These are the phrases that come up in a normal week in Cairo: saying hello, ordering, paying, getting somewhere and chatting to people you meet. Every one comes from our A1 course, and every one has audio, voiced in Cairene Egyptian and checked by a speaker. Tap any phrase to hear it.
A few phrases change depending on whether you're talking to a man or a woman. Where the course has both, we've given both. If you're after one word in particular, our word lookup has the rest.
Greetings
More detail in Egyptian Arabic greetings.
- , good morning. Use it with anyone, from a neighbour to a shopkeeper.
- , the reply to good morning.
- , good evening. Answer with .
- , how are you, to a man. To a woman it's
- , "Fine, thank God." The standard answer, even on a bad day.
- , welcome. You'll hear it walking into shops and homes.
- , "What's your name?" to a man.
- , nice to meet you. Reply with , "the pleasure is mine".
- , "Where are you from?" Expect this one within a minute of opening your mouth.
- , goodbye. The reply is .
At the table
For a full meal out, see ordering food in Egyptian Arabic.
- , "What would you like to drink? Tea or coffee?" A host's first question.
- , "Coffee without sugar, thanks."
- , "Could I have the menu, please?"
- , "What would you like to order?" The waiter, to a man.
- , "I'd like a lemon juice with ice." I want in Egyptian Arabic covers 3aayez.
- , "Grilled chicken and a green salad."
- , "The food here is good." Cooks like hearing it.
- , "Just a small piece, thanks." A man accepting cake without overdoing it.
- , "That's enough, thank you so much." A woman turning down more food.
Shopping and prices
Prices need numbers, so keep Egyptian Arabic numbers 1 to 10 close.
- , "How much is the water?" Swap in whatever you're holding.
- , "That's expensive! A hundred pounds?"
- , "No, it isn't expensive. It's cheap." What the seller will say back.
- , "I'd like some bread." A woman says 3ayza.
- , "Is there any bread? No, we're out." feeh and mafeesh do a lot of work.
- , "One bag of sugar, please."
- , "Yes, there is. Anything else?" The shopkeeper checking you're done.
- , "No, thanks. How much is the bill?"
- , "Excuse me, is there any change?" Handy when you've only got a big note.
Directions and taxis
- , "Excuse me, where's the metro station?"
- , "Go straight on as far as the mosque." Mosques make handy landmarks.
- , "Turn left at the restaurant."
- , "Right or left?" For when the pointing is unclear.
- , "I don't know, I'm not from here." You'll hear it and say it.
- , "Where's the bathroom, please?"
- , "Taxi! Are you free, driver?" 'osTa is what you call a taxi driver.
- , "Stop here at the corner, driver."
- , "Thanks, driver. How much is the fare?"
Time and days
The days get their own page: days of the week in Egyptian Arabic.
- , "What time is it?"
- , "It's half past three." nuSS is half.
- , "Today is Sunday." The working week starts here.
- , "Friday and Saturday are days off."
- , "Bye! See you tomorrow." To a man.
- , "You're late, Karim!" Usually said with a smile.
Small talk and the social words
These carry a lot of everyday weight. ma3lesh, khalaaS and tamaam and thank you in Egyptian Arabic go deeper.
- , thank you. The answer is , you're welcome.
- , here you are, or come in, to a man. To a woman, .
- , "Never mind, Nour. It's fine." ma3lesh smooths over almost any small mishap.
- , God willing. The usual reply to "see you tomorrow".
- , "Congratulations on the new flat!" Dina answers , "Thank you. Come on up!"
- , "How are you doing? It's been ages!" For a friend you haven't seen in a while.
- , "Are you serious?" Good for news that surprises you.
Where to go from here
Fifty phrases is enough to get through a day. To hold a real conversation you'll want the patterns underneath them, like how 3aayez becomes 3ayza or why there's no "is" in el-'akl hena 7elw. That's what our lessons build, one short session a day.
Common questions
Why do some Egyptian phrases have a version for a man and one for a woman? Egyptian Arabic changes many words depending on who you're talking to. 'ezzayyak asks a man how he is and 'ezzayyik asks a woman. The difference is often a single vowel at the end, so it's worth learning both from the start.
How do you say please in Egyptian Arabic? law sama7t, said to a man, or law sama7ti to a woman. The same phrase also means "excuse me", so you can use it to get someone's attention and to ask for something.
Where can I look up a single Egyptian Arabic word? Use our word lookup at /how-to-say. Type an English word and you'll get the Egyptian word in Latin spelling and Arabic script, with audio and example sentences.