Useful Arabic phrases and wordsGreetingsHello MarhabaHow are you? Keef HalekGood Morning Sabah Al KairGood Evening Masaa Al KairGood KowaiesVery Good Kowaies KateerPlease Min FadlakThank you Shoo kranExcuse Me IsmahleeNever mind Maa leeshOK TaiebYes AiwaNo LaMaybe YimkenNone, nothing, nobody MafeePronounsI AnaYou (to woman) InteeYou (to man) IntaHe WhowaShe HeeyaWe NihnaThey HomeAsking QuestionsWho? MeenWhat? AishWhen? MetaWhere? FaynWhy? Lay ishHow much? KumHow much is this? Kum HadaWhere are you from? Min Fain IntaUnderstand? Maf HoomDo you speak English? Tet Kalam IngleeziUseful "I"sI want Ana abghaI don't understand Ana ma fehemptI work at the Ana bash taghel fi

I don't speak Arabic ArabiahDirectionsGo RoohStop WagefTurn Left Lif YassarTurn Right Lif YameenStraight Ahead Ala ToolSlowly Shway ShwayWait of Stay EstannaShow me War KeniHere HenaThere HennakBefore GabelAfter Ba adNow Al AnnFrom MinTo or At (a place) AlaWait 1 minute Wahad da ghee gaWalloon dji t'veû vol'tîBasicsMoney FeloosCoffee GahwahSugar SokarSalt MelhCar SayaraHotel Fon doqWater MoyaTea ShahiMilk HaleebWork ShogholAirplane TayarahNumbers0 Zero Sifir1 One Wahid2 Two Ithnin3 Three Thalatha4 Four Arba5 Five Khamsa6 Six Sitta7 Seven Saba

8 Eight Thamania9 Nine Tisa10 Ten Ashra20 Twenty Ashreen30 Thirty Thala theen40 Forty Arba en50 Fifty Khamseen60 Sixty Sitteen70 Seventy Saba en80 Eighty Thaman en90 Ninety Tisa en100 Hundred Mia-----------------------------------

Here are a few typical Arabic phrases, using an English rendering, and followed by a translation:

Pleasantries

Marhaba = Hello  

Maasalama = Good-bye (When a colleague is leaving, you often hear of a “maasalama party” or a “maasalama sale” – basically a yard sale in which a person sells things they won’t be bringing home with the, e.g., DVD players) 

Assalam alaykum = Peace be upon you (response = Wa alaykum assalam)

Ahlan wa sahlan = various translations: welcome, hello and welcome, you are very welcome (response = Ahlan bekum)

Sabah al-khair  = Good Morning  (response = sabah al-noor)

Masaa al-Khair = Good evening (response = masa al-noor)

Ismee … = my name is …

Min fadlak = Please (male)

Min fadlik = Please (female)

Shukran = Thank you

Afwan = You’re Welcome

Inshallah = God Willing (you will often hear this in response to anything tentative, when timing is in question, etc.)

Aiwa or Naam = Yes

La = No

Ismahlee = Excuse me

Mafee Mushkala = No problem

Tatakallum Ingleezi? = Do you speak English?

La Atakalam Arabi = I don’t speak Arabic

Numbers

Wahid = 1

Ithnin = 2

Thalatha = 3

Arbaa = 4

Khamsa = 5

Sitta = 6

Sabaa = 7

Thamania = 8

Tisa= 9

Ashara = 10

Beverages

Shai = Tea

Gahwah = coffee

Aaseer = juice

Water = maa

Places

Mustashfa = hospital 

Souq = market

Matt'am = restaurant 

Fondook = hotel 

Hammam (or “toilets”) = restrooms, toilets

Other

Feloos = Money

Bekam?  or Addesh? = How much?

Sadeeq = friend (literally; also expats sometimes use it as a euphemism for alcohol)

Muhim = important

Useful Arabic Words & PhrasesClick here for Numbers, Day Names, Times, and Colors

(m) for male and (f) for female

Word Arabic

Hello Salam - Marhaba

What is your name? Sho Ismak? (m) Sho Ismek? (m)

My name is ... Ismi ...

I don't speak Arabic Ana ma ba'aref ahkee Arabee

I speak Arabic a little Baa'ref Arabee Showayya

I / Me Ana

You Inta (m) Inti (f)

He Howwa

She Heyya

We Ehna

They Homm

Yes Na'am - Aaywa

No La'a

How are you? Keef halak? (m) Keef halek? (f)

Thanks God (answer to How are you?) Al-Hamdolillah

Fine (answer to How are you?) Kowayyes (m) Kowayyesah (f)

Good morning Sabah El-Khair

Good evening Masaa El-Khair

Goodbye Ma'assalama - Bye

Hopefully Inshalla

Thank you Shukran

Thanks indeed Shukran Jazilan

Welcome Afwan (answer to Shukran)

You are welcome Ahlan Wa Sahlan

Excuse me? (as question) Laww Smaht (m) Laww Smahti (female)

Excuse me! (as sorry) Afwan

Pardon me Samehni (m) Samehini (f)

If you please Min fadlak (m) Min fadlik (f)

Help me Sa'adni (m) Sa'adini (f)

Sorry Aasif

Congratulations Mabrook - Tahanina

Wait Istanna

Hurry up Besora'a

Go away Emshi

I want Biddi

We want Bidna

Do you want? Beddak (m) Beddek (f)

How much? Bekam? - Addesh?

This Hada

That Hadak

These Hadol

How much is this? Bekam Hada? - Addesh Hada?

What is this? Sho Hada?

Expensive Ghali

Too Much Kteer

Beautiful Jameel - Helow

Nice Lateef

Right Yameen

Left Shemal

Straight Doghree

Down Town Wast El-Balad

Street Share'a

Hotel Fondoq

Museum Mathaf

Mall Souq

Restaurant Mat'am

Hospital Mustashfa

Toilet / W.C. Hammam

Doctor Tabeeb

Police Shorta

Passport El-Jawaz

Identity Haweyya

Car Seyyara

Taxi Taxi Ojrah

Bus Bas

Airplane Teyyara

Train Qetar

Tea Shai

Coffee Ahwe

Food Akel

Juice Aaseer

Hubbly-bubbly water pipe Argila

Sugar Sokkar

Without Sugar Bdoun Sokkar

Milk Haleeb

The Bill El-Hesab

Invoice Fatora