A collection of useful phrases in Modern Standard Arabic, the lingua franca of the Arabic-speaking world.
See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.
Key to abbreviations: m = said by men, f = said by women, > = said to, rsp = response, inf = informal, sg = singular (one person), dl = dual (two people), pl = plural (more than two people).
| English | (Arabic) العربية |
|---|---|
| Welcome | (ahlan wa sahlan) أهلاً و سهلاً |
| Hello (General greeting) | (as-salām 'alaykum) السلام عليكم rsp - (wa 'alaykum as-salām) و عليكم السلام inf - (marḥaban) مرحبا |
| Hello (on phone) | ('āllō) آلو |
| How are you? | m - (kayfa ḥālak) كيف حالك؟ f - (kayfa ḥālik) كيف حالك؟ |
| Reply to 'How are you?' | أنا بخير شكرا و أنت؟ m - (Ana bekhair, shukran! Wa ant?) أنا بخير شكرا و أنت؟ f - (Ana bekhair, shukran! Wa anti?) |
| Long time no see | (lam naraka mundhu muddah) لم نرك منذ مدة |
| What's your name? | m - (mā ismak?) ما اسمك؟ f - (mā ismik?) ما اسمك؟ |
| My name is ... | (... ismee) ... اسمي |
| Where are you from? | m - (min ayn anta?) من أين أنت؟ f - (min ayn anti) من أين أنت؟ |
| I'm from ... | (anā min ...) أنا من ... |
| Pleased to meet you | m (motasharefon bema'refatek) متشرف بمعرفتك f (motasharefatun bema'refatek) متشرفة بمعرفتك |
| Good morning (Morning greeting) |
(ṣabāḥul kẖayr) صباح الخير |
| Good afternoon (Afternoon greeting) |
(masā' al-khayr) مساء الخير |
| Good evening (Evening greeting) |
(masā' al-khayr) مساء الخير |
| Good night | (tuṣbiḥ 'alā khayr) تصبح على خير (laylah sa'īdah) ليلة سعيدة |
| Goodbye (Parting phrases) |
m - (tosbeho ‘ala khair) تصبح على خير f - (tosbeheena ‘ala khair) تصبحين على خير (ma'a as-salāmah) مع السلامة (ilā al-liqā') إلى اللقاء |
| Good luck! | (bit-tawfīq) بالتوفيق! |
| Have a nice day | (atmna lk ywma tyba) اتمنى لك يوما طيبا |
| Bon appetit / Have a nice meal |
(bil-hanā' wa ash-shifā') بالهناء والشفاء /
بالهنا والشفا may you have your meal with gladness and health |
| Bon voyage / Have a good journey |
happy journey (riḥlah saʿīdah) رحلة سعيدة successful journey (riḥlah muwaffaqah) رحلة موفق |
| Do you understand? | m (hal tafhamu?) هل تفهمُ؟ f (hal tafhamina?) هل تفهمين؟ |
| I understand | (ana afham) أنا أفهم |
| I don't understand | (lā afham) لا أفهم |
| I don't know | (la a‘lamu) لاأعلم |
| Please speak more slowly | (takallam bibuṭ' min fadlak/ik) تكلم ببطء من فضلك |
| Please say that again | m (a'id min fadlak!) أعد من فضلك f - (a'īd min fadlik!) أعد من فضلك |
| Please write it down | m - (uktubhā min fadlak) أكتبها من فضلك f - (uktubhā min fadlik) أكتبها من فضلك |
| Do you speak Arabic? | (hal tatakallam al-lughah al-'arabīyah?) هل تتكلم اللغة العربية؟ |
| Yes, a little (reply to 'Do you speak ...?') |
(na'am, qalīlan) نعم, قليل |
| Do you speak a language other than Arabic? |
هل تتحدث لغة أخرى بجانب العربية؟ (Hal tatahadath lughat 'ukhraa bijanib alearabia?) |
| How do you say ... in Arabic? | كيف تقول كلمة ... بالعربية؟ (kayfa taqūlu kalimah ... bil-'arabīyah?) |
| Excuse me | to attract attention - (min faḍlak/ik) من فضلك! to ask someone to move (al-ma'dirah) المعذرة! |
| How much is this? | m - (bikam hādhā?) بكم هذا؟ f - (bikam hādihi?) بكم هذه؟ |
| Sorry | (āsif!) أسف |
| Please | (mīn fāḍlīkā) من فضلك |
| Thank you | (shukran) شكرا (shukran jazīlan) شكرا جزيل |
| Reply to thank you | (al'afw) ألعفو |
| Where's the toilet / bathroom? | (ayn al-ḥammām?) أين الحمّام؟ |
| Would you like to dance with me? | >m (hal tuħibb an tarqus̱?) هل تحبْ أن
ترقص؟ >f (tuḥibbīn an tarquṣī?) تحبْين أل ترقصي؟ |
| Do you come here often? | (sg/m) هل تأتي هنا غالبا؟ (sg/f) هل تأتين هنا غالبا؟ (dual) هل تأتيان هنا غالبا؟ (pl/m) هل تأتون هنا غالبا؟ (pl/f) هل تأتين هنا غالبا؟ |
| I miss you | If the speaker is a male: If the speaker is a female: |
| I love you | (ana ouḥibouk) أنا أحبك >m (ouḥibouka) أحبك >f (ouḥibouki) أحبك >pl (ouḥiboukom) أحبكم >pl-f (ouḥiboukon) أحبكن |
| Go away! | (ib'd!) ابعد! |
| Leave me alone! | m - (utrukni) اتركني f - (utrukini) اتركيني |
| Call the police! | (Iṭṭasil bish-shurṭah) اتصل بالشرطة! |
| Christmas greetings | أجمل التهاني بمناسبة الميلاد (ajmil at-tihānī bimunāsabah al-mīlād) |
| New Year greetings | حلول السنة الجديدة (ḥilūl as-sanah al-jadīdah) |
| Easter greetings | (fiṣḥ sa'īd) فصح سعيد Christ has risen (el maseeh qam) المسيح قام rsp - Truly he has risen (haqan qam) حقاً قام |
| Birthday greetings | (kul 'am wa antum bekheir) كل عام و أنت بخير (eid mīlad sa'aīd) عيد ميلاد سعيد |
| Congratulations! | (Tahanina!) تهانينا! |
| My hovercraft is full of eels | (ḥawwāmtī mumtil'ah bi'anqalaysūn) حَوّامتي مُمْتِلئة بِأَنْقَلَيْسون |
| One language is never enough | (lugha wāhidah lā takfī) لغة واحدة لا تكفي |
Recordings by Amr Dawish via Apex Translations. Transliterations and corrections by Alex Karas an Samah Al-Omeri
Download all the sound files (Zip format, 1.5MB)
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
Hear some Arabic phrases
Information about Arabic | Phrases | Numbers | Tower of Babel | Articles | Links | Arabic courses on: Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk [affilate links]
Other collections of Arabic phrases (some with audio)
http://www.linguanaut.com/english_arabic.htm
http://arabicquick.com/essential-arabic-basics/
https://www.mondly.com/arabic-phrases-expressions
Amharic, Arabic (Egyptian), Arabic (Lebanese), Arabic (Modern Standard), Arabic (Moroccan), Aramaic, Assyrian, Hausa, Hebrew, Maltese
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