Common Arabic Phrases: 50 Basics for Beginners
🇸🇦 Arabic · 50 cards · A1 · by Nour Haddad
These are the fifty phrases you will hear on your first day in any Arab country: greetings with their fixed replies, thank-yous, apologies, and the short lines that get you through a shop, a taxi or a restaurant.
Everything here is Modern Standard Arabic unless the note says otherwise; where people actually say something else out loud, I give the Levantine or Egyptian form and label it. Two things trip learners up. Greetings come in pairs, so memorise the answer together with the question (صباح الخير / صباح النور). And most phrases change their ending depending on whether you are speaking to a man or a woman — and sometimes on your own gender. The notes give both forms; read them, do not skip them.
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All 50 cards
| # | Arabic | Pronunciation | English | Example | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | السلام عليكم Literally "peace be upon you". Works everywhere, formal and informal; the fixed reply is وعليكم السلام. | as-salāmu ʻalaykum | peace be upon you (standard hello) | السلام عليكم، تفضلوا بالدخول. Hello, please come in. | |
| 2 | وعليكم السلام Only used as the answer to السلام عليكم, never to start a greeting. | wa-ʻalaykum as-salām | and peace be upon you (reply to hello) | وعليكم السلام، أهلاً بك. And peace be upon you, welcome. | |
| 3 | مرحباً Neutral and safe with strangers. In Levantine speech the ending drops: مرحبا (marḥaba). | marḥaban | hello, hi | مرحباً، كيف كان يومك؟ Hi, how was your day? | |
| 4 | أهلاً وسهلاً Said to someone arriving. Often shortened to أهلاً (ahlan) as a casual "hi". | ahlan wa-sahlan | welcome | أهلاً وسهلاً، البيت بيتك. Welcome, make yourself at home. | |
| 5 | صباح الخير Literally "a morning of goodness". Used until about noon. | ṣabāḥ al-khayr | good morning | صباح الخير، القهوة على الطاولة. Good morning, the coffee is on the table. | |
| 6 | صباح النور Literally "a morning of light". Only as a reply to صباح الخير. | ṣabāḥ an-nūr | good morning (reply) | صباح النور، هل نمت جيداً؟ Good morning. Did you sleep well? | |
| 7 | مساء الخير Used from late afternoon onwards. The reply is مساء النور (masāʼ an-nūr). | masāʼ al-khayr | good evening | مساء الخير، تأخرت قليلاً. Good evening, I'm a bit late. | |
| 8 | تصبح على خير To a woman: تصبحين على خير (tuṣbiḥīna ʻalā khayr). Said only when parting for the night; the reply is وأنت من أهل الخير (wa-anta min ahl al-khayr). | tuṣbiḥ ʻalā khayr | good night | أنا متعب، تصبح على خير. I'm tired — good night. | |
| 9 | كيف حالك؟ To a man kayfa ḥāluka, to a woman kayfa ḥāluki. Levantine: كيفك (kīfak/kīfik); Egyptian: إزيك (izzayyak/izzayyik). | kayfa ḥāluka? | how are you? | كيف حالك اليوم؟ How are you today? | |
| 10 | أنا بخير، شكراً Many speakers answer الحمد لله instead, whatever their mood. | anā bi-khayr, shukran | I'm fine, thank you | أنا بخير، شكراً، وأنت؟ I'm fine, thanks — and you? | |
| 11 | ما اسمك؟ To a man ismuka, to a woman ismuki. | mā ismuka? | what is your name? | ما اسمك، لو سمحت؟ What's your name, please? | |
| 12 | اسمي... Literally "my name (is)"; Arabic needs no verb "to be" here. | ismī... | my name is... | اسمي سارة، وأنا طالبة. My name is Sara and I'm a student. | |
| 13 | تشرفت بمعرفتك Formal. To a woman: بمعرفتكِ (bi-maʻrifatiki). A lighter everyday option is فرصة سعيدة (furṣa saʻīda). | tasharraftu bi-maʻrifatika | pleased to meet you | تشرفت بمعرفتك، سمعت عنك كثيراً. Pleased to meet you, I've heard a lot about you. | |
| 14 | من أين أنت؟ أنت is anta to a man, anti to a woman. | min ayna anta? | where are you from? | من أين أنت؟ لهجتك جميلة. Where are you from? Your accent is lovely. | |
| 15 | أنا من... Many country names keep the article: أنا من الأردن (anā min al-Urdun). | anā min... | I'm from... | أنا من لبنان، من بيروت. I'm from Lebanon, from Beirut. | |
| 16 | شكراً Use على for what you are thanking someone for. | shukran | thank you | شكراً على المساعدة. Thanks for the help. | |
| 17 | شكراً جزيلاً جزيلاً means "abundantly"; this is the standard way to add weight to شكراً. | shukran jazīlan | thank you very much | شكراً جزيلاً، لم أتوقع هذه الهدية. Thank you very much, I didn't expect this gift. | |
| 18 | عفواً Two jobs: the reply to شكراً, and a light "excuse me" when you squeeze past someone. | ʻafwan | you're welcome; excuse me | عفواً، هل هذا المقعد فارغ؟ Excuse me, is this seat free? | |
| 19 | من فضلك min faḍlika to a man, min faḍliki to a woman. Usually placed at the end of the sentence. | min faḍlika | please | أغلق الباب من فضلك. Close the door, please. | |
| 20 | لو سمحت The everyday way to stop a stranger or call a waiter. To a woman: لو سمحتِ (law samaḥti). | law samaḥta | excuse me, if you please | لو سمحت، أين محطة القطار؟ Excuse me, where is the train station? | |
| 21 | تفضل Used when handing something over, offering a seat, or letting someone speak. Woman: تفضلي (tafaḍḍalī); group: تفضلوا (tafaḍḍalū). | tafaḍḍal | here you go, go ahead, please take it | تفضل، اجلس هنا. Here you go, sit here. | |
| 22 | آسف A woman says آسفة (āsifa). For serious apologies add جداً: آسف جداً. | āsif | sorry | آسف، لم أقصد ذلك. Sorry, I didn't mean that. | |
| 23 | لا مشكلة Levantine and Egyptian speech: ما في مشكلة (mā fī mushkila) / مفيش مشكلة (mafīsh mushkila). | lā mushkila | no problem | لا مشكلة، سأنتظرك. No problem, I'll wait for you. | |
| 24 | نعم In daily speech you hear آه (āh) in the Levant and أيوه (aywa) in Egypt far more often. | naʻam | yes | نعم، أنا جاهز. Yes, I'm ready. | |
| 25 | لا Often doubled for emphasis: لا لا. | lā | no | لا، ليس اليوم. No, not today. | |
| 26 | طبعاً بالتأكيد (bi-t-taʼkīd) is the slightly more formal equivalent. | ṭabʻan | of course, sure | طبعاً، سأساعدك. Of course, I'll help you. | |
| 27 | لا أعرف Levantine: ما بعرف (mā baʻrif); Egyptian: مش عارف / مش عارفة (mish ʻārif / ʻārfa). | lā aʻrif | I don't know | لا أعرف أين وضعت مفاتيحي. I don't know where I put my keys. | |
| 28 | لا أفهم Say it early and often; it usually makes people slow down. | lā afham | I don't understand | عذراً، لا أفهم. Sorry, I don't understand. | |
| 29 | هل تتكلم الإنجليزية؟ To a woman: هل تتكلمين الإنجليزية؟ (hal tatakallamīna...). | hal tatakallam al-inglīziyya? | do you speak English? | هل تتكلم الإنجليزية؟ لغتي العربية ضعيفة. Do you speak English? My Arabic is weak. | |
| 30 | أتكلم العربية قليلاً Same for men and women; only the verb prefix أ- marks "I". | atakallam al-ʻarabiyya qalīlan | I speak a little Arabic | أتكلم العربية قليلاً، لكنني أتعلم. I speak a little Arabic, but I'm learning. | |
| 31 | تكلم ببطء من فضلك To a woman: تكلمي ببطء من فضلكِ (takallamī bi-buṭʼ min faḍliki). | takallam bi-buṭʼ min faḍlika | please speak slowly | تكلم ببطء من فضلك، أنا لا أفهم. Please speak slowly, I don't understand. | |
| 32 | هل يمكنك أن تكرر؟ To a woman: هل يمكنكِ أن تكرري؟ Shorter and very common: مرة أخرى؟ (marra ukhrā?) "again?" | hal yumkinuka an tukarrir? | can you repeat that? | هل يمكنك أن تكرر؟ لم أسمعك جيداً. Can you repeat that? I didn't hear you well. | |
| 33 | ما معنى هذه الكلمة؟ معنى = meaning. Point at the word while you ask; it saves a lot of grammar. | mā maʻnā hādhihi al-kalima? | what does this word mean? | ما معنى هذه الكلمة بالإنجليزية؟ What does this word mean in English? | |
| 34 | بكم هذا؟ Also كم سعره؟ (kam siʻruh?). Egyptian: بكام (bikām). | bikam hādhā? | how much is this? | بكم هذا القميص؟ How much is this shirt? | |
| 35 | كم الساعة؟ الساعة means both "hour" and "watch/clock". | kam as-sāʻa? | what time is it? | كم الساعة الآن؟ What time is it now? | |
| 36 | أين الحمام؟ دورة المياه (dawrat al-miyāh) is the more formal term you see on signs; التواليت (at-tuwālīt) is common in everyday speech. | ayna al-ḥammām? | where is the bathroom? | أين الحمام في هذا المطعم؟ Where is the bathroom in this restaurant? | |
| 37 | أنا تائه A woman says أنا تائهة (anā tāʼiha). Levantine: أنا ضايع (anā ḍāyiʻ). | anā tāʼih | I'm lost | أنا تائه ولا أجد الفندق. I'm lost and can't find the hotel. | |
| 38 | أحتاج إلى مساعدة In a real emergency shout النجدة! (an-najda) or ساعدوني! (sāʻidūnī) "help me!" | aḥtāj ilā musāʻada | I need help | أحتاج إلى مساعدة في حمل الحقائب. I need help carrying the bags. | |
| 39 | الحساب من فضلك الحساب is the restaurant bill; the same word also means "account". | al-ḥisāb min faḍlika | the bill, please | الحساب من فضلك، نحن مستعجلون. The bill please, we're in a hurry. | |
| 40 | أنا جائع Woman: أنا جائعة (anā jāʼiʻa). Levantine جوعان (jūʻān), Egyptian جعان (gaʻān). | anā jāʼiʻ | I'm hungry | أنا جائع جداً، هل نأكل؟ I'm very hungry — shall we eat? | |
| 41 | أريد... Direct but perfectly polite when you add من فضلك. Levantine: بدي (biddī); Egyptian: عايز / عايزة (ʻāyiz / ʻayza). | urīd... | I want, I'd like | أريد أن أحجز طاولة لشخصين. I'd like to book a table for two. | |
| 42 | لا، شكراً Expect food to be offered two or three more times anyway; refusing once or twice is normal politeness. | lā, shukran | no, thank you | لا، شكراً، أكلت كثيراً. No thanks, I've eaten a lot. | |
| 43 | انتظر لحظة To a woman: انتظري (intaẓirī). On the phone people just say لحظة (laḥẓa). | intaẓir laḥẓa | wait a moment | انتظر لحظة، سأفتح الباب. Wait a moment, I'll open the door. | |
| 44 | مع السلامة Literally "with safety". Strictly speaking the one staying says it to the one who is leaving. | maʻa as-salāma | goodbye | مع السلامة، وانتبه لنفسك. Goodbye, and take care of yourself. | |
| 45 | إلى اللقاء Slightly formal, common on TV and in writing, but safe in speech too. | ilā l-liqāʼ | see you, until we meet again | إلى اللقاء، نتحدث غداً. See you, we'll talk tomorrow. | |
| 46 | إن شاء الله Attached to almost any future plan, by Muslims and Christians alike. Careful: it can also be a soft "we'll see". | in shāʼa Allāh | God willing, hopefully | سنسافر الأسبوع القادم إن شاء الله. We'll travel next week, God willing. | |
| 47 | الحمد لله Also the most common answer to كيف حالك؟ and what you say after finishing a meal. | al-ḥamdu li-llāh | thank God, praise be to God | الحمد لله، وصلنا بسلام. Thank God, we arrived safely. | |
| 48 | ما شاء الله Said when you praise a person, a child or a possession — partly to ward off the evil eye. Praising without it can sound unkind. | mā shāʼa Allāh | how wonderful (said in admiration) | ما شاء الله، كبر ابنك كثيراً! Mashallah, your son has grown so much! | |
| 49 | مبروك The everyday spoken form, used across the Arab world; the classical MSA form is مبارك (mubārak). The reply is الله يبارك فيك (Allāh yubārik fīk). | mabrūk | congratulations | مبروك على الوظيفة الجديدة. Congratulations on the new job. | |
| 50 | يعطيك العافية Levantine, not MSA. Said to someone who is working or has just finished a task; the reply is الله يعافيك (Allāh yʻāfīk). | yaʻṭīk al-ʻāfiya | well done, more power to you | يعطيك العافية على هذا العمل. Well done on this work. |
Nour Haddad
Native Arabic · Speaks English, French
Beirut native. My decks use Modern Standard Arabic and say so when a word is really Levantine or Egyptian, because learners deserve to know which one they are memorising.
Published
Questions about this deck
- Are these phrases Modern Standard Arabic or dialect?
- The cards themselves are Modern Standard Arabic, understood from Morocco to Iraq. Where the dialect form is what you will actually hear, the note gives it: كيفك instead of كيف حالك in the Levant, إزيك in Egypt, بدي or عايز instead of أريد, جوعان and جعان instead of جائع. Two cards are frankly colloquial and labelled as such: مبروك (spoken form of مبارك) and the Levantine يعطيك العافية.
- How do I change these phrases when speaking to a woman?
- Most need a small ending change. كيف حالك is kayfa ḥāluka to a man and kayfa ḥāluki to a woman; من فضلك becomes min faḍliki; لو سمحت becomes law samaḥti; تفضل becomes تفضلي; انتظر becomes انتظري; تتكلم becomes تتكلمين. Phrases that describe you change with your own gender: a woman says آسفة, جائعة, تائهة. Every affected card lists the feminine form in the note.
- Is it rude to say مرحباً instead of السلام عليكم?
- No. مرحباً is religiously neutral and completely acceptable with anyone, which makes it a comfortable default for learners. السلام عليكم is more traditional and warmer, and it is what you will hear most in shops, taxis and homes. If someone greets you with it, answer وعليكم السلام rather than مرحباً — that pair is fixed.
- What is the difference between عفواً, آسف and لو سمحت?
- عفواً is "you're welcome" after شكراً, and also a light "excuse me" when you squeeze past someone. آسف (آسفة for a woman) is a real apology for something you did wrong. لو سمحت literally means "if you permit" and opens a request — stopping someone in the street, calling a waiter — not an apology.
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