Arabs place great importance on greetings, often greeting each other with a number of phrases and fixed responses enquiring about each other’s health, wellbeing and family. As a courtesy, it is important for visitors to learn the basics of how to say hello and goodbye when in their company.
*Indicates if you’re speaking as a female or when you’re speaking to a female.
Courtesies/Responses
Hello assalam a’laykum (Peace be upon you)
Response: wa’alaykum salam (And upon you be peace)
Good morning sabah al khair
Response: sabah al noor (May your morning be bright)
Good afternoon/evening massa al hair
Response: massa al noir (May your afternoon/evening be bright)
Welcome marhaba or tafaddal/*tafaddali
Goodbye ma’a salaamah (Go in peace)
May God protect you Allah yehmik/*Allah yehmiki
How are you? kaif halak?/*kaif halik
And you? wa ant?/*wa anti
Thank God al hamdu lillah
Thanks shukran
Welcome (in response to ‘thank you’) a’fwan
Please min fadlak/*min fadlik
Yes/No na’am or aiwa/la
I’m sorry ana mutaassef/*ana mutaasefa
Congratulations mabrook
Look! shuff!/*shuffi
Where? wain?
On your right a’la yameenak
On your left a’la shamalak
Straight on a’la tool
Stop! aqif/*aqifi
Go! imshi
Come! ta’al/ta’ali
Let’s go! yalla
Tell me qulli/*qullili
When? mata? or emta?
Bring me/give jeeb/*jeebi
This hatha
That hathaak
There isn’t any mafi
No problem mafi mushkila
There is no time mafi waqt
Impossible mush mumkin
Finished khallas
If God is willing Insh’Allah
For sure akeed
Ramadan blessings Ramadan kareem/Ramadan Mubarak
Eid blessings Eid Mubarak
Numbers
0 sifr ٠
1 wahad ١
2 ithnain ٢
3 thalatha ٣
4 arba’a ٤
5 khamsa ٥
6 sitta ٦
7 saba’a ٧
8 thamanya ٨
9 tissa’a ٩
10 a’ashara ١٠
50 khamseen ٥٠
100 mi’a ١٠٠
500 khamsmi’a ٥٠٠
1,000 alf ١٠٠٠
2,000 alfain ٢٠٠٠
10,000 a’asharat alf ١٠,٠٠٠
100,000 mi’at alf ١٠٠,٠٠٠
Days of the Week
Sunday yum al ahad
Monday yum al ithnain
Tuesday yum al thalatha
Wednesday yum al arba’a
Thursday yum al khamees
Friday yum al jum’a
Saturday yum al sabt
Time
What time is it? a-sa’a kam?.
Late mut’akhar
Early badri
Tomorrow bukra
The day after ba’ad bukra
Yesterday ams
What time is the appointment? as-sa’a kam al maw’idd?
When do you open/close? mata taftahoon/tosakkiroon?
Essential Foods
Bread khubbuz
Water maa, moya
Tea/Coffee chai/gahwa
Milk haleeb/laban
Fish samak
Meat laham
Chicken dejaj
Cheese jubna
Fruit fawakih
Vegetables khudrawat
Travel and destinations
I want a taxi/the metro ureed taxi/al metro
How much is the ride? bekam al mishwar?
I want to rent a car ureed astaajer sayyara
Airport matar
Stadium stad/mala’ab
Mall mall
Park hadeeqa
Shopping/Eating Out
Where is the market? wain al souq?
I want to buy… ureed ashtiri…
Do you have…? a’ndak…?
Have/Don’t have fi/mafi
How much is it? kam qeemtah?
Cheap/Expensive rakhees/ghali
Newspaper/Book jareeda/kitaab
Map of Doha khareeta al doha
Bank bank
Money Exchange surrafa
Restaurant mata’am
What kind of food? ay ta’am ladaikum?
Toilets al hammam
Emergencies
Please help me sa’idni low samaht
Police station markaz al shortah
I’m feeling ill ana mareedh
I need a doctor ureed tabeeb
I need a hospital ureed mustashfa
Ambulance sayyara is’aaf
Pharmacy saydaliya
There’s a fire fi hareeqa