Appendix:Basic Arabic phrases
Note that this is relevant only to Modern Standard Arabic and not to the colloquial forms of Arabic spoken in daily life, which vary from place to place. Also, some of the following expressions were written only to suit a male speaker.
Pronunciation guide: Stress in Arabic is most often on the penultimate syllable (i.e., the one preceding the last).
| Translation | Phrase | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Arabic | اَلْعَرَبِيَّة (al-ʕarabiyya) | /al.ʕa.ra.bij.ja/ |
| hello/welcome | مَرْحَبًا (marḥaban) | /mar.ħa.ban/ |
| see you | إِلَى اللِّقَاء (ʔilā l-liqāʔ) | /ʔi.la‿l.li.qaːʔ/ |
| goodbye | مَعَ السَّلَامَة (maʕa s-salāma) | /ma.ʕa‿s.sa.laː.ma/ |
| please | مِنْ فَضْلِكَ (min faḍlika) | /min fadˤ.li.ka/ |
| thanks | شُكْرًا (šukran) | /ʃuk.ran/ |
| that one | ذٰلِكَ (ḏālika) | /ðaː.li.ka/ |
| How much/How many? | كَمْ؟ (kam?) | /kam/ |
| English | اَلْإِنْجْلِيزِيَّة (al-ʔinjlīziyya) | /al.ʔind͡ʒliː.zij.ja/, /al.ʔinɡliː.zij.ja/ |
| yes | نَعَمْ (naʕam) | /na.ʕam/ |
| no | لَا (lā) | /laː/ |
| Where's the bathroom? | أَيْنَ الْحَمَّام؟ (ʔayna l-ḥammām?) | /ʔaj.na‿l.ħam.maːm/ |
| What is your name? | مَا ٱسْمُكَ؟ (mā smuka?) | /ma‿s.mu.ka/ |
| I don’t know | لَا أَعْرِفُ (lā ʔaʕrifu) | /laː ʔaʕ.ri.fu/ |
| I have no clue. | لَا أَدْرِي (lā ʔadrī) | /laː ʔad.riː/ |
| I don’t understand | لَا أَفْهَمُ (lā ʔafhamu) | /laː ʔaf.ha.mu/ |
| I don’t remember | لَا أَتَذَكَّرُ (lā ʔataḏakkaru) | IPA(key): /laː ʔa.ta.ðak.ka.ru/ |
| Welcome | أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا بِكُم (ʔahlan wasahlan bikum) | /ʔah.lan wa.sah.lan bi.kum/ |
| I am sick | أَنَا مَرِيض (ʔanā marīḍ) | /ʔa.naː ma.riːdˤ/ |
| Hello | السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُم (as-salāmu ʕalaykum) | /as.sa.laː.mu ʕa.laj.kum/ |
| Hello (response), how are you? | وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَام! كَيْفَ الْحَال؟ (waʕalaykumu s-salām! kayfa l-ḥāl?) | /wa.ʕa.laj.ku.mu‿s.sa.laːm! kaj.fa‿l.ħaːl?/ |
| Fine, and you? | بِخَيْرٍ، اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ. وَكَيْفَ أَنْتَ؟ (biḵayrin, al-ḥamdu lillāhi. wakayfa ʔanta?) | /bi.xaj.rin, al.ħam.du lil.laː.hi. wa.kaj.fa ʔan.ta/ |
| Bye | وَدَاعًا (wadāʕan) | /wa.daː.ʕan/ |
| Where is the airport? | أَيْنَ الْمَطَار؟ (ʔayna l-maṭār?) | /ʔaj.na‿l.ma.tˤaːr?/ |
| Help! | النَّجْدَة! | /an.nad͡ʒ.da/ |
| I am hungry. | أَنَا جَائِع (ʔanā jāʔiʕ) | /ʔa.naː d͡ʒaː.ʔiʕ/ |
| I feel tired. | أَشْعُرُ بِالتَّعْب (ʔašʕuru bi-t-taʕb) | /ʔaʃ.ʕu.ru bit.taʕb/ |