Arabic for English speakers Street · Lesson 0

First greetings

Egyptian Arabic для first greetings — Hello and how are you?

Conversation

  1. Kyle Kyle

    أهلاً وسهلاً. إزيِك؟

    Ahlan wa sahlan. Ezzayek?

    Hello, how are you?

    Tip: Ezzayak is for addressing a male / Ezzayek is for addressing a female

  2. Meera Meera

    آنا تمام. شكراً. وأنتَ؟ إزيَك

    Ana tamamu, shukran, we inta? Ezzayak?

    I'm good, thanks, and you? How are you?

    Tip: Egyptians love to repeat the same question in different ways, this is a common practice in Egyptian Arabic

  3. Kyle Kyle

    أنا كويس أوي. شكراً جداً

    Ana kewayes awi. Shukran giddan

    I'm very good. Thanks a lot

    Tip: A male would answer "kewayes", a female would answer "kewayesa"

  4. Meera Meera

    عفواً

    3afwan

    You're welcome

    Tip: 1) In transliteration or what is called Franco-Arabic, the number "3" is used to represent the Arabic letter ⟨ع⟩ (ʿayn)—note the choice of a visually similar character, with the numeral resembling a mirrored version of the Arabic letter. Franco-Arabic is a new writing style that has spread around the Arab world, which a system of using the Latin alphabet and numbers to replace certain Arabic letters to write, phonetically, what Arabic words sound like. 2)"El 3afw" is another way to say you're welcome in Egyptian Arabic

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

How do you greet in Egyptian Arabic?

السلام عليكم (salaam alaikum — peace upon you). Casual: أهلا (ahlan — hi). إزيك (ezzayak — how are you, m) / إزيك (f).

Common Egyptian responses?

وعليكم السلام (and on you peace), كويس الحمد لله (good, thanks be to God), تمام (okay), زي الفل (great).

Egyptian Arabic для 'and you?'

وانت؟ (m) / وانتي؟ (f) — 'and you?'. Common return question.

Test yourself

Pick the English translation for each line from this lesson. Wrong answers are pulled from other Arabic lessons.

4 quick questions on what you just heard.

Next lesson in Street Asking about the table price →