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โ† Arabic lessons
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Lesson 5 of 10

Shops and hotels in Arabic

Open, closed, a bag, the wifi password: the checkout and the front desk. 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 bicycle sculpture at a roundabout in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Shops and hotels
10 words ยท 20 seconds each ยท 8 of 10 to pass
What it meansHow to say it
Tahir mq, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

All 10 Arabic phrases in this lesson

ุนู†ุฏูƒ...ุŸin-DAK
Do you have...?

"Indak" (masculine) or "indik" (feminine) literally means "at you" (do you have). "Indak chai?" (do you have tea?) is a complete question. The answer "fi" (there is) or "mafi" (there is not) is the Gulf form; "fi" and "mafish" in Egyptian Arabic.

ุฃูŠู†...ุŸAY-na
Where is...?

"Ayna al-khubz?" (where is the bread?). In speech: "wayn" (WAYN) in Gulf; "fein" (FAYN) in Egypt. All are recognized across the region. A pointed finger from any staff member closes the transaction.

ู…ูุชูˆุญmaf-TOOH
Open

On shop doors. Many shops close in the afternoon heat and reopen until late at night.

ู…ุบู„ู‚MUGH-laq
Closed

In speech often "msakkar" (MSAK-kar). During Friday prayers most shops close for an hour or two.

ูƒูŠุณุŸKEES
A bag?

Plastic bags are provided at supermarkets (sometimes free, sometimes charged). In more upscale stores staff will often bag items automatically. Bringing a tote bag is increasingly normalized in Gulf cities in particular.

ุบุงู„ูŠ ุฌุฏุงู‹GHA-lee JID-dan
Too expensive

The opening line of any souk negotiation. Smile while you say it.

ุนู†ุฏูŠ ุญุฌุฒIN-dee HAJZ
I have a reservation

Literally "with me a booking". Hotel staff in the Gulf usually switch to English.

ู‡ู„ ุงู„ูุทูˆุฑ ู…ุดู…ูˆู„ุŸhal al-fu-TOOR mash-MOOL
Is breakfast included?

Hotel breakfasts usually come with dates, labneh and hummus alongside eggs.

ู…ุง ู‡ูŠ ูƒู„ู…ุฉ ุณุฑ ุงู„ูˆุงูŠ ูุงูŠุŸma HI-ya KA-li-mat SIRR al-WAI-fai
What's the wifi password?

In practice "al-password?" works just as well.

ู‡ู„ ูŠู…ูƒู†ู†ูŠ...ุŸhal yum-ki-NU-nee
Can I...?

Formal. In speech "mumkin...?" (MUM-kin) covers it: "mumkin ajlis?", may I sit?

Where Arabic is spoken

Next lesson: Cafe and restaurant โ†’