Basic Arabic
Common greetings / courtesies:
Arabic has many greetings, some of the more common greetings follow. Most of the greetings also
have a response, as a matter of custom, it is best to learn the response as well as the greeting.
Hi (informal)
marHaba
Welcome
tafadal
Peace unto you
(response)
is-sallamu alakum
wa alakum is-sallam
good morning
(response)
sabah il-khayr
sabah in-noor
good evening
(response)
mesah il-khayr
mesah in-noor
how are you
kaif halak (ik) or shalonak (ik)
the common answer given to how are you is good, expressed as:
good
kuwais
tayib
rahib
zayn
excellent
mumtaz
these are traditionally followed by thanks to god (allah)
il hamdu li-lla
good bye (go with peace)
ma-salama
thank you
(response) (dont mention it)
shukran
afwan
please
min fadlak (ik)
excuse me
ismahlee
never mind
maalish
I speak little Arabic
ana tatakalem arabi shuwaya
Yes
away or naam
No
la
God willing
in-shaallah
Pronouns:
Arabic like many inflected languages places less importance on word order than on word from,
therefore, Arabic utilizes prefixes and suffixes to denote gender (masculine and feminine) and
subjective and objective case. Parenthetical notations will denote the feminine endings if applicable.
For example you in the masculine is inta, in the feminine it is inti.
I
ana
You
inta (i)
He
huwa
She
hiyya
We
niHna
Directions:
Go
rooh
Stop
wagef
Left
yassar
Right
yamin
Strait ahead
ala tool
Here
hina
There
hinak
Before
gabbl
After
baad
From
min
To or at (a place)
ala
Questions:
Who
meen
What
aysh
When
meta
Where
wayn / fayn
Why
laysh
How much
kam
Numbers:
Zero
sifir
One
wahid
Two
ithnayn
Three
thalatha
Four
arbaa
Five
khamsa
Six
sitta
Seven
sabah
Eight
thamania
Nine
tissa
Ten
ashra
Eleven
ahada-ashra
Twelve
ithnashra
Thirteen through nineteen simply prefix the numbers three through nine to the word ashra (ten). An
alternate method is to simply add the suffix ash to the corresponding number i.e. sittash for sixteen.
To form the ten of a number i.e. thirty, simply add the suffix een to the corresponding number, for
example thirty would be thalatheen. To form intermittent numbers in the tens range such as thirtyfive, you for the number as five and thirty or khamsa wa thalatheen. And in Arabic is wa.
One hundred
mia
One thousand
alf
Questions of demographics:
What is your name
aysh ismak (ik)
How old are you
kam amrak
Where are you from
min wayn inta (i)
Who do you work for
sho isem sharektkum
Anatomy:
Head
raas
Eye
aeen
Ear
authen
Chest
sader
Heart
galb
Stomach
baten
Arm
theraea
Leg
rajel
Hand
ayad
Feet
ikdam
Muscle
adelat
Symptoms:
Pain
alam
Nausea
talab nafsak
Vomiting
astifrag
Diarrhea
ashal
Constipation
amsak
Fever
harara
Hypertention
dagad ali
Hypotension
dagad nazel
Inflammation
waram
Cough
gaha
Cut
kataa bl saken
Dizzy
doka
Sick
marid
Exam questions:
Additional words:
Big
kabeer
Little
sager
Hour
saa
Man
rejawl
Woman
Girl
bint
Boy
waled
guys
shabaab
Friend
sadiq
Mad (crazy)
majnun
Think
azunn
Teacher
mudarris (a)
Doctor
tabib
Must
lazum
There is
fi
None, nothing
mafi
Problem
mushkula
Book
kitab
Bathroom
hammam
Half
noos
Not my issue
ana mani mosool
Emergency
tawari
Hospital
mustashfa
Little
qalil
A lot
katheer
Prayer
salah
Mosque
masjed
Police
shurta
Dont move
la taharek
Sit
ij-iless
Chair
course
Bed
sarier
Water
moyah
Food
akil
Go away
imshi
Lets go
yallah
Cold
bard
Hot
har
Home/house
bait
Later
badayn
Manager/supervisor
mudeer
Open
iftah
Close
saker
Poison
sem
Colors:
White
Abyadh
Black
Aswad
Red
Ahmar
Green
Akhdar
Yellow
Asfar
Orange
Burtoqali
Brown
Bonni
Blue
Azraq
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Common Kuwaiti Arabic Phrases
Introduction
Arabic is one of the most spoken languages in the world with
over 200 million speakers. It is spoken in 24 countries.
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:
Classic Arabic.
Formal or Modern Standard Arabic.
Spoken Arabic.
The Arabic phrases presented here are most applicable to the
Gulf states
Pronunciation
A: as in had
E: as in bet
I: as in hit
O: as in hot
U: as in put
Basics
I: a-na
You (sg): in-ta/in-ti (m/f)
He: oh-wa
She: Eh-ya
We: Eh-nu
You (pl): In-tuw
They: Oh-ma
Greetings
Hello: as-salam alaykum
Hello (response); wa alaykum asalam
How are you: kaif halak
I am fine (Thank God): Al hamdulillah
Goodbye (person leaving): maasalama
Goodbye (person staying): allysalmak
Good morning: sabah al-khair
Good afternoon: masaa al-khair
Good night: tisbah ala khair
Welcome: ahlan wa sahlan OR marhaba
Basics
Yes: E or naam
No: la
Maybe: mumkin
Please: min fadhlik
After you: Taffadhal
Thank you: shukran
You are welcome: afwan
Excuse me: Atni (m) Atini (f)
OK: tayib or Inshallah
No problem: mafi mushkila
Small talk
How are you: kef Halak
Fine thanks : zein or al-Hamdulillah
Whats your name: shismek
My name [Link]
I understand: ana afhum
I dont understand: ma afhum
I speak ana atakallam
Do you speak..titkallam..
English: inglizi
French: fransawi
German: almani
I dot speak Arabic: maatakallam arabi
Getting Around
Where is (the).wein (al-)
Airport: al-matar
Bus stop: mokaf al-bas
Bus station: maHattat al-bas
Taxi stand: maHattat taxi
Hospital: Mos-thash-fa
Police Station: Makhfar
Supermarket: Jam-ee-yah
Toilet: Ham-mam
Directions
Addres: onswan
Street: shari
Number: raqam
City: madina
Here: ehni
There: ehnak
Next to: yam
Opposite: gbal/mogabel
Behind: wara
From: min
Days
Monday: yom al-ithnayn
Tuesday: yom al-thalatha
Wednesday: yom al-arba
Thursday: yom al-khamees
Friday: yom al-jamaa
Saturday: yom as-sabt
Sunday: yom al ahad
Numbers
Zero: sifr
One: waHid
Two: ithnin
Three: thlatha
Four: arbaa
Five: khamsa
Six: sitta
Seven: saba
Eight: thimania
Nine: tisa
Ten: ashra
_________________________________________________________________________
arabic words & phrases
April - Nisan, Abreel
August - Ab, Aghustus
Big - (m): Kebir, (f): Kebira
Black - Aswad
Blue - Azrak
Bread - Khubz
Breakfast - Iftar
Brother - Akh
Brown - Jauzi, Buni
Coffee - Qahwa
Cold - (m): Barid, (f): Baridah
Daughter (of) - Bint
Day - Yom
December - Kanun Illau'wal, Desember
Dinner - Ashaa
Eight - Thamaniya
Engineer - Mohandis
Father - Ab
February - Shbat, Febrayer
Fish - Samak
Five - Khamsa
Four - Arba'a
Friday - Yom alJuma'ah
God - Allah
God knows best - Allah alim
God willing - Insha'allah
God's will - Masha'allah
Goodbye (Go in peace) - Ma'assalama Reply: Fi aman Allah or Ma'assalama
Good Afternoon/Evening - Masa alkhair Reply: Masa alnur
Good Morning - Sabah alkhair Reply: Sabah alnur
Good Night - Leila Sa'eeda
Grandfather - Jadd
Grandmother - Jaddah
Green - Akhdar
Grey - Ramadi
Happy Birthday - Eid Milad Sa'eed
Have a safe journey - Bissalama
He - Huwwa
Hello - Marhaba
Hot - Harr
How are you? - (m): Kaif halak, (f): Kaif halik
I
I
I
I
(am)... - Ana
am fine - Ana bekhair
am sorry - Ana asif
don't know - Ana la a'arif
January - Kanun Ittani, Yanayir
July - Tammuz, Yulyu
June - Huzairan, Yunyu
Library - Maktaba
Lunch - Gadaa
March - Adar, Maris
May - Ayar, Maayo
Milk - Haleeb
Monday - Yom alIthnain
Month - Shahr
Mother - Umm
Museum - Matihaf
My name is... - Ana ismi...
Nine - Tis'a
No - La
November - Tishrin Ittani, Nofember
Ocean - Mohit
October - Tishrin Ilau'wal, October
One - Wahid
Onion - Basal
Orange - Burdukali
Peace be upon you - Assalamu alaikum Reply: Walaikum assalam
...and mercy - wa rahmatullahi
...and blessings - wa barakatuhu
Please - (m): Min fadlak, (f): Min fadlik
Purple - Urjuwani, Banafsaji (violet)
Red - Ahmar
Salad - Salata
Saturday - Yom alSabt
School - Madrassa
September - Ailul, September
Seven - Sab'ah
She - Hiyya
Sister - Akht
Six - Sitta
Small - (m): Sagheer, (f): Sagheerah
Son (of) - Ibn
Student - (m): Talib, (f): Taliba
Summer - Al Sa'if
Sunday - Yom alA'had
Tea - Shaay
Ten - 'Ashra
Thank God - Alhamdulillah
Thank you - Shukran
They - Humma
Thousand - Alf
Three - Thalatha
Tuesday - Yom alThulutha'
Thursday - Yom alKhamis
Today - Al Youm
Tourist - (m): Sa'ih, (f): Sa'iha
Two - Ithnan
Valley - Wadi
Water - Ma'a
Wednesday - Yom alArba'a
Week - Usbuu'
Welcome - Ahlan wa sahlan Reply: Ahlan bekum
What do you want? - (m): Matha tureed?, (f): Matha tureedeen?
Where - Ain
Where is...? - Ayna...?
...the bathroom - alHammam
...the hotel - alFunduq
...the library - alMaktaba
...the police station - Qism alShurtah
...the post office - Maktab alBareed
...the telephone - alHatif, alTilifoun
White - Abyad
Yellow - Asfar
Yes - Na'am
You... - (m): Inta, (f): Inti, (pl): Intu