Egyptian Arabic Mini Traveller phrasebook

Egyptian Arabic (maSrī مصري) is the modern Egyptian vernacular and the most widely spoken and understood colloquial variety of Arabic. It is spoken by 77 million people, mainly in Egypt. It is used in everyday speech, comics, advertising, song lyrics, teen magazines, plays, and TV shows, but rarely in novels, newspapers, and never in news reporting, which use Modern Standard Arabic instead
Pronunciation
Vowels
Egyptian Arabic differentiates between short and long vowels. Long vowels are shown in this phrasebook with a macron above the vowel.
ī
as in "sheet" (long)
i
as in "fig" (short)
ē
as in "fate" (long)
ā
as in "hand" (long)
a
like ā but shorter
ū
as in "shoe" (long)
u
as in "put" (short)
ō
as in "float"
ǟ
as in "bar"
ä
like ǟ but shorter
Consonants

Most Arabic consonants are not too difficult:
b
as in English
f
as in English
t
as in English, pronounced more forward in the mouth
d
as in English, pronounced more forward in the mouth
g
as in English
k
as in English
r
as in English, pronounced trilled (as in Spanish)
l
as in English, pronounced more forward in the mouth
h
as in English, but occurs in unfamiliar positions
m
as in English
n
as in English
s
as in English
z
as in English
w
as in English
y
as in English
š
as /sh/ in English
j
as /s/ in pleasure (only found in loanwords)
p
as in English (only found in loanwords)
v
as in English (only found in loanwords)

The following are a little more unusual:
S
emphatic s pronounced with the tongue raised and mouth tensed
T
emphatic t pronounced with the tongue raised and mouth tensed
D
emphatic d pronounced with the tongue raised and mouth tensed
Z
emphatic z pronounced with the tongue raised and mouth tensed
q
a hard k pronounced in the back of the mouth found mostly in borrowings from classical Arabic
x
a harsh sound found in some English words like bach and loch
ğ
a voiced x like a French "r"
ħ
a hard h made in the pharynx
And the last two are very hard indeed for non-native speakers to get right, so try to get a native speaker to demonstrate. That said, most beginners tend to opt for the simple approach of ignoring those pesky apostrophes entirely, but it's worth it to make the effort.
’
a glottal stop (IPA ʔ), or the constriction of the throat as between the syllables uh-oh, but in Arabic this is often found in strange places such as the beginning of a word. Known in Arabic as hamza (ء).
ʿ
a voiced ħ (IPA ʕ), famously equated to the sound of someone being strangled. Known in Arabic as ʿayin (ع).
Egyptian vs MSA
Some notable differences between Egyptian Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic include the following:
ج is pronounced with a hard "g" [g], not "j" [dz]
ث is pronounced as "s" [s], not "th" [θ]
ذ is pronounced as "z" [z], not "dh" [ð]
Phrase list
Basics
Many Arabic expressions are different for men and women, depending both on the gender of the person talking (you) and the person being addressed.
Hello
’is-salāmu-ʿalēku السلام عليكو
Hello (informal)
’ahlan أهلا
Good morning.
Säbǟħ ’il-xēr صباح الخير
Good evening.
masā’ ’il-xēr مساء الخير
Good night (to sleep)
tiSbäħ ʿala xēr تصبح على خير (to a male)tiSbäħi ʿala xēr تصبحي على خير (to a female)tiSbäħu ʿala xēr تصبحو على خير (to a group)
How are you?
’izzayyak? إزيياك (to a male)’izzayyik? إزييك (to a female)’izzayyuku? إزييكو (to a group)
Fine, thank you.
kwayyis šukran كوييس شكرا (male)kwayyisa šukran كوييسه شكرا (female)kwayyisīn šukran كوييسيين شكرا (group)
What is your name?
’ismak ’ēh? إسمك ايه؟ (to a male)’ismik ’ēh? إسمك إيه؟ (to a female)
My name is ______ .
’ana ’ismi ______ أنا إسمي
Please.
min fäDläk من فضلك (to a male)min fäDlik من فضلك (to a female)min fäDluku من فضلكو (to a group)
Thank you.
šukran شكرا
You're welcome.
ʿ afwan عفوا
Yes.
’aywa أيوه
No.
la’ لاء
Excuse me. (getting attention)
law samaħt لو سمحت (to a male)law samaħti لو سمحت (to a female)law samaħtu لو سمحتو (to a group)
Excuse me. (avoiding offence)
baʿd ’iznak بعد إذنك (to a male)baʿd ’iznik بعد إذنك (to a female)baʿd ’iznuku بعد إذنكو (to a group)
Excuse me. (begging pardon)
lā mu’axza لاموءاخذه
I'm sorry
’ana ’āsif أنا آسف (male)’ana ’asfa أنا آسفه (female)
Goodbye
maʿas-salāma مع السلامة
Goodbye (informal)
salām سلام
I can't speak Arabic well.
mabakkallimš ʿarabī kwayyis ما بتكلمش عَرَبيْ كوييس
Do you speak English?
bitikkallim ’ingilīzi? بتتكلم إنجليزي؟ (male)bitikkallimi ’ingilīzi? بتتكلمي إنجليزي؟ (female)
Is there someone here who speaks English?
fī ħadd hina biyikkallim ’ingilīzi? في حدهنا بيتكلم انجليزي؟
Help!
’ilħa’ūni! الحقوني
Look out!
ħāsib حاسب (to a male)ħasbi حاسبي (to a female)ħasbu حاسبو (to a group)
I don't understand.
’ana miš fāhim أنا مش فاهم (male)’ana miš fahma أنا مش فاهمه (female)
Where is the toilet?
fēn ’il-ħammām? فين الحمام؟
Problems
Leave me alone.
’imši! إمشى (to a male or a female)’imšu! إمشو (to a group)
Don't touch me!
matilmisnīš! ماتلمسنيش (to a male)matilmisinīš! متيلمسينيش (to a female)
I'll call the police.
’ana ħakallim ’il-bulīs أنا هكلم البوليس
Police!
bulīs! بوليس
Thief!
ħärǟmi! حرامى
I need help.
’ana miħtāg musaʿ da أنا محتاج مساعدة (male speaking)’ana miħtāga musaʿ da أنا محتاجة مساعدة (female)
It's an emergency.
ħāla Tǟri’a حالة طارئة
I'm lost.
’ana taayih أنا تايه (male speaking)’ana tayha أنا تايها (female)
I lost my purse/handbag.
’ana Däyyäʿt šänTiti أنا طيعت شنطيطى
I lost my wallet.
’ana Däyyäʿt mäħfäZti أنا طيعت محفظتى
I'm sick.
’ana ʿayyān أنا عيان (male speaking)’ana ʿayyāna أنا عيانة (female)
I'm injured.
’ana mitʿ äwwär أنا متعاور (male speaking)’ana mitʿ äwwära أنا متعاورة (female)
I need a doctor.
’ana miħtāg duktūr أنا محتاج دكتور (male speaking)’ana miħtāga duktūr أنا محتاجة دكتور (female)
Can I use your phone?
mumkin ’astaʿ mil tilifōnak? ممكن أستعمل تيلفوناك؟ (to a male)mumkin ’astaʿ mil tilifōnik? ممكن أستعمل تيلفونيك؟ (to a female)mumkin ’astaʿ mil tilifōnku? ممكن أستعمل تيلفونكو؟ (to a group)
Can I use your cell phone?
mumkin ’astaʿ mil mōbiylak? ممكن أستعمل موبايلاك؟ (to a male)mumkin ’astaʿ mil mōbiylik? ممكن أستعمل موبايليك؟ (to a female)mumkin ’astaʿ mil mōbiyluku? ممكن أستعمل موبايلكو؟ (to a group)
Numbers
0
Sifr
1
wāħid
2
’itnēn
3
talāta
4
’ärbäʿä
5
xamsa
6
sitta
7
sabʿa
8
tamanya
9
tisʿa
10
ʿäšärä
11
ħidǟšär
12
’itnǟšär
13
tälättǟšär
14
’ärbäʿtǟšär
15
xämästǟšär
16
sittǟšär
17
säbäʿtǟšär
18
tämäntǟšär
19
tisäʿtǟšär
20
ʿišrīn
21
wāħid wi-ʿišrīn
22
’itnēn wi-ʿišrīn
23
talāta wi-ʿišrīn
30
talatīn
40
’ärbiʿīn
50
xamsīn
60
sittīn
70
sabʿīn
80
tamanīn
90
tisʿīn
100
miyya
200
mitēn
300
tultumiyya
400
rubʿumiyya
1000
’alf
2000
’alfēn
1,000,000
milyo:n
number
nimra or räqäm
half
nuSS
less
’a’all
more
’äktär
Time
now
dilwa’ti
later
baʿdēn
before
’abl
after
baʿd
morning
Säbǟħ
in the morning
’iS-Subħ
afternoon
baʿd ’iD-Duhr
in the afternoon
’iD-Duhr
evening
misa or masā’
in the evening
misā’an
night
lēla
in the night
bil-lēl
Clock time
what time is it?
’is-sāʿa kām?
it is ___
’is-sāʿa ___
it is ʿ o'clock
’is-sāʿa talāta biZZäbT
quarter past
wi rubʿ
quarter to
’ila rubʿ
half past
wi nuSS
it is half past
’is-sāʿa talāta wi nuSS
Duration
Days
Monday
yo:m ’il-itneen
Tuesday
yo:m ’il-talāt
Wednesday
yo:m ’il-’arbaʿ
Thursday
yo:m ’il-xamīs
Friday
yo:m ’il-gumʿa
Saturday
yo:m ’is-sabt
Sunday
yo:m ’il-ħadd
Months
January
yanayer
February
febrayer
March
mares
April
ibril
May
mayu
June
yunya
July
yulya
August
ağustus
September
sebtamber
October
uktobar
November
nufamber
December
dissamber
Writing time and date
Colors
white
abiad
black
asuad
red
ahmer
green
akhdar
blue
azrak
yellow
asfar
orange
burtuqali
pink
wardi
purple
banafsegy
Transportation
Bus and train
Can I buy a ticket?
momkn Ashtrī tazkara ?
I will step down in (Heliopolis)
Ana nazel fee misr (El-gedida)
Directions
front
odam
back
wara
right
yemin
left
shemal
up
fook
down
taht
Taxi
Can you drive me to (the hospital)?
momkn tawasalnī (elmostashfā)?

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