Although the official language in Egypt is Arabic, the local population understands and speaks fluent English. Despite this, the inscriptions on the streets and road signs are written in the official language, so an Arabic phrasebook will come in handy. Only in major tourist cities are the inscriptions on the signs duplicated in Latin letters.
An Arabic phrasebook with pronunciation is probably not needed if you are going to popular resorts like Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada, and others. However, if you intend to visit the desert and are interested in the daily life and traditions of the Bedouins, then an English-Arabic phrasebook will come in handy.
To make it easier for you to plan your trip, we suggest you familiarize yourself with useful Arabic phrases:
|
Hello |
Marhaba! |
|
Goodbye |
Ma'assalama |
|
Goodbye |
Salam |
|
Good morning |
Sabah al-hayr |
|
Good evening |
Masa' al-hayr |
|
Good night |
Tesbah ala kayr |
|
I don't understand |
Ana ma befham |
|
What's your name? |
Shu ismak? |
|
Nice to meet you |
Ezayak |
|
I'm in a hurry |
Ana musta'ajil |
|
Do you speak English? |
Taarif inglizi? |
|
How much? |
Kaddesh? |
|
When? |
Mata? |
|
Why? |
Lesh? |
|
What? |
Shu? |
|
What time is it? |
El saa kam? |
|
No entry |
Duhul mamnua |
|
How much is a ticket? |
Bikam al-ograa |
|
One ticket to |
Takhara wahda ila samahat |
|
How much is this? |
Bikam da |
|
Can I see this? |
Mumkin ashuf da? |
|
Money |
Fulus |
|
Change |
Fakka |
|
Check, please (bill) |
Hisab |
