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Are you travelling to the Arab world? Get some useful Arabic phrases before you go!Arabic is one of the most spoken languages in the world with over 200 million speakers. It is spoken in 24 countries and is the official language of all the countries of northern Africa, the Arabian peninsula, and in much of the Middle East, including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. As the religious language of Islam, it is also the second language of millions of Muslims around the world. It is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. The Arabic language takes many forms and can be divided into three main categories: Quranic or Classical Arabic: This is the Arabic of Islam's holy book, the Quran (or Koran). It is archaic, which means that it is very old, dating from the late 600's when the Quran was written down. It is used in the Quran and in the holy books of Islam. No one speaks Classical Arabic as a native, nor is it used for conversation. It is learned primarily for reciting and reading the Quran. Formal or Modern Standard Arabic (MSA): This is an updated version of Classical Arabic which is taught in the schools of Arab countries. It is the language of the news, modern literature and education. No one speaks it as a native language but it is used as a common language for people who speak very different varieties of Arabic or by second-language speakers. Spoken or Colloquial Arabic: There are many local varieties of Arabic, many languages in their own right. The most widely spoken and understood of these is Egyptian Arabic. Other distinct varieties are Iraqi, Levantine (Lebanese/Syrian/Jordanian/Palestinian) and Moroccan Arabic. The Arabic phrases presented here are most applicable to the Gulf states such as Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.
A: as in 'had' E: as in 'bet' I: as in 'hit' O: as in 'hot' U: as in 'put'
Basics I: ana You (sg): inta/inti (m/f) He: huwa She: hiya We: nahnu You (pl): untum/inti (m/f) They: uhum
Greetings Hello: as-salam alaykum Hello (response): wa alaykum e-salam Goodbye (person leaving): ma'a salama Goodbye (person staying): alla ysalmak Good morning: sabaH ala-kheir Good afternoon: masa' al-kheir Good night: tisbaH ala-kheir Welcome: ahlan wa sahlan OR marHaba
Basics Yes: aiwa/na'am No: la Maybe: mumkin Please: min fadhlik Thank you: shukran You're welcome: afwan Excuse me: lo tismaH OK: tayib No problem: mafi mushkila
Small talk How are you?: kef Halak? Fine thanks: zein al-Hamdulillah What's your name?: shismak? My name is?: ismi ? I understand: ana fahim I don't understand: la afham I speak?: ana atakallam ? Do you speak?: titkallam ?? English: inglizi French: fransawi German: almani I don't speak Arabic: ma-atakallam arabi
Getting Around Where is (the)??: wein (al-) ?? Airport: al-matar Bus stop: mokaf al-bas Bus station: maHattat al-bas Taxi stand: maHattat tax Bus: bas Car: sayyara Horse: Hsan Camel: jamal Taxi: tax
Directions Address: onwan Street: shari' Number: raqam City: madina Here: hni There: hnak Next to: yam Opposite: gbal/mgabel Behind: wara To: min
Signs Entry: dukhol Exit: khuruj Toilets (men): Hammam lirrijal Toilets (women): Hammam linnisa'a Hospital: mustashfa Police: shurta
Days Monday: yom al-idhnayn Tuesday: yom al-dhaladh Wednesday: yom al-arba' Thursday: yom al-khamis Friday: yom al-jama'a Saturday: yom as-sabt Sunday: yom al-Had
Numbers Zero: sifr One: waHid Two: idhnin Three: dhladha Four: arba'a Five: khamsa Six: sitta Seven: sab'a Eight: dhimania Nine: tis'a Ten: ashra
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