6 Basic Arabic Phrases for Surviving Most Any Situation

Arabic, in its standard form, is the official language of 26 states, as well as the liturgical language of the religion of Islam, since the Quran and Hadith were written in Arabic. Arabic is widely taught in schools and universities and is used to varying degrees in workplaces, government and the media. Throughout its history, Arabic has inspired many other languages around the world. Persian, Turkish, Hindustani (Hindi and Urdu), Kashmiri, Kurdish, Bosnian, Kazakh, Bengali, Malay (Indonesian and Malaysian), Maldivian, Pashto, Punjabi, Albanian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Sicilian, Spanish, Greek, Bulgarian, Tagalog, Sindhi, Odia, and Hausa, as well as several African languages, are among the most affected. In contrast, Arabic has borrowed vocabulary from other languages, including Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, and Persian in mediaeval times, and English and French in modern times. All varieties of Arabic combined are spoken by perhaps as many as 422 million speakers (native and non-native) in the Arab world, making it the fifth most spoken language in the world. Arabic is the liturgical language of 1.8 billion Muslims, and Arabic is one of six official languages of the United Nations.

Takalam bebot’ men fadlek/ fadleki (fem).

Can you speak slowly?

If you’re new to Arabic and struggling to understand what’s being said to you, this is the perfect survival phrase for you! Just remember to use feminine and masculine pronouns appropriately!

 

Oktobha men fadlek/ Oktobeeha men fadleki (fem).

Write it down, please.

When asking for directions, it’s a good idea to have addresses or names written down so you don’t get lost. Keep this phrase on hand for just such occasions.

 

Afwan!/Aasef!

Sorry

Deference is an excellent way to express respect. When you don’t understand what someone is saying to you, use the former version of sorry, and when you make a mistake, use the latter.

Hal beemkanek mosa’adati?

Can you help me?

When you’re in a foreign country and struggling with a foreign language, knowing how to ask for help is essential. This is a must-remember item!

 

Ayna ajed…?

Where can I find…?

You’re not going to get very far if you don’t know how to ask for directions, are you? With this phrase, you’ll be able to travel with confidence, knowing that you’ll get where you’re going!

 

Hal tatakallamo alloghah alenjleziah.

Do you speak English?

This is without a doubt one of the most important phrases to know when travelling abroad. Hey, doesn’t it make life a little easier to know you can also try communicating in English?

Modern Standard Arabic, also referred to as Literary Arabic, is modernized Classical Arabic. This distinction exists primarily among Western linguists; Arabic speakers themselves generally do not distinguish between Modern Standard Arabic and Classical Arabic, but rather refer to both as al-ʿarabiyyatu l-fuṣḥā or simply al-fuṣḥā. The language is named after the Arabs, a term initially used to describe people living in the Arabian Peninsula bounded by eastern Egypt in the west, Mesopotamia in the east, and the Anti-Lebanon mountains and Northern Syria in the north, as perceived by ancient Greek geographers.

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