مفردات

47:20
بخاف منها
She is scared of her

42:27
مررت فيه
What I went through
Literal translation: to pass through. مرر also means “to pass” like in football (see episode 1 vocabulary)

40:25
معتوه/ة
Idiot

32:58
حوريات التعبير
Freedom of expression

29:53
كنت بدي اطمن عليكي
I wanted to check on you

28:55
جبان/ة
Cowardly

26:31
بتدردشو
Chatting (you pl.)

21:15
حقير/ة
Bitch (noun); sleazy (adj.); vile (adj.)

20:01
طردت من المدرسة
I was expelled from the school

13:08
روح رياضية
Sportsmanship

12:35
مدحتيها
You flattered her

12:23
المنتخب
The national team
Literal translation: the elect

9:52
انا مش هبلة
I’m not an idiot

2:58
عليهم
Let’s get them
Literal translation: on them

Listen to يتميلح by كوين جي

Listen to Manakir by Haya Zaatry

Listen to El Ginena by Zaed Naes (Ft. Maii Waleed)

Episode 3 / الحلقة الثالثة

Dina thinks she’s found new friends in Layan, Rania, and Ruqayya but quickly realizes her mistake when they circulate an unflattering picture of her. After the incident, Mariam makes up with Dina who happily joins Mariam and Noaf’s mission to get revenge. Their plan unfolds during the school fundraiser when they utilize Noaf’s technical skills to set an emotionally enticing trap for Ruqayya. Meanwhile, Layan and Raina are busy with their dates, making Ruqayya feel left out and especially vulnerable...

مفردات

46:01
عم مسخرة
She is making fun [of you]

45:49
يضحكو عليكي
They’re laughing at you (feminine)

40:25
تلميح
A hint

36:45
بدلتك
I replaced you

29:54
الشب حاب بضبطها
The guy wants to get with her
Literal translation: the guy wants to catch her

28:19
ثلاث دقات
Three [heart] beats

28:15
بدق
To knock

21:26
شعر البنات
Cotton candy
Literal translation: girls’ hair

15:13
!وعطيني قلبي
You scared me!
Literal translation: give me back my heart or you gave me a heart attack

10:18
ذوقك
Your taste/style

9:22 [text messages]
الطبقات والايشارب
The layers and the [head] scarf

2:54
وسخ/ة
Dirty (morally or physically)

Listen to Azza by Yasmine Hamdan

Listen to 3 Daqat by Abu bt. Yousra

Listen to Shorbet Rosas by Nadah El Shazly and Mohamed Shafik

Episode 4 / الحلقة الرابعة

Ruqayya pays the price for sending “Tareq” a revealing photo during open day: her mother pulls her out of AlRawabi school and cuts off her contact with Layan and Rania. Meanwhile, Layan catches Mariam taking medicine to treat her mental health conditions. As Layan is rifling through Mariam’s backpack to look at the medication bottle, she comes across Mariam’s journal containing all of her thoughts as she wrestles with depression. Layan wastes no time in using the journal to punish Mariam and her friends. In response, Mariam, Noaf, and Dina begin hatching even bigger plans to catch Layan and Rania during the upcoming school trip.

مفردات

43:40
ايش عم بطلعو؟
What are you looking at?

42:32
أنتي هلا لوح زجاج مكسور
You’re now like a broken pane of glass

39:53
هو لازم بتحسب
He should be punished
بتحسب literally means “to account for” or “to calculate” and can also be used in mathematical or bookkeeping contexts

32:23
تغار منك
She’s jealous of you

27:38
مريضة نفسية
Mental illness
Translated in the show as “psycho”

24:36
مجنون/ة
Crazy

21:35
كبش الفداء
Scapegoat
Literal translation: the ram of redemption

17:01
مصحة
Institution/rehab facility

12:23
ما علينا
It doesn’t matter to us; whatever

12:20
تستسلم
She gives up/surrenders

8:48
لو شو ما صار
Whatever happens

6:33
يدها خفيفة
She’s a pickpocket
Literal translation: her hand is light

Listen to DaWalaDa by Takh

Listen to Smek by Yuma (Rey & Kjavik Remix)

Lyrics and listen to Je Me Promets by Meryem Aboulouafa

Episode 5 / الحلقة الخامسة

The Al Rawabi students are excited for their overnight school trip. Before they can even load the bus though, Rania’s morning is spoiled when her drunken dad forbids her from going. Rania’s mother intervenes to ensure her daughter can still attend, but Rania is shaken by the incident. Layan, too, has a disturbing morning when she discovers that her overbearing older brother recently bought a gun. By contrast, Mariam, Noaf, and Dina are giddy that they’ve succeeded in hacking Layan’s Whatsapp account. But things between the girls get frosty when Miriam admits that she rearranged room assignments to help them spy on Layan and Rania.

Later that day, Noaf gets attacked by a man in the swimming pool and Layan comes to her aid. Noaf doesn’t share the details of her assault with anyone, including Mariam, who’s puzzled by Noaf’s newfound loyalty to Layan. When Layan and Rania sneak out after curfew, Mariam sees the perfect opportunity to rat them out to Mrs. Faten, not realizing - and maybe not really caring - that she’s putting Noaf in danger too.

مفردات

49:26
حساسية
An allergy or allergies
حساسيات is the plural of حساسية and does technically translate to sensitivities, however, this word is used colloquially to mean bad blood or bad feelings:
في حساسيات بيني وبينها
Translation: there are bad feeling between me and her or, she and I don’t get along

48:08
وقعت الها
You signed [the school permission form] for her

44:17
كشتنا من البيت
She kicked us out of the house

41:50
انانية
Selfishness

33:59
!ابعد عنها
Get away from her!

32:12
تلومه
You blame him

28:44
افسحي
Move over

24:55
حجزنا لك كرسي
We saved you a seat

19:48
تتشكي عنا
To tattle on us
Literal translation: to complain about us

11:17
اي لحظة
Any moment

10:19
قبل ما نتهمها
Before we accuse her

6:27
انتي بنت قوية و قد حالك
You’re a strong woman and can stand up for yourself

Lyrics and listen to Hashrab Hashish by Luka

Lyrics and listen to Emta Njawzak Yamma by DAM

Listen to Ghir Enta by Souad Massi

Listen to Hasafer Baeed by Maii & Zeid

Listen to Fake Love by BTS (in Korean, not Arabic)

Listen to Bint Meen by Luna Abu Nassar

Episode 6 / الحلقة السادسة

Rania is forced to miss school for a few days after being caught at a club during the overnight school trip. When she returns, Rania has a black eye and a newfound caution about breaking school rules. Layan is not similarly deterred, proceeding with her plans to skip school and spend the day with Laith. Noaf and Dina develop a tentative friendship with Layan and Rania, after Rania covered for Noaf during the school trip. Their budding friendship is cut short, however, when Rania discovers that “Tareq” - the person who persuaded Ruqayya to send him a photo without her hijab - was actually Dina and Noaf.

Layan is blissfully enjoying her day alone with Laith when Rania, Dina, and Noaf realize Mariam is single-handedly implementing her plan to ruin Layan. Rania knows the danger Layan will be in if Hazem (Layan’s controlling older brother) finds out she’s spending the day alone with a man. Rania begs Mariam not to tell Hazem where Layan is, but will Miriam stop when she’s this close to success?

If you've made it all the way through the show, we recommend taking a moment to read “The Netflix Teen Drama that Goes Deeper into the Arab Patriarchy,” an in-depth social analysis of AlRawabi School for Girls by journalist Yasmine Al-Sayyad.

مفردات

46:23
مضايقة
Feel upset

46:04
عمرو ما يحله
They will never be solved/fixed

44:43
إقامة جبرية
House arrest

43:54
دير بالك على حالك
Be careful!

38:54
تخصوصية
Privacy

33:21
الجائز
The prize

32:54
شلفت
She escaped

31:47
الجراة
The courage/nerve

28:58
هي مشوشة
She’s confused

20:07
تسابق
To race

13:52
اترجاكي
Please; I’m begging you

8:52
نورت
This phrase is used as a pleasantry or compliment, said to someone as they enter the room
Literal translation: You lit up [the room]