Arabic can be a complex and tricky language to master, however it is fairly easy to learn some common words and phrases to help you along on your holiday. The local people just love it when you attempt to speak their language and are keen to help you with pronunciation etc. and also help you to learn new words.
You will find a key to pronunciation at the end of this list, which another TA member has very kindly agreed the use of. In conjunction with this list, please also see the traveller article on Egyptian food http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g...
GREETINGS
Hello: ahlan w-sahlan
(response) ahlan bik (m) / biki (f) / bikum (pl)
More formal Hello: assalaamu aleikum(response) wa-aleikum assalaam
Hi: marhaba or sa‘eeda
How are you? izzayak (m) / izzayik (f)To say that you are fine: kwayyis (m) / kwayyisa (f)
What is your name? ismak (m) / ismik (f) ey?
To say what your name is: ismi …(your name)
Nice to meet you: fursa sa'eeda
Good morning: sabah il-kheer (morning of goodness)
(response) sabah in-nur ( morning of light)
Good evening: masa' il-kheer (evening of goodness)
(response) masa' in-nur (evening of light)
Goodnight: tisbah ‘ala kheer (m) / tisbahi ‘ala kheer (f)
And to you: wenta bikheer (m) / wenti bikheer (f)
Thanks be to God: il-hamdu lillah
Goodbye: ma‘a salaama
BASICS
Yes: aiwa or na‘am
No: la
Please: min fadlak (m) / min fadlik (f)
Thank you: shukran
You’re welcome: afwan
Sorry: aasif (m) / asfa (f)
God Willing: inshallah
Do you speak....titkallim (m) / titkallimi (f) …
‘arabi? Arabic?
ingleezi? English?
fransawi? French?
To say that you speak English: ana batkallim ingleezi
To say that you don’t speak Arabic: ana ma-batkallim ‘arabi
To say that you don’t understand: ana mush fahem (m) / ana mush fahma (f)
To say that you don’t know: ana mush ‘aarif (m) / ana mush ‘aarfa (f)
It’s not your business: mush shughlak
To say that you do not wish to be touched: sibni le wadi!
Be quiet: uskut
Enough/Finished: Khalas
Let’s go: yallah
Slowly: baraahah
Never Mind: maalesh
It doesn’t matter: mush muhim
There’s no problem: ma feesh mushkila
Is it possible? mumkin?
It’s not possible: mush mumkin
What’s the time: issa‘a kam?
DIRECTIONS
Where is..... feyn…
funduk (name) ? (name) hotel?
mat'am (name)? (name) restaurant?
mahattat il-autobees? the bus station?
mahattat il-atr? the train station?
el-mogaf? the service taxi depot?
il-mataar? the airport?
il-mustashfa? the hospital?
il-twalet? the toilet?
Left: Shimaal
Right: yimeen
Straight ahead: ‘ala tool
Near: areeb
Far: Ba’eed
Here: hina
There: Hinak
SHOPPING
Do you have? fi ‘andak (m) / fi ‘andik (f) … ?
… sigaara/sagayir … cigarette(s)
… kibreet … matches
… gurnal … newspaper
To say that you want something: ayyiz haaga (m) / ayyza haaga (f)
tanya else
ahsan min da … better than this
arkhas min da … cheaper
zay da … like this
Bigger / Smaller: akbar/asghar
How much: bi-kam
It’s too expensive: da ghaali awi
That’s fine: maashi
ACCOMMODATION
Do you have a room? fi ‘andak ouda? (m) / fi ‘andik ouda? (f)
To say that you would like to see the room: ayyiz ashuf il-owad (m) / ayyza ashuf il-owad (f)
Is there: fi … ?
… mayya sukhna? … hot water?
… doush? … a shower?
… balcona? … a balcony?
… takyeef hawa? … air conditioning?
… telifoon? … a telephone?
How much is the bill? kam il-hisab?
MONEY
Where is the bank? feyn il-bank?
To say that you want to change.... ayyiz aghayyar (m) /ayyza aghayyar (f)
… floos … money
… ginay sterlini … British pounds
… dolar amrikani … American dollars
… euro … euros
… shikaat siyahiyya … traveller's cheques
NUMBERS
No. |
Arabic |
Symbol |
0 |
sifr |
٠ |
1 |
wahid |
١ |
2 |
itnayn |
٢ |
3 |
talaata |
٣ |
4 |
arb‘a |
٤ |
5 |
khamsa |
٥ |
6 |
sitta |
٦ |
7 |
sab‘a |
٧ |
8 |
tamaanya |
٨ |
9 |
dis‘a |
٩ |
10 |
‘ashara |
١٠ |
11 |
hi-daar-shar |
١١ |
12 |
it-naa-shar |
١٢ |
13 |
ta-lat-taa-shar |
١٣ |
14 |
arb’a-taa-shar |
١٤ |
15 |
kha-mas-taa-shar |
١٥ |
16 |
sit-taa-shar |
١٦ |
17 |
saba-taa-shar |
١٧ |
18 |
taman-taa-shar |
١٨ |
19 |
dis’a-taa-shar |
١٩ |
20 |
ash-reen |
٢٠ |
30 |
ta-la-teen |
٣٠ |
40 |
ar-ba-een |
٤٠ |
50 |
kham-seen |
٥٠ |
60 |
sit-teen |
٦٠ |
70 |
sab-een |
٧٠ |
80 |
ta-man-yeen |
٨٠ |
90 |
dis-een |
٩٠ |
100 |
mey-ya |
١٠٠ |
PRONUNCIATION
This phonetic guide should help you pronounce the words:
ai as in eye
aa as in bad but lengthened
aw as in rose
'a glottal stop as in bottle
‘a as when asked to say ah by the doctor
ey/ay as in day
ee as in feet
gh like the French r (back of the throat)
kh as in Scottish loch
Note that every letter should be pronounced, and that double consonants should always be pronounced separately.