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Lesson 3 of 10

Yes, no and the essentials in Arabic

The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it. Play the ten Arabic words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.

The historic At-Turaif district in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia
Yes, no and the essentials
10 words · 20 seconds each · 8 of 10 to pass
What it meansHow to say it
Radosław Botev, CC BY 3.0 pl, via Wikimedia Commons

All 10 Arabic phrases in this lesson

نعمna-AM
Yes

Formal yes. In speech across most dialects: "aywa" (AY-wa) in Egypt and Levant, "naam" in formal or Gulf contexts, "ih" (ee) casually in Egypt. When unsure, "naam" is universally understood everywhere.

لاla
No

One of the few truly universal words across all Arabic dialects: always "la". A soft head shake accompanies it. "La shukran" (no thank you) is the polite decline. In the Gulf, a sharp "la!" can sound harsh; soften with "la shukran" or "mafi mushkila" (no problem, I am fine).

حسناًhas-NAN
Okay

Formal okay. In speech: "maashi" (MAH-shee, literally walking, meaning alright) in Egypt; "tamam" (ta-MAM) widely; "zain" (ZAYN) in the Gulf. "Tamam" is the most universally understood informal okay across the Arab world.

لا أفهمla af-HAM
I don't understand

Spoken: "ma fehmit" in Gulf, "ana mesh fahem" in Egyptian. Saying this in Arabic is itself a gesture of good faith. Arabic speakers tend to appreciate the attempt and will often slow down or switch languages to help.

هل تتكلم إنجليزي؟hal ta-ta-KAL-lam in-glee-ZEE
Do you speak English?

In cities and tourist areas English is widely spoken. In Gulf countries and Jordan English is near-universal in professional contexts. In Egypt's tourist zones the same. Rural areas and traditional markets are different; a translation app fills the gaps.

ممكن تعيد؟MUM-kin tu-EED
Can you repeat that?

Literally "possible you repeat?". To a woman: "mumkin tu'eedi?" (tu-EE-dee).

ببطء من فضلكbi-BUT min FAD-lak
Slowly, please

In speech, "shway shway" (SHWAY SHWAY), little by little, says the same.

ما هذا؟ma HA-tha
What is this?

In Egypt "eh da?" (EH da), in the Levant "shu hada?" (SHOO HA-da).

أحتاج إلى...ah-TAJ i-la
I need...

"Ahtaj ila tabeeb", I need a doctor. In speech the ila is often dropped.

ممكن تساعدني؟MUM-kin tu-SA-id-nee
Can you help me?

To a woman: "tusa'ideeni" (tu-sa-i-DEE-nee).

Where Arabic is spoken

Next lesson: Counting to ten →