Arabic is the official language across the peninsula, but English is widely understood. Road signs are often in both languages. Large numbers of immigrant workers also speak Urdu, Hindi and other languages of the Indian subcontinent. In the hotels and resorts almost everything is conducted in both Arabic and English. Although English is widely understood, and Arabic is an extremely complex language to master, it always helps to learn a few basic words and phrases.
Greetings
Hello or Welcome/Márhaba, ahlan
(reply)/áhlayn
Greetings/As-salám aláykum (peace be with you)
(reply)/Waláykum as-salám (and to you peace)
Good morning/Sabáh al-kháyr
(reply)/Sabáh an-núr (a morning of light)
Good evening/Misá al-kháyr
(reply)/Misá an núr
Goodnight/Tisbáh al-kháyr (wake up well)
(reply)/Wa ínta min áhlu (and you are from His people)
Goodbye/Máa Saláma
How are you?/Káyf hálak? (to a man)/Káyf hálik? (to a woman)
Fine, thank you/Zayn, al-hámdu, li-la
Please/Min fádlak (to a man)/Min fádlik (to a woman)
Thank you/Shúkran
Thanks be to God/Al-hámdu li-llá
God willing (hopefully)/Inshá allá
Yes/Náam or áiwa
No/La
Useful phrases
What is your name?/Shú ismak? (to a man)/Shú ismik? (to a woman)
My name is…/Ismi…
Where are you from?/Min wáyn inta? (for a man)/Min wáyn inti? (for a woman)
I am from: England/Ána min Ingíltra
the United States/Ána min Amérika
Australia/Ána min Ustrália
I have 1/2/3 children/Andi walad/waladun/thalatha awlaad
How do you say . . . in Arabic?/Chayf tegool . . . bil’arabi?
May I take your photo?/Mumkin sura, min fádlak? (to a female: Mumkin sura, min fádlik?)
Do you speak English?/Btíhki inglízi?/Teh ki ingleezi?
I speak English/Bíhki inglízi
I do not speak Arabic/Ma bíhki árabi
I do not understand/Ma báfham
Repeat, once more/Kamán márra
Do you have…?/Ándkum…?
Is there any…?/Fí…?
There isn’t any…/Ma fí…
Never mind/Ma’alésh
It is forbidden…/Mamnú’a
What is this?/Shú hádha?
I want/Uríd
I like/ana bhib
I don’t like/Ana ma bhib
I do not want/Mauríd
Hurry up/Yalla/bi súra’a
Slow down/Shwáyya
Go away!/Imshi!
What time is it?/Adáysh as-sáa?/kam as-sáa?
How long, how many hours?/Kam sáa?
You’re welcome/Afwan
OK/Tayib/N’zain/Kwayyis
Not OK/Mish kwayyis
Come in/After you/Tafdal
Excuse me/Afwan/lau samaht
Sorry/Afwan/Muta’assif
Can I…?/It is possible?/Mumkin?
I don’t know/Mabaraf
No problem/Ma fi mushkila
Perhaps/Mumkin
Not possible/Mish mumkin
What time is it?/Kam as saa?
How much?/Bikaim?
How many?/Cham?
What?/Shu?
What is this?/Shu hadha?
I’m ill/Ana mareed
General
embassy/safára
post office/máktab al-baríd
stamps/tawábi’a
bank/bank
hotel/otél/fúnduq
room/ghurfah
museum/máthaf
hospital/mustashfa
doctor/doktor
chemist/saydaliyeh
police/shurta/boulees
ticket/tádhkara
passport/jiwáz as-sáfar
good/kuwáys
not good, bad/mish kuways
open/maftúh
closed/musákkar/múghlik
old/kadeem
new/jadeed
big/kabeer
small/saghir
beautiful/zayn
hot/haar
cold/bareed
open/maftuh
shut/mughlag
Eating out/drinking
restaurant/máta’am
breakfast/futour
lunch/ghadaa
dinner/ashaa
food/ákl
fish/simich
meat/láhm
chicken/dijaj
mutton/ghanam
milk/halíb
cheese/jabne
butter/zibdeh
eggs/bayd
bread/khúbz
salad/saláta
honey/‘asl
yoghurt/laban
jam/murabbeh
dates/balah
olives/zatoon
delicious/ladhidh
coffee/káhwa
tea/shay
beer/beera
cup/finján
with sugar/bi súkkar
without sugar/bidún súkkar
mineral water/mái ma’adaniya
glass/gelaas
bottle/zajaja/botel
I don’t eat meat/Ana ma bakul laham
I am a vegetarian/Ána nabbáti (for a man)/nabbátiya (for a woman)
Enough, thanks/Bas, shukran
the bill/al-hisáb
Getting around
Where…?/Wáyn…?
How far is it to…?/Kam kiloometre ila…?
downtown/wást al bálad
street/shária
car/sayára
taxi/táxi
shared taxi/servís
bus/bas
aeroplane/tayára
airport/matár
petrol, super/benzín
diesel/maazout
to/íla
from/min
Getting Around (cont.)
in/fi
right/yamín
left/yassar
straight/gida
here/hina
there/hunak
near/gareeb
far/ba’eed
town/madina
city/madinat
north/shimaal
south/janub
east/sharq
west/gharb
Days and numbers
today/al yoom
tomorrow/bokhra
yesterday/ams
early/mbach’ir/badri
late/mit’akhir
day/yoom
might/layl
Monday/yoom al ithnayn
Tuesday/yoom ath thalatha
Wednesday/yoom al araba’a
Thursday/yoom al khamees
Friday/yoom al jum’a
Saturday/yoom as sabt
Sunday/yoom al had
zero/sifir
one/wáhid
two/ithnayn
three/taláta
four/árba’a
five/khámsa
six/sítta
seven/sába’a
eight/tamánia
nine/tísa’a
ten/áshara
eleven/hidáshar
twelve/itnáshar
twenty/áishreen
twenty-one/wáhid wa áishreen
twenty-two/ithnayn wa áishreen
thirty/thalatheen
forty/arba’een
fifty/khamseen
sixty/sitteen
seventy/saba’een
eighty/thimaneen
ninety/tis’een
one hundred/maya
one hundred and fifty/may wa khamseen
two hundred/mayatayn
three hundred/thaltamaya
four hundred/rab’amaya
five hundred/khamsamaya
six hundred/sittamaya
seven hundred/sabamaya
eight hundred/tamnamaya
nine hundred/tissamaya
one thousand/alf
Shopping
market/souk
shop/dukkán
money/fulús
no money/mish fulús
cheap/rakhís
expensive (very)/gháli (jídan)
too expensive/ktir gháli
receipt, invoice/fatúra, wásl
How much does it cost?/Adáysh?/Bikaim?
I like this/Buhíbb hádha
I do not like this/Ma buhíbb hádha
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