If it's your first time in Egypt, you may want to learn some Egyptian Arabic phrases and words in order communicate with taxi drivers, order from a street food vendor in Cairo, or surprise and delight any locals you meet.

They say that the most important words to learn in a new language before traveling to a different country are “please”, and “thank you”. While these words are a great way to express politeness to local people, they will not help you find the bathroom, ask how much something costs, or say hello to someone. In this post you will learn these important words and phrases, and discover resources to dive deeper to get the most out of your Egypt experience.

Why should I learn Egyptian Arabic before my trip to Egypt?

Unlike some countries, Egyptians don’t care if tourists are not able to fully converse in Arabic and can only utter one or two Arabic words, and almost all Egyptians working in the tourism sector speak English. Even though Egyptians are completely content to communicate in English with tourists, it still makes them very happy to see foreigners attempting to speak Arabic.

Way back when I first went to Egypt in 2012, countless times I would simply say “thank you” in Arabic, and watch an Egyptian person’s face light up as they exclaimed, “You speak Arabic!” Despite my subsequent stammering in English to the contrary, they did not listen as I said that I only knew a few words, or that their English must be far better than my Arabic. Instead, they remained genuinely happy that I made an effort to say something in their native tongue, and insisted on teaching me one or two more words to enlarge my vocabulary. Egyptians’ joy abounds when they hear foreigners try to speak Arabic, and it is a wonderful thing to experience as a guest in a foreign country. After all, how many times have you seen a U.S. American overjoyed at hearing a tourist say one or two words in English?

Simply learning one or two words in Arabic can help bridge the gap between peoples and cultures during your Egypt adventure. Trust me, you will be glad you made a small effort to make a big impact. Who knows, you might even end up like me! Seeing how encouraging, enthusiastic, and happy Egyptian people got when I spoke Arabic with them, I kept studying the language, and now am fluent.

So, يلا, (YELL-uh), let’s get started!

Egyptian Arabic Basics: Simple Egyptian Arabic Words

The easiest and most basic way to communicate in another language is to say one, high-impact word, that can get your meaning across without being overly complicated and relying on memorizing long sentences. Here are some words you will use daily when traveling in Egypt.

Thank you in Egyptian Arabic: (SHOW-krawn) — شكراً — shokran

I'm always asked, how do you say thank you in Egyptian Arabic? The answer is one simple word, "shokran". Use shokran copiously during your time in Egypt. Someone opens the door for you? Shokran. Someone brings you food at a restaurant? Shokran. Someone tries to sell you something but you are not interested? Say shokran and keep walking (or don't say anything at all). Shokran, combined with putting your hand over your heart, is one of the most effective ways to be polite to vendors trying to sell you things you do not want or need, but at the same time escape without needing to waste five minutes explaining that you are not interested in making a purchase.

Please: (low-suh-maht) —

لو سمحت — losama7t

Egyptians do not have the same, universal, “please”, like we do in English. Instead, various words are used to express the meaning that we associate with the word “please”, and it depends on the context, which one you will use. Losama7t (the number 7 is substituted for the letter “h” since the “h” sound in losama7t is a hard “h” with an exhalation of breath, like in the English words “hard” or “hidden”), is the best one to use because it is the most universal. It is best to use losama7t at the end of a sentence or phrase. For example, if you want to ask about the bathroom, you could say “Hammam [bathroom] losama7t?”, to inquire politely about the location of the restroom. Sometimes you will hear or see the more formal, من فضلك (min FUD luk [to a man] or lik [to a woman]) recommended, but to me, this version of "please" is too formal to be used in everyday situations.

Bathroom: (ham-mam) حمام — 7amam

The Arabic word 7amam (note the same use of the 7 instead of the letter “h”, to denote the hard “h” sound) is a must to know when traveling in Egypt or the Middle East. There are so many times where you will need to use a hard-to-find bathroom when at a restaurant, historic site, museum, or hotel, and oftentimes, you will need that bathroom fast. Just saying “7amam?” with a questioning look (you can even do the classic bathroom crouch for emphasis) will get you the fastest response as to where the nearest bathroom is. If someone scratches their head, though, they may think you have asked for a pigeon, one of the delicacies at famous Egyptian restaurants. The word for “bathroom” and “pigeon” have one different in inflection that is very difficult for the non-Arabic speaker to pronounce. So, if you need the bathroom but are brought a pigeon instead, simply keep asking the for the 7amam and eventually someone will figure out what you need!

America (United States): (om-REE-kuh) — امريكا — Amreeka

You will lose track of how many times Egyptian people will ask you “from where?” during your trip. Many Egyptian people are not familiar with the phrase “U.S.”, or “USA”, so it is best to simply respond, Amreeka. This will usually be followed by the Egyptian person repeating, Amreeka, with enthusiasm, along with a thumbs up symbol, an expression of love for the U.S., or the name of the current president (many Egyptian people love to discuss U.S. American politics).

Water: (my-uh) — مياه — Maya

After most likely numerous trips to the bathroom and lots of time in the sun, staying hydrated will be essential when in Egypt. Simply saying “Maya?” In a questioning way, while motioning like you are drinking, will bring you to the nearest spot to purchase bottled water. Careful though, someone may be prompted to bring you a cup of tap water, which you should politely refuse, and try to find bottled water instead.

How much?: (bee-KAM?) — بكام؟ — beekam?

Beekam is what you will find yourself saying after you notice some beautiful pottery on display at a workshop in Tunis Village, when you want to buy a delicious looking piece of konafa (an Egyptian dessert), or when you want to begin bargaining with a taxi driver. Simply knowing this phrase in Arabic sets you apart from the tourist who makes no attempt to use Arabic, and may get you a better price or make your bargaining go smoother.

Ok: (MEH-SHEE) — ماشي — mashy

Mashy literally translates as “walking”, but it is the universal way to say “Ok” in Egyptian Arabic. The first syllable, “ma”, almost sounds like someone saying, "meh", like they don't care about something.

Yes: (EYE-you-WUH) – ايوه – aiwa

To say "yes", Egyptians use the word, aiwa, which is very, very, Egyptian. A simpler way to say "yes" is simply to say "ah" (like the "ah" in "ah - hah!").

No: (LUH) – لا – l2

No is a simple, one syllable utterance, l2. The "2" denotes a glottal stop, or when you cut off airflow after saying the consonant, "L" sound. It sounds kind of like "LUH" when you say it, but the "UH" is the sound produced when cutting off the airflow in your throat after saying the "L" sound.

Simple Egyptian Arabic Phrases

These Egyptian dialect phrases will help you in several situations, from asking someone "how are you", to ordering in a restaurant. I tried to choose basic Egyptian phrases that are both easy to use and also the most important to your trip.

How are you in Egyptian Arabic

ازيك؟

(Ez-zai-yak? [addressing a man] Ez-zai-yik [addressing a woman])

ezzayak? ezzayik?

Ezzayak? is a simple and polite way to ask someone how they are. Common replies may be “kwai-iss” (good), or “maya-maya” (100% — fantastic), or “tamam” (ok — fine).

Let’s go

يلا بينا

(YELL-uh BEE-nuh)

yalla beena

Some phrases are just plain fun to say, and yalla beena is one of them. Say it when you are ready to get up from dinner, when you are about to cross the street, or when you are finished at a temple and are ready to leave. Egyptians will smile, will often repeat “yalla beena” in return, and off you go!

Hello in Egyptian Arabic

السلام و عليكم

(as-salam wuh all-eye-kom)

As-Salam w elykom

I'm always asked, how do you say hello in Egypt, but unfortunately there is no simple word to say "hello". Instead, folks usually opt for the religious greeting which literally translates to “Peace be with you”. When you say this greeting to someone, 95% of them time they will respond with “Wuh elykom as-salam” (and peace be with you).

Goodbye in Egyptian Arabic

مع سلامة

(Maa - suh - la - muh)

M3 salama

Peace in Egyptian language is "salam" (like it is for all Arabic speakers), so saying "M3 Salama" (the number 3 is used to denote the harsh-sounding *and tricky to pronounce* Arabic letter ع, which sounds like someone is saying the word “aye” like a pirate, with lots of gusto.), means you are saying "with peace", as in "go with peace".

I want…

أنا عايز/انا عايزة

(En-nuh EYE-iz…[male] En-nuh EYE-zuh [female])

Ana 3ayiz/3ayiza

This phrase is perfect for ordering in restaurants. Note that there are two versions: men say “Ana 3ayiz” whereas women say “Ana 3ayiza”. The number 3 is used to denote the harsh-sounding letter ع, like in the word for goodbye above. You can follow this phrase with the item you want, like “Ana 3ayiz Coca-Cola”, or “Ana 3ayiza falafel”.

Good morning in Egyptian Arabic

صباح الخير

(suh-BAH-el-kheer)

Saba7 el Kheir

I'm often asked, how do you say good morning in Egyptian, and the simple answer is Saba7 (7 is like an h sound) el Kheir, which translates to "morning of the good", but you'll also hear Egyptians say funny things like "morning of the honey", or one of my favorites, "morning of the cream".

I love you in Egyptian Arabic

بحبك

(buh-HEB-ak [to a male] / buh-HEB-ik [to a female])

Ba7ebak / Ba7ebik

Maybe you fall in love when you are in Egypt, or maybe you want to express your love to your significant other during your trip in Arabic, because, why not tell them you love them in the language of the country you're traveling in?! This phrase adds on to the Egyptian word for love, which is "7OB" (sounds like "HOAB") – حب .

Want to really make an Egyptian’s day? Say "buh-heb Masr" - I love Egypt in Arabic - to show your love for the land of the pharaohs!

Happy birthday Egyptian Arabic

كل سنة و انت طيب

كل سنة و انتي طيبة

(KOOL sen-nuh wuh enta [entee when addressing a female] TIE-YIB [TIE-YIB-BUH when addressing a female])

Kol senna w enta/enti tayeb/tayeba

You never know when you'll run into an Egyptian who is having a birthday, and saying "Happy Birthday" in Arabic will make them tickled pink!

Egyptian Arabic Days of the Week

You may not need to know weekdays in Arabic, but just in case, here are the names of all the days of the week, as they would say them in Egypt. Note that the word for day, yoom, usually precedes the name of the day (the opposite of how in English, we say the word for “day” at the end: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.).

Egyptian Arabic Numbers

Arabic numbers come in handy when bargaining at shops, talking to taxi drivers about the fare, or giving out your Whatsapp number to stay in touch with all of your new Egyptian friends!

The number "0" is commonly referred to as "zero", just like the English word, but other than that, you'll want to learn these Arabic numbers if you want to bargain like a local!

Zero 0 - zero ٠

One 1 - waa-hed ١

The “waa” sounds like you’re saying the “w” sound and then the “ah” sound, like you’d make at the doctor’s office.

You’ll notice the Arabic numeral “١” looks a lot like how we write the numeral “1” in English.

Two 2 - it-neen ٢

Three 3 - tuh-lah-tuh ٣

Four 4 - ar-BAH ٤

The “BAH” on the second syllable has that Arabic letter “ع”, that sounds really harsh, like saying “AH'“ with a lot of surprise and gusto.

Five 5 - khum-suh ٥

The “kh” sound is a tricky one. It comes from the throat, and once you master the sound, it’s really fun to say!

Six 6 - sit-tuh ٦

The Arabic numeral for 6 looks like a number 7 written in English - one of the things that helps me remember.

Seven 7 - sub-AH ٧

My Arabic teacher used to always say “Seven Up!” with two fingers pointing up, to help us remember that the number 7 is the upwards-facing V symbol, and to use the soda brand to help remember!

The AH sound you see is made by that Arabic letter ع again.

Eight 8 - tuh-men-ee-uh ٨

Opposite of the number 7, the number 8 is written like an upside-down V.

Nine 9 - tiss-AH ٩

The numeral for 9 is almost exactly like in English.

Ten 10 - AH-shuh-ruh ١٠

There’s that AH sound again, made by the letter ع. You’ll notice that Egyptians write 10 like we do, putting a “1” in front, and then the “0” after. Even though Arabic words are written right to left, numbers go left to right.

Feel free to download these handy guides to help with Egyptian Arabic numbers!

For the serious Arabic student: more resources

You may become hooked on learning Arabic after your trip to Egypt and wish to continue practicing, or you may want to prepare extensively before your trip to maximize your language skills while you are in country. Either way, here are some resources you can use to take your language learning one step further:

Egyptian Arabic Phrasebook and Dictionary

Lonely Planet makes this lovely, pocket-sized guide, to help you learn everything from numbers to the names of fruits at the market. Memorize the words and Egyptian expressions before your trip, or bring the book along to help when you get stuck. You can always point to the Arabic word that is next to the English word you want to express and see if your meaning comes across (keep in mind though that Egypt’s literacy rate is lower than the U.S., and not everyone will be able to read Arabic).

Pimsleur Egyptian Arabic

I have used Pimsleur audio courses to practice Egyptian Arabic, Spanish, and German. Pimsleur does a great job of focusing on the most important words and phrases and uses repetition to help you learn them quickly and easily. I love popping on a Pimsleur audio course (about 25 minutes each) during my morning and afternoon commute. Keep in mind though that several words and phrases taught in the Pimsleur Egyptian Arabic course are not quite the ones that I would use to express the same meaning (for example, the word they teach that they claim means “excuse me” is hardly ever used by Egyptians). However, to learn a lot of common Egyptian words, and to start saying basic Egyptian sentences and Egyptian slang words, the Pimsleur series is a great resource.

Kalimnii Arabi Textbook Series

This textbook series is one of the main ways I learned Egyptian Arabic, because each textbook comes with great, short, dialogues and vocabulary lists, spoken by native Egyptians. These books are best worked through with a private tutor, or at a language learning center in Cairo. Starting with the first textbook in the series will give you a great grasp of Egyptian language basics.

Kalaam Gamiil Textbook Series

Another great textbook series for colloquial Egyptian Arabic, and like the Kalimni Arabi series, is best used in conjunction with a private Arabic tutor, or at a language center.

Watch some مسلسلات (Egyptian TV shows)

Mosalsalat (TV series) are another great way to pick up on simple Egyptian Arabic words and phrases (since most of them are in the colloquial Egyptian dialect). Plus, some Arabic series are extremely dramatic and entertaining!

Listen to Arabic music

Music is a fun way to learn a new language, and Arabic songs are often sung in colloquial Egyptian Arabic. Amr Diab is a prolific Egyptian singer, and Umm Kalthoum is the most beloved Egyptian singers of all time.

Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) vs. Egyptian Arabic

People are often shocked when I tell them that there are many dialects of Arabic, and that the "main" verion of Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic (abbreviated as MSA), is actually not spoken at all in Egypt! Modern Standard Arabic is the usual Arabic taught at American Universities, although no one really speaks it in real life. Instead, it's reserved for official speeches, written documents like books and newspapers, news reports, or formal communication, like the safety presentation on an airplane.

It might be hard to wrap your head around since we don't really have "formal" and "informal" English (at least not to the level of difference between MSA and colloquial Arabic), but the colloquial dialects, like Egyptian Arabic, are the important ones to learn to speak and understand if you want to communicate during your time in Egypt or in other parts of the Middle East.

So if you encounter any Arabic resources that teach Modern Standard Arabic, unless you're in journalism, politics, or are interested in reading and writing formal Arabic, focus on resources teaching colloquial Arabic instead.

Do you have any questions about using Egyptian Arabic during your trip in Egypt? Anything I should add to this blog post? Let me know by leaving a comment below!

Egyptian Arabic for travel to Egypt: Arabic Words and Arabic Phrases to help with your trip