Polski

Egyptian Arabic phrases for your trip

Egyptians speak their own dialect, Masri. A few words cover most situations: as-salāmu ʿalaykum (hello), shukran (thank you), bi-kām? (how much?) and laʾ, shukran (no, thank you). Below are dozens of phrases and numbers with Arabic script, pronunciation and a recording you can play.

English gets you a long way in hotels and resorts, yet a few Arabic words change the tone of an exchange: you get more smiles, friendlier service and sometimes a better price. Everything below is in Egyptian colloquial Arabic (Masri), the language you will actually hear in the street, not formal Arabic.

Hear it first. Press the speaker button next to a phrase to play a recording. If the recording does not load, the page falls back to your device's built-in Arabic voice (works in Chrome, Safari and Edge).

Greetings and goodbyes

EnglishArabicPronunciationListen
Hello (literally "peace be upon you")السلام عليكمas-salāmu ʿalaykum
Reply to helloوعليكم السلامwa-ʿalaykum as-salām
Hiأهلاًahlan
Good morningصباح الخيرsabāḥ il-khēr
Good eveningمساء الخيرmasāʾ il-khēr
Goodbyeمع السلامةmaʿa s-salāma
Welcomeأهلاً وسهلاًahlan wa sahlan

Polite words

EnglishArabicPronunciationListen
Pleaseمن فضلكmin faḍlak
Thank youشكراًshukran
You're welcomeعفواًʿafwan
Yesأيوةaywa
Noلاlaʾ
Sorryآسفāsif
Excuse meلو سمحتlaw samaḥt
God willingإن شاء اللهinshāʾallāh
Thank Godالحمد للهal-ḥamdulillāh
No problemمفيش مشكلةmafīsh mushkila

Numbers

Egypt uses two sets of digits. Western digits (1, 2, 3) are on most shop signs, restaurant menus and ride-hailing apps. Eastern Arabic digits (١, ٢, ٣) are on banknotes, official paperwork and plenty of traditional shop fronts, so it pays to recognise both.

NumberArabic digitWordPronunciationListen
1١واحدwāḥid
2٢اتنينitnēn
3٣تلاتةtalāta
4٤أربعةarbaʿa
5٥خمسةkhamsa
6٦ستةsitta
7٧سبعةsabʿa
8٨تمانيةtamānya
9٩تسعةtisʿa
10١٠عشرةʿashara
100١٠٠ميةmīya
1000١٠٠٠ألفalf
Reading Eastern Arabic digits: the shapes are unfamiliar, but numbers written with them still read from left to right. So ٢٠٢٦ is 2026. Watch out for two in particular: ٥ is 5, even though it looks like a zero, and ٠ is 0, which looks like a dot.

Shopping and haggling

EnglishArabicPronunciationListen
How much?بكام؟bi-kām?
Too expensive!غالي قويghāli ʾawi!
Cheaper, pleaseأرخص من فضلكarkhas, min faḍlak
I'll think about itحفكرḥafakkar
Final price?آخر سعر؟ākhir saʿr?
No, thank youلا شكراًlaʾ, shukran

Getting around

EnglishArabicPronunciationListen
Where is…?فين؟fēn...?
Toiletالحمامil-ḥammām
Hotelفندقfunduq
Airportمطارmaṭār
Railway stationمحطة القطرmaḥaṭṭit il-ʾaṭr
Leftشمالshimāl
Rightيمينyimīn
Straight onعلى طولʿalá ṭūl
Stop here, pleaseهنا كويسhina kwayyis

Eating out

EnglishArabicPronunciationListen
The bill, pleaseالحساب من فضلكil-ḥisāb, min faḍlak
Waterمياهmayya
Teaشايshāy
Coffeeقهوةʾahwa
Vegetarianنباتيnabāti
Delicious!لذيذlazīz!
I don't eat meatمباكلش لحمةmabākulsh laḥma

In an emergency

EnglishArabicPronunciationListen
Help!إلحقونيilḥaʾūni!
I need a doctorعايز دكتورʿāyiz duktūr
Policeشرطةbulīs / shurṭa
I don't understandمش فاهمmish fāhim
Do you speak English?بتتكلم إنجليزي؟bititkallim inglīzi?
The word that ends a sales pitch: khallās (خلاص) means "enough", "done" or "that's it". Use it to wind up a conversation with a persistent seller without being rude.

Test yourself with the quiz and games →

Frequently asked questions

How do you say thank you in Egyptian Arabic?

Shukran (شكراً). The usual reply is ʿafwan (عفواً), which means you're welcome.

Do I need to speak Arabic to visit Egypt?

No. Most people working in tourism speak some English. Knowing a handful of Arabic words still helps: people respond warmly, and it makes haggling easier.

How do I ask for the price in Arabic?

Say bi-kām? (بكام؟), meaning how much? For haggling, add ghāli ʾawi! (too expensive!) and ākhir saʿr? (final price?).

Which numbers appear on Egyptian banknotes?

Banknotes and official documents use Eastern Arabic digits (١, ٢, ٣). Numbers written with them read left to right, like ours. The two most often confused are ٥, which is 5, and ٠, which is 0.

What does khallās mean?

Khallās (خلاص) means enough, done or that's it. It is a polite way to close a conversation with a persistent seller.