Useful Arabic phrases

A collection of useful phrases in Modern Standard Arabic. Click on the English phrases to see them in many other languages.

Key to abbreviations: m = said by men, f = said by women, >m = said to men, >f = said to women.

English	(Arabic) العربية
Welcome	(ahlan wa sahlan) أهلاً و سهلاً
Hello	(assa'lām ā'laykum) السلام عليكم response - (wa ā'laykum assa'lām) و عليكم السلام informal - (marḥabā) مرحبا on phone - ('ālló) آلو
How are you?	(kaifa halok) كيف حالك؟
Long time no see	(lam naraka mundu mudda(h)) لم نرك منذ مدة
What's your name?	(má ismuk?) ما اسمك؟ (má huwa ismuk(i)) ما هو اسمك؟ my name is - (... ismee) ...اسمي
Where are you from?	(Men ayna anta/anti?) من أين أنت؟ I'm from ... - (Ana men ...) أنا من ...
Pleased to meet you	m (motasharefon bema'refatek) متشرف بمعرفتك f (motasharefatun bema'refatek) متشرفة بمعرفتك
Good morning	(ṣabāḥul kẖayr) صباح الخير
Good afternoon/evening	(masā'ul kẖayr) مساء الخير
Good night	(taṣbaḥo 'alā kẖayr) تصبح على خير (laylah sa'ēdah) ليلة سعيدة
Goodbye	(ila'lli'qa') إلى اللقاء (ma'a ssa'lāma) مع السلامة
Good luck	(bettawfēq) بالتوفيق!
Have a nice day	اتمنى لك يوما طيبا
Bon appetit	(bil haná wal shifá) بالهناء والشفاء / بالهنا والشفا may you have your meal with gladness and health
Bon voyage	Happy Journey (rḥlah sʿīdah) رحلة سعيدة Successful Journey (rḥlah mwaffaqah) رحلة موفق
I don't understand	(lā afham) لا أفهم
Please speak more slowly	(takalam bebot' men fadlek(i)) تكلم ببطء من فضلك
Please write it down	(oktobha men fadlek(i)) أكتبها من فضلك
Do you speak Arabic?	(hal tatakallamo alloghah al arabiah?) هل تتكلم اللغة العربية؟ Yes, a little (na'am, qaleelan) نعم, قليل
Excuse me	to attract attention - (men fathlek(i)) من فضلك! to ask someone to move (alma'derah) المعذرة!
How much is this?	f - (bikam hādihi?) بكم هذه؟ \ m - (bikam hādā?) بكم هذا؟
Sorry	(āsef!) أسف
Thank you	(shukrān jazēlan) ﺷﻜﺮﺍﹰ جزيلا (shukrān) ﺷﻜﺮﺍﹰ you're welcome - (al'afw) ألعفو
Where's the toilet?	(ain al-ḥammām?) أين الحمّام؟
Would you like to dance with me?	>m (hal tuħibb ʔan tarqus̱?) هل‮ ‬تحبْ‮ ‬أن‮ ‬ترقص؟ >f (tuħibbina ʔan tarqus̱ī?) تحبْين‮ ‬أل‮ ‬ترقصي؟
I love you	to a man (uħib:ukato) أُحِبُّكَ to a woman - (uħib:uki) أُحِبُّكِ
How do you say ... in Arabic?	كيف تقول كلمة ... بالعربية؟ (Kaifa taqoulu kalimat ... bel arabia?)
Leave me alone!	to females - اتركيني male speaking - اتركني
Call the police!	(nādi ššariṭah) ناد الشرطة!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year	اجمل التهاني بمناسبة الميلاد و حلول السنة الجديدة (Ajmel altehani bemonasebt almīlad wa helol alseneh aljedīdah) (kullu sina winta t̴ayyib - to a man) كل سنة وانت طيّب (kullu sina winti t̴ayyiba - to a woman) كل سنة وانت طيّبة
Happy Easter	فِصْح سعيد
Happy Birthday	(kul sana wa inta tayyeb) كل سنة و انت طيب (kul ʿam wa inta bihair) كل عام و أنت بخير
My hovercraft is full of eels	(ḥawwāmtī mumtilah biānqalaysūn) حَوّامتي مُمْتِلئة بِأَنْقَلَيْسون
One language is never enough	(lugha wāhida lā takfī) لغة واحدة لا تكفي

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Arabic Translation

Get names and phrases translated into Arabic

Information about written and spoken Arabic

Arabic language courses, dictionaries, etc.

Links

Other collections of Arabic phrases (some with audio)
http://www.arabic2000.com/arabic/public/common.html
http://www.touregypt.net/translat.htm
http://www.learn-arabic-language-software.com/phrases/FSArabic.htm
http://www.linguanaut.com/english_arabic.htm
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/language/arabic-phrases.html
http://www.grapeshisha.com/common-Arabic-phrases.html
http://cecilmarie.web.prw.net/arabworld/arabic/
http://www.arabiccomplete.com/modules_useful_phrases/

Useful phrases in individual languages

Multilingual phrase pages