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

100 mi’a

500 khamsmi’a

1,000 alf

2,000 alfain

10,000 a’asharat alf

100,000 mi’at alf

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

I want a taxi ureed taxi

How much is the taxi? kam al ijar?

I want to rent a car ureed astaajer sayyara

Where is the airline office? wain maktab at tayaran?

Take us to the airport khuthna ila al matar 

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