Not a phrasebook — about thirty words, in the dialect people around you are actually speaking, organised by the moment you need them. You can holiday here without a single one. Learning them changes the week anyway.
Greeting someone before asking them for anything is not optional politeness here — it is the normal order of a conversation, and skipping it reads as brusque.
as-salaamu alaykum
The reply is "wa alaykum as-salaam". Works everywhere, with anyone, at any hour.
ahlan
sabaah el-kheir
The reply is "sabaah el-noor" — morning of light. It is a nice exchange.
masaa el-kheir
Reply: "masaa el-noor".
izzayyak? (to a man) / izzayyik? (to a woman)
kwayyis, alhamdulillah
ahlan wa sahlan
ma'a salaama
These four do most of the work. Using them badly is far better than not using them, and people will help you with the pronunciation cheerfully.
min fadlak (to a man) / min fadlik (to a woman)
shukran
shukran gazeelan
afwan
law samaht (to a man) / law samahti (to a woman)
This is how you call a waiter or stop someone to ask a question. Not "hey".
aasif (man speaking) / asfa (woman speaking)
aywa
"Na'am" is the formal version and also fine.
la'
The most useful section on this page. Ignoring someone is read as contempt; a clear, friendly refusal is read as an answer and almost always respected. Say it, smile, keep walking.
la' shukran
The single most useful phrase in Egypt. Warm tone, no eye contact required, keep moving.
mish aayez (man speaking) / mish ayza (woman speaking)
khalaas
Enormously versatile. Ends a haggle, stops a top-up, closes a conversation. Said kindly it is not rude at all.
andi waahid
ba'dein
Soft, polite, and understood as a no.
sibni fi haali
Rarely needed. Keep it in reserve.
Haggling is expected in bazaars and with taxis, and not in supermarkets, pharmacies or restaurants. Knowing the numbers changes the conversation more than anything else you can learn.
bikaam?
ghaali awi
aakhir kalaam?
Literally "last word?" — the standard haggling move.
mafiish fakka
You will hear this. Carrying small notes defuses it.
el-hisaab law samaht
da si'r el-masriyyeen?
Said with a smile, this is a joke everyone gets — and it often moves the price.
Worth ten minutes of your time. Being able to hear a price is the difference between negotiating and guessing.
waahid
itnein
talaata
arba'a
khamsa
sitta
saba'a
tamanya
tis'a
ashara
ishreen
khamsiin
miyya
Enough to direct a taxi and find a bathroom, which covers most emergencies.
fein...?
hina
'af hina law samaht
ala tool
yimiin / shimaal
el-hammaam
el-bahr
Literally "the sea" — it is what people say.
el-mataar
el-mustashfa
yalla
You will hear this constantly. It means everything from "hurry up" to "right then".
Ordering in Arabic in a local place is received well and often changes the meal you get.
mayya
shaay
'ahwa
min gheir sukkar
Ask before it arrives — the default is sweet.
eish
Literally "life". It arrives whether you order it or not.
lazeez
shabe't
Necessary. Hospitality here does not take a hint.
min gheir lahma
mish haar
Not phrases you need to say so much as ones you need to recognise. Understanding these makes a week here feel completely different.
insha'allah
A genuine expression of hope, and also a soft way of not committing. Whether the taxi arrives at seven depends somewhat on which was meant.
alhamdulillah
The normal answer to "how are you", regardless of how you are.
masha'allah
Said about a beautiful thing, a well-behaved child, good news. Warm and very common.
mafiish mushkila
shwaya shwaya
Useful with a driver, a dive guide, or anyone speaking too fast.
kwayyis
gameel
Note the hard g — this is the Egyptian pronunciation.
ya sahbi
What every shopkeeper will call you. It is friendly, not a sales tactic.
In Cairo and along this coast, ج is pronounced like the g in "go", not the j in "jam". So gameel, not jameel; gali, not jali. Saying it the MSA way is understood but marks you instantly as reading from a book.
Where a transliteration here has an apostrophe — "la'", "'ahwa" — it marks a catch in the throat, like the middle of the Cockney "bottle". Skipping it entirely is fine and you will still be understood.
Arabic marks gender on the person you address, which is why "min fadlak" becomes "min fadlik" to a woman. Getting it wrong is a very small error and nobody will mind.
Three badly pronounced words are received better here than fluent English, and the response is usually delight rather than correction. This is not a country that judges your Arabic.
Two more things worth knowing
Tipping and the customs around it are covered in our etiquette guide, and if you are here during Ramadan the daytime rhythm changes completely — see what’s on across the year.
Checked 24 July 2026. Rules and prices change — we link official sources so you can confirm on the day. Something out of date? Tell us.