Grocery shopping is a universal experience, and knowing how to navigate a supermarket in Arabic will significantly enhance your daily life and language skills. Whether you’re looking for Arabic grocery items or just trying to find the grocery store in Arabic, this guide will equip you with essential vocabulary and phrases. We’ll explore everything from basic groceries in Arabic to common questions you might have in an Arabic supermarket or even a smaller Arabic store. Let’s get started!
Finding Your Way: Essential Arabic Store Words
Before diving into specific items, let’s learn some fundamental words related to the supermarket in Arabic:
- بَقَّالة (baqqala) – Grocery store / Small shop
- سُوبرماركت (sooparmaarket) – Supermarket
- مَحَلّ (mahall) – Shop / Store
- عَرَبَة تَسَوُّق (ʿarabat tasawwuq) – Shopping cart
- سَلَّة (salla) – Basket
- رَفّ (raff) – Shelf
- مَمَرّ (mamarr) – Aisle
- صُنْدُوق الدَّفْع (ṣundooq ad-dafʿ) – Checkout counter
- مُوَظَّف (muwaẓẓaf) – Employee / Staff member
- مَفْتُوح (maftooḥ) – Open
- مُغْلَق (mughlaq) – Closed
Common Phrases for Your Arabic Grocery Trip
Knowing a few key phrases will make your experience at the Arabic grocery much smoother:
- أَيْنَ …؟ (ayna…?) – Where is…?
- أَيْنَ الْخُبْز؟ (ayna al-khubz?) – Where is the bread?
- أَيْنَ الْحَلِيب؟ (ayna al-ḥaleeb?) – Where is the milk?
- هَلْ لَدَيْكُم …؟ (hal ladaykum…?) – Do you have…?
- هَلْ لَدَيْكُم بَيْض؟ (hal ladaykum bayḍ?) – Do you have eggs?
- هَلْ لَدَيْكُم عَصِير بُرْتُقَال؟ (hal ladaykum ʿaṣeer burtuqāl?) – Do you have orange juice?
- بِكَمْ هَذَا؟ (bikam hatha?) – How much is this?
- أُرِيدُ هَذَا (ureedu hatha) – I want this (masculine).
- أُرِيدُ هَذِهِ (ureedu hathehi) – I want this (feminine).
- مِنْ فَضْلِكَ (min faḍlik) – Please (to a male).
- مِنْ فَضْلِكِ (min faḍliki) – Please (to a female).
- شُكْرًا (shukran) – Thank you.
- عَفْوًا (‘afwan) – You’re welcome / Excuse me.
- أَنَا أَبْحَثُ عَنْ … (ana abḥathu ʿan…) – I am looking for…
- هَلْ تَبِيعُونَ …؟ (hal tabeeʿoona…?) – Do you sell…?
- أُرِيدُ شَيْئًا أَقَلّ تَكْلُفَة (ureedu shayʾan aqalla taklufa) – I want something less expensive.
- هَذَا مُكَْلِف جِدًّا (hatha mukallif jiddan) – This is very expensive.
- هَذَا سِعْرٌ جَيِّد (hatha siʿrun jayyid) – This is a good price.
- سَأَدْفَعُ بِـ … (saʾadfaʿu bi…) – I will pay with…
- بِالنَّقْد (bin-naqd) – Cash
- بِبِطَاقَة الائْتِمَان (bibiṭaqat al-iʾtimaan) – Credit card
Filling Your Basket: Groceries in Arabic by Category
To help you find specific items in an Arabic supermarket, let’s categorize common groceries in Arabic:
Fruits (فَوَاكِه – fawaakih):
- تُفَّاح (tuffaaḥ) – Apple
- بُرْتُقَال (burtuqāl) – Orange
- مَوْز (mawz) – Banana
- عِنَب (ʿinab) – Grapes
- فَرَاوِلَة (frawila) – Strawberry
- بِطِّيخ (biṭṭeeḵh) – Watermelon
- مَانْجو (maanjo) – Mango
Vegetables (خُضْرَوَات – khuḍrawaat):
- طَمَاطِم (ṭamaaṭim) – Tomatoes
- خِيَار (khiyaar) – Cucumber
- بَصَل (baṣal) – Onion
- ثَوْم (thawm) – Garlic
- جَزَر (jazar) – Carrot
- بَطَاطِس (baṭaaṭis) – Potatoes
- خَسّ (khass) – Lettuce
Dairy Products (مُنْتَجَات أَلْبَان – muntajaat albaan):
- حَلِيب (ḥaleeb) – Milk
- لَبَن (laban) – Yogurt
- جُبْن (jubn) – Cheese
- زُبْدَة (zubda) – Butter
- بَيْض (bayḍ) – Eggs
Meat (لُحُوم – luḥoom):
- لَحْم بَقَر (laḥm baqar) – Beef
- دَجَاج (dajaaj) – Chicken
- لَحْم ضَأْن (laḥm ḍaʾn) – Lamb
- سَمَك (samak) – Fish
Grains and Staples (حُبُوب وَمَوَادّ أَسَاسِيَّة – ḥuboob wa mawaadd asaasiyya):
- أُرْز (ʾurz) – Rice
- خُبْز (khubz) – Bread
- مَعْكَرُونَة (maʿkaruna) – Pasta
- زَيْت (zayt) – Oil
- سُكَّر (sukkar) – Sugar
- مِلْح (milḥ) – Salt
Drinks (مَشْرُوبَات – mashroobaat):
- مَاء (maaʾ) – Water
- عَصِير (ʿaṣeer) – Juice
- قَهْوَة (qahwa) – Coffee
- شَاي (shaay) – Tea
Putting It All Together: A Sample Conversation
Imagine you’re in an Arabic supermarket looking for milk:
You: أَسْف، أَيْنَ الْحَلِيب مِنْ فَضْلِكَ؟ (ʾasif, ayna al-ḥaleeb min faḍlik?) – Excuse me, where is the milk, please? (to a male employee)
Employee: الْحَلِيب فِي الْمَمَرّ الثَّالِث عَلَى الْيَسَار. (al-ḥaleeb fi al-mamarr ath-thaalith ʿala al-yasaar.) – The milk is in the third aisle on the left.
You: شُكْرًا جَزِيلاً! (shukran jazeelan!) – Thank you very much!
Later at the checkout:
Cashier: هَلْ هَذَا كُلّ شَيْء؟ (hal hatha kull shayʾ?) – Is this everything?
You: نَعَم، مِنْ فَضْلِكَ. بِكَمْ الْحِسَاب؟ (naʿam, min faḍlik. bikam al-ḥisaab?) – Yes, please. How much is the total?
Cashier: … (mentions the price)
You: سَأَدْفَعُ بِبِطَاقَة الائْتِمَان. (saʾadfaʿu bibiṭaqat al-iʾtimaan.) – I will pay with a credit card.
Beyond the Basics: Expanding Your Arabic Grocery Vocabulary
As you become more comfortable, you can explore more specific items and brands. Don’t hesitate to ask questions – most people are happy to help!
Navigating a supermarket in Arabic can be a fun and practical way to immerse yourself in the language. By learning these essential words and phrases related to grocery in Arabic, you’ll not only be able to find what you need but also gain confidence in your communication skills.
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