Essential Egyptian Arabic Phrases

Sometimes you don't have time to learn long lists of words and phrases. All you want to know are the bare essentials for communicating to get what you need, or where you need to go.

Here are the bare minimum of Egyptian Arabic words and phrases you need to know to survive.

Learn the Top 10 Phrases if you only have time for the barest minimum. If you need or want more, then take a look at the Top 20 Phrases, Top 30 Phrases and the Extra Phrases.

If you need help with pronunciation,
please see the Pronunciation Guide below.

m = man
f = woman
> m = to a man
> f = to a woman
> pl = to many

Here are ten easy phrases to get you started ...

The Top 10 ...

is-salaam Aalaykum.
wa Aalaykum is-salaam. (reply)
ahlan wa sahlan.
ahlan bīk. (reply > m)
ahlan bīki. (reply > f)

Hello.
maAa s-salāma.
salām.
Goodbye.
bititkallim ingilīzi? (> m)
bititkallimī ingilīzī? (> f)
Do you speak English?
ana mish fāhim. (m)
ana mish fāhma. (f)
I don't understand.
shuwayya.
A little.
aywa / naAam. la'.
Yes. No.
bikām?

How much is it?
ghāli 'awi. māshi / Tayyib / Tab (informal)
Too expensive. OK.
min faDlak. (> m)
min faDlik. (> f)
law samaHt. (> m)
law samaHti. (> f)
Please.
shukran (gazīlan).
Thank you (very much).

Here are ten more phrases that will help you make new friends and ask for directions ...

The Top 20 ...

ismak ay? (> m)
ismik ay? (> f)
What is your name?
ismi ...
My name is ...
izzāyyak? (> m)
izzāyyik? (> f)
How are you?
kwayyis. (m)
kwayyisa. (f)
Fine.
w-inta? (> m)
w-inti? (> f)
And you?
... fayn?
Where is ...?
fayn it twālīt? riggala/sittāt
Where is the toilet? Men/Women
Aasif. maAlish. (> m)
Aasfa. maAlish. (> m)
Sorry. Excuse me.
mafīsh mushkila.
mish mushkila.
No problem.
ana Aāyiz ... (m)
ana Aayza ... (f)
I want ...
ana mish Aāyiz ... (m)
ana mish Aayza ... (f)
I don't want ...

Here are another ten phrases to help you make a little more conversation and to get around ...

The Top 30 ...

inta minayn? (> m)
inti minayn? (> m)
Where are you from?
ana min ustorālya.*
I am from Australia.
il Hisāb, min faDlak. (> m)
il Hisāb, min faDlik. (> f)
The bill, please.
ana tāyih. (m)
ana tayha. (f)
I'm lost.
wa'af! istanna! (> m)
wa'afi! istanni! (> f)
Stop! Wait!
hina, hināk.
Here, there.
taksi. fundu'. maTār. maHaTTa.
Taxi. Hotel. Airport. Station.
ana baHibb ...
I like ...
ana mabaHibbish ...
I don't like ...

wāHid**, itnayn, talāta, arbaAa, khamsa.
one, two, three, four, five.
sitta, sabAa, tamya, tisā, Aashara.
six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

*Or choose your country:
amrīka - America
kanada - Canada
ingiltera - England
irlanda - Ireland
nyū zilanda - New Zealand

Here are some extra words and phrases you might find useful, especially if you have dietary needs or allergies ...

Useful Extras ...

fī saHHitak! (> m)
fī saHHitik! (> f)
fī saHHitku! (> pl)
Cheers!

kwayyis / waHish
good / bad
kibīr / Sughayyar
big / small
'urrayyib / biAīd
near / far
a'al / aktar
less / more
tāni / kifāya
another / enough

ana nabātī. (m)
ana nabātiyya. (f)
I am vegetarian.
ana mabakulsh laHma.
I don't eat meat.
... firākh.
... chicken.
... samak.
... fish.

Aandi Hasasiyya lil mukassarāt.
I am allergic to nuts.
... fūl sūdānī.
... peanuts.
... samak.
... fish.
... fawākih il-baHr.
... seafood.
... bayD.
... eggs.

Pronunciation Guide

Vowels:
A macron over the vowel lengthens it, eg. ā is a long a
a is pronounced as a as in hat (æ), eg. samak = sæmæk
ay is pronounced as ay as in bay (IPA æj)
i between consonants tends to be pronounced as e, eg. inta = entæ
u between consonants tends to be pronounced as o, eg. fundu' = fondo'

Consonants:
' is a glottal stop (ʔ), like the Cockney t in bottle
A is a pharyngealised glottal fricative (ʕ)
D is a pharyngealised d (dˁ)
gh is a voiced velar fricative (ɣ), a voiced form of kh
H is a pharyngealised h (ħ)
kh is pronounced as kh as in loch or Bach (x)
S is a pharyngealised s (sˁ)
sh is pronounced as sh as in shop (ʃ)
T is a pharyngealised t (tˁ)
(Hint: Pharyngealised consonants and vowels sound half swallowed.)

Please note:
Aāyiz (I want, m) is also pronounced as Aāwiz, and Aayza (I want, f) as Aawza
anta (you, m) and anti (you, f) are also pronounced as enta/enti and inta/inti
mish (not) is also pronounced as mush
mayya (water) is pronounced with an open a (IPA mɑjjɑ)

**waHid is placed after the noun, and becomes waHda after a feminine noun.

Before a noun, the numbers from three to ten become:
talat, AarbaA, khamas
sitt, sabaA, taman, tisaA, Aashar