Phrase guide · Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic phrases for travelers
Forty phrases for greeting people, shopping, bargaining, taking taxis and ordering food in Egypt. Every one is in Arabic script with a pronunciation guide, so you can point or say it.
How to read the pronunciation
- ' is a short catch in the throat, like the middle of uh-oh
- kh sounds like the ch in Scottish loch, and gh is a soft, gargled g
- Double vowels are long: aa as in father, ii as in see
- When there are two versions, the first is for a man and the second for a woman
Greetings and goodbyes
Egyptians greet warmly and often. Answering a greeting with its matching reply sounds especially friendly.
| Arabic | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| أهلاً | ahlan | Hello |
| السلام عليكم | es-salamu 'aleekum | Peace be upon youA more formal hello |
| وعليكم السلام | we 'aleekum es-salam | And peace be upon youThe reply to es-salamu 'aleekum |
| صباح الخير | sabaah el-kheer | Good morning |
| صباح النور | sabaah en-nuur | Good morning (reply)Literally “morning of light” |
| مساء الخير | masaa' el-kheer | Good evening |
| ازيك؟ | ezzayak? / ezzayik? | How are you?To a man / to a woman |
| الحمد لله | el-hamdu lillah | Fine, thank GodThe usual answer |
| مع السلامة | ma'a s-salama | Goodbye |
| تصبح على خير | tisbah 'ala kheer / tisbahi 'ala kheer | Good nightTo a man / to a woman |
Please, thank you and other basics
Short words you'll use dozens of times a day.
| Arabic | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| شكراً | shukran | Thank you |
| شكراً جزيلاً | shukran gaziilan | Thank you very much |
| عفواً | 'afwan | You're welcome |
| لو سمحت | law samaht / law samahti | Please / Excuse meTo a man / to a woman |
| أيوه | aywa | Yes |
| لأ | la' | No |
| ماشي | maashi | OK |
| آسف / آسفة | aasef / asfa | SorrySaid by a man / by a woman |
| مفيش مشكلة | mafiish moshkela | No problem |
When you don't understand
Nobody expects a visitor to be fluent. These keep the conversation going.
| Arabic | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| بتتكلم إنجليزي؟ | betetkallem engliizi? / betetkallemi engliizi? | Do you speak English?To a man / to a woman |
| مش فاهم / مش فاهمة | mish faahem / mish fahma | I don't understandSaid by a man / by a woman |
| شوية شوية لو سمحت | shwayya shwayya, law samaht | Slowly, please |
| يعني إيه؟ | ya'ni eh? | What does that mean? |
Shopping and bargaining
Bargaining is normal in markets like Khan el-Khalili, and it goes better in Arabic.
| Arabic | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| بكام ده؟ / بكام دي؟ | bikaam da? / bikaam di? | How much is this?Da for masculine things, di for feminine ones |
| غالي أوي | ghaali awi | That's too expensive |
| ممكن أقل شوية؟ | mumkin a'all shwayya? | Can it be a bit less? |
| آخر كلام؟ | aakher kalaam? | Your final price?Literally “last word?” |
| عايز ده / عايزة ده | 'aayez da / 'ayza da | I want thisSaid by a man / by a woman |
| لأ، شكراً | la', shukran | No, thank youPolite and firm with a persistent seller |
Taxis and directions
Agree on the price before the ride, and use these to tell the driver where to go.
| Arabic | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| فين ...؟ | feen ...? | Where is ...? |
| فين الحمام؟ | feen el-hammaam? | Where is the bathroom? |
| بكام للمطار؟ | bikaam lel-mataar? | How much to the airport? |
| على طول | 'ala tuul | Straight ahead |
| يمين / شمال | yimiin / shimaal | Right / Left |
| هنا كويس | hena kwayyes | Here is fineTo stop a taxi |
Food and drink
Tea and coffee often come sweet, so ask if you want them without sugar.
| Arabic | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| مية | mayya | Water |
| شاي / قهوة | shaay / 'ahwa | Tea / Coffee |
| من غير سكر | men gheer sokkar | Without sugar |
| الحساب لو سمحت | el-hesaab, law samaht | The check, please |
| حلو أوي | helw awi | Really good / Delicious |
A bargaining conversation, start to finish
Smile, ask the price, say it's too much and suggest less. This is how it sounds at a Cairo market.
Numbers and money
Prices are in Egyptian pounds (geneh). Fifty pounds is khamsiin geneh.
| Arabic | Say it like | Number |
|---|---|---|
| واحد | waahed | 1 |
| اتنين | etneen | 2 |
| تلاتة | talaata | 3 |
| أربعة | arba'a | 4 |
| خمسة | khamsa | 5 |
| ستة | setta | 6 |
| سبعة | sab'a | 7 |
| تمانية | tamanya | 8 |
| تسعة | tes'a | 9 |
| عشرة | 'ashara | 10 |
| عشرين | 'eshriin | 20 |
| خمسين | khamsiin | 50 |
| مية | miyya | 100 |
| جنيه | geneh | Egyptian pound |
Little words you'll hear all the time
| Arabic | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| يلا | yalla | Let's go / Come on |
| خلاص | khalaas | Done / Enough / That's it |
| إن شاء الله | inshallah | God willingUsed for anything in the future, and sometimes a polite maybe |
| معلش | ma'lesh | Never mind / Sorry about that |
| حبيبي / حبيبتي | habiibi / habiibti | My dearUsed casually, to a man / to a woman |
Questions travelers ask
How do you say hello in Egyptian Arabic?
Say ahlan (أهلاً) for a friendly hello, or es-salamu 'aleekum (السلام عليكم) for a more formal one. The reply to the second is we 'aleekum es-salam.
How do you say thank you in Egyptian Arabic?
Shukran (شكراً). To say thank you very much, use shukran gaziilan. The answer you'll hear is 'afwan, you're welcome.
How do you ask how much something costs?
Bikaam da? (بكام ده؟) for a masculine thing and bikaam di? for a feminine one. If it's too much, ghaali awi means that's too expensive.
Is Egyptian Arabic different from Arabic?
Egyptian Arabic is the spoken Arabic of Egypt. It shares an alphabet and much vocabulary with Modern Standard Arabic, the formal written language, but everyday words and pronunciation differ. Egyptians speak Egyptian Arabic in daily life.
Do people in Egypt speak English?
In hotels and tourist areas, many people speak some English. Outside them, less so. A few words of Egyptian Arabic go a long way and are always appreciated.
Practice these out loud before your trip.
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