My mother used to tell me that the English words “please” and “thank you” go a long way, meaning that using polite words will help you get what you want from other people. Thinking about this, I guess that is pretty much true in any language or culture. So, that’s the idea behind this post: how to say thank you in Arabic and how to say please in Arabic so that you can go a long way in your Arabic language learning.
Understanding ‘Please’ in Arabic
In Arabic, the words لو سمحت (law samaht) and من فضلك (min fadhlik) can both mean “please,” but there are other words for please in Arabic. All of them can be used in different situations. For example, let’s say you’re in a restaurant and you want someone to pass the salt. You could say من فضلِكَ (min fadhlika) for a male and من فضلِكِ (min fadhliki) for a female. Or you could use لو سمحت (law samaht) for a male and لو سمحتِ (law samahti) for a female. In another situation, let’s say you are in dire need of some help with something. In this case, you would say أرجوكَ (‘arjooka) for a male and أرجوكِ – (‘arjooki) for a female. Both literally mean “I beg you!” So, no matter the situation, you can still be polite by using these words for please in Arabic and thank you in Arabic.
Expressing ‘Thank You’ in Arabic
Moving on to “thank you,” there are probably just as many words for this as there are Arabic dialects. Let’s explore thank you Arabic translation.
Here are just a few ways you can say it, along with the shukran meaning:
| English | Arabic | Transliteration | To/From a male/female | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thank you | شكراً | shukraan | From both male and female | Standard “Thank you” |
| I thank you | أَشْكُرُكَ / أَشْكُرُكِ | ‘ashkuruka / ‘ashkuruki | To a male / To a female | Formal |
| You are thanked | مَشْكُور / مَشْكُورة | mashkoor / mashkoorah | From a male / From a female | Formal |
| I’m all thanks to you | شَاكِرٌ لكَ / شَاكِرةٌ لكَ | shakerun laka / shakeratun laka | From a male to a male / From a female to a male | Used mostly in Egypt |
| I’m thankful for you | شَاكِرٌ لكِ / شَاكِرةٌ لكِ | shakerun laki / shakeratun laki | From a male to a female / From a female to a female | Formal |
| I’m thanking you | بِتْشَكَّرَك / بِتْشَكَّرِك | betshakkarak / betshakkarik | To a male / To a female | Used in the Levant region |
| May Allah reward your goodness | جَزاكَ اللهُ خَيْرًا / جَزاكِ اللهُ خَيْرًا | jazaaka illahu khayran / jazaaki illahu khayran | To a male / To a female | Religious, formal |
| Much appreciated | مُمْتَنٌ لكَ / مُمْتَنةٌ لكَ | mumtannun laka / mumtannatun laka | From a male to a male / From a female to a male | Used mostly in the Levant region |
| Much appreciated | مُمْتَنٌ لكِ / مُمْتَنةٌ لكِ | mumtannun laki / mumtannatun laki | From a male to a female / From a female to a female | Used mostly in the Levant region |
| You didn’t give me less than expected | ما قَصَّرْت / ما قَصَّرتِ | ma qassart / ma qassarti | To a male / To a female | Informal, appreciative |
When you consider how to say thank you in Arabic, remember that context is key.
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