Egyptian Arabic Dialect, Useful Phrases for Everyday Life in Cairo

Ammiya and fusha, what is the difference

Egyptians speak Egyptian Arabic, called ammiya in Arabic. Standard Arabic, fusha, is used in the news, official documents, books and sermons, and Al-Azhar textbooks are written in it. But at the market, in a taxi and with neighbours people speak ammiya.

If you speak only fusha, people will understand you, but you may not catch a quick Cairene reply, and bookish speech sounds odd in daily life and gives you away as a newcomer. That is why many students learn fusha for study and ammiya for life.

A nice bonus: Egyptian Arabic is understood across the Arab world, because Egyptian films, TV series and songs have been popular there for many decades.

How Cairene speech sounds different

• The letter jim sounds like «g». Camel in standard Arabic is jamal, but in Cairo it is gamal, and Friday is not jumaa but gumaa.
• The «q» sound of the letter qaf becomes a short catch in many Cairene words. Heart is not qalb but alb, and coffee is not qahwa but ahwa.
• Many words are different. «How are you» is not kayfa haluk but ezzayak, «I want» is not urid but ayez, «where» is not ayna but fein, and «now» is not al-aan but delwaati.
• Verbs and forms of address change depending on whether you speak to a man or a woman. Below we give both forms where it matters.

Greetings and introductions

Egyptians greet warmly and without hurry, and it is polite to answer a greeting.

• As-salamu alaykum, reply wa alaykum as-salam: peace be upon you, and upon you peace.
• Ahlan wa sahlan: welcome.
• Sabah el-kheir, reply sabah en-nur: good morning.
• Masa el-kheir, reply masa en-nur: good evening.
• Ezzayak? (to a woman ezzayek?): how are you?
• Kwayyes, el-hamdu lillah (a woman says kwayyesa): fine, thank God.
• Esmak eh? (to a woman esmek eh?): what is your name?
• Ana esmi Aziz: my name is Aziz.
• Ana men Kyrgyzstan: I am from Kyrgyzstan.
• Tsharrafna: nice to meet you.
• Maa as-salama: goodbye.
• Ashufak badein: see you later.

In a taxi and on the street

In taxi apps you see the price in advance, while in an ordinary car agree on the price before getting in or ask for the meter to be turned on.

• Ayez aruh Nasr City (a woman says ayza): I need to go to Nasr City.
• Bikam lel-Azhar?: how much to Al-Azhar?
• Shaghghal el-addad, law samaht: please turn on the meter.
• Ala tul: straight on.
• Yimin: right. Shimal: left.
• Hena kwayyes: here is fine, stop here.
• Ala gamb, law samaht: pull over to the side, please.
• Ala mahlak: slow down (to a woman ala mahlek).
• Fein?: where? For example, fein el-metro?: where is the metro?
• Baeed? Orayyeb?: far? close?
• Ehna weselna?: have we arrived?

At the market and how to bargain

Bargaining at markets and in small shops is normal, read more in our article on Cairo markets. Bargain in a friendly way and with a smile.

• Bikam da? (for a feminine noun bikam di?): how much is this?
• Ghali awi: very expensive.
• Momken arkhas shwayya?: can it be a bit cheaper?
• Akher kalam kam?: what is your final price?
• Ana taleb (a woman says ana taleba): I am a student.
• Mesh ayez, shukran: no need, thank you.
• Ayez kilo tamatem: I want a kilo of tomatoes.
• Noss kilo, rob kilo: half a kilo, a quarter kilo.
• Da taza?: is this fresh?
• Kaman: more. Kefaya: enough.
• Andak fakka?: do you have small change?

Numbers and prices

Price tags and bus numbers often use Eastern Arabic digits, so it helps to learn both how they look and how they sound.

• Wahed, etnein, talata: one, two, three.
• Arbaa, khamsa, sitta: four, five, six.
• Sabaa, tamanya, tesaa, ashara: seven, eight, nine, ten.
• Eshrin, khamsin, miyya: twenty, fifty, a hundred.
• Mitein, alf: two hundred, a thousand.
• Khamsa w eshrin: twenty five. Units are said before tens.
• Geneih: pound. Ersh: piastre, one hundredth of a pound.
• Khamsin geneih: fifty pounds. Mit geneih: a hundred pounds.

At home and with the landlord

These phrases help when viewing a flat and when something breaks. We explained how to choose housing and agree on a deposit in how to rent a flat in Cairo.

• El-egar kam fesh-shahr?: how much is the rent per month?
• Fi taamin?: is there a deposit?
• El-fatura: the bill for electricity, gas or water.
• Mafish mayya: there is no water.
• Mafish kahraba: there is no electricity.
• Et-takyif bayez: the air conditioner is broken.
• Momken tebaat sabbak?: can you send a plumber?
• Kahrabai: electrician. Bawwab: the doorman who looks after the building.
• Emta adfa?: when do I pay?
• Fein el-mafatih?: where are the keys?

Polite words for every day

You will hear these words dozens of times a day, so learn them first.

• Men fadlak (to a woman men fadlek): please, when asking for something.
• Law samaht (to a woman law samahti): excuse me, if you would be so kind.
• Shukran: thank you. Afwan: you are welcome.
• Maalesh: never mind, it happens.
• Inshallah: God willing. It often means «I will try».
• Mashi: OK, deal. Tamam: great, all good.
• Aywa: yes. La: no.
• Mesh fahem (a woman says mesh fahma): I do not understand.
• Ana batkallem arabi shwayya: I speak a little Arabic.
• Momken tetkallem berraha?: can you speak more slowly?
• Etfaddal (to a woman etfaddali): please, come in, help yourself.
• Yalla: come on, let us go.

How to start speaking faster and how Tullab can help

Learn phrases by situation and try them right away in a shop or a taxi, Egyptians are usually happy to correct you and glad you try to speak Arabic. Listen to how sellers and neighbours talk and repeat after them. If you want to study systematically, read our article on Arabic and Quran courses in Cairo.

Find tutors of Egyptian Arabic and fusha in Arabic language. Do you teach ammiya yourself? Post a free listing and say which level you teach.