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:
- Grocery store / Small shop – بَقَّالة (baqqala)
- Supermarket – سُوبرماركت (sooparmaarket)
- Shop / Store – مَحَلّ (mahall)
- Shopping cart – عَرَبَة تَسَوُّق (ʿarabat tasawwuq)
- Basket – سَلَّة (salla)
- Shelf – رَفّ (raff)
- Aisle – مَمَرّ (mamarr)
- Checkout counter – صُنْدُوق الدَّفْع (ṣundooq ad-dafʿ)
- Employee / Staff member – مُوَظَّف (muwaẓẓaf)
- Open – مَفْتُوح (maftooḥ)
- Closed – مُغْلَق (mughlaq)
Common Phrases for Your Arabic Grocery Trip
Knowing a few key phrases will make your experience at the Arabic grocery much smoother:
- Where is…? – أَيْنَ …؟ (ayna…?) –
- Where is the bread? – أَيْنَ الْخُبْز؟ (ayna al-khubz?)
- Where is the milk? – أَيْنَ الْحَلِيب؟ (ayna al-ḥaleeb?)
- Do you have…? – هَلْ لَدَيْكُم …؟ (hal ladaykum…?)
- Do you have eggs? – هَلْ لَدَيْكُم بَيْض؟ (hal ladaykum bayḍ?)
- Do you have orange juice? – هَلْ لَدَيْكُم عَصِير بُرْتُقَال؟ (hal ladaykum ʿaṣeer burtuqāl?)
- How much is this? – بِكَمْ هَذَا؟ (bikam hatha?)
- I want this (masculine) – أُرِيدُ هَذَا (ureedu hatha).
- I want this (feminine) – أُرِيدُ هَذِهِ (ureedu hathehi).
- Please (to a male) – مِنْ فَضْلِكَ (min faḍlik).
- Please (to a female) – مِنْ فَضْلِكِ (min faḍliki).
- Thank you – شُكْرًا (shukran).
- You’re welcome / Excuse me – عَفْوًا (‘afwan).
- I am looking for… – أَنَا أَبْحَثُ عَنْ … (ana abḥathu ʿan…).
- Do you sell…? – هَلْ تَبِيعُونَ …؟ (hal tabeeʿoona…?)
- I want something less expensive – أُرِيدُ شَيْئًا أَقَلّ تَكْلُفَة (ureedu shayʾan aqalla taklufa).
- This is very expensive – هَذَا مُكَْلِف جِدًّا (hatha mukallif jiddan).
- This is a good price – هَذَا سِعْرٌ جَيِّد (hatha siʿrun jayyid).
- I will pay with… – سَأَدْفَعُ بِـ … (saʾadfaʿu bi…).
- Cash – بِالنَّقْد (bin-naqd).
- Credit card – بِبِطَاقَة الائْتِمَان (bibiṭaqat al-iʾtimaan).
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):
- Apple – تُفَّاح (tuffaaḥ)
- Orange – بُرْتُقَال (burtuqāl)
- Banana – مَوْز (mawz)
- Grapes – عِنَب (ʿinab)
- Strawberry – فَرَاوِلَة (frawila)
- Watermelon – بِطِّيخ (biṭṭeeḵh)
- Mango – مَانْجو (maanjo)
Vegetables (خُضْرَوَات – khuḍrawaat):
- Tomatoes – طَمَاطِم (ṭamaaṭim)
- Cucumber – خِيَار (khiyaar)
- Onion – بَصَل (baṣal)
- Garlic – ثَوْم (thawm)
- Carrot – جَزَر (jazar)
- Potatoes – بَطَاطِس (baṭaaṭis)
- Lettuce – خَسّ (khass)
Dairy Products (مُنْتَجَات أَلْبَان – muntajaat albaan):
- Milk – حَلِيب (ḥaleeb)
- Yogurt – لَبَن (laban)
- Cheese – جُبْن (jubn)
- Butter – زُبْدَة (zubda)
- Eggs – بَيْض (bayḍ)
Meat (لُحُوم – luḥoom):
- Beef – لَحْم بَقَر (laḥm baqar)
- Chicken – دَجَاج (dajaaj)
- Lamb – لَحْم ضَأْن (laḥm ḍaʾn)
- Fish – سَمَك (samak)
Grains and Staples (حُبُوب وَمَوَادّ أَسَاسِيَّة – ḥuboob wa mawaadd asaasiyya):
- Rice – أُرْز (ʾurz)
- Bread – خُبْز (khubz)
- Pasta – مَعْكَرُونَة (maʿkaruna)
- Oil – زَيْت (zayt)
- Sugar – سُكَّر (sukkar)
- Salt – مِلْح (milḥ)
Drinks (مَشْرُوبَات – mashroobaat):
- Water – مَاء (maaʾ)
- Juice – عَصِير (ʿaṣeer)
- Coffee – قَهْوَة (qahwa)
- Tea – شَاي (shaay)
Putting It All Together: A Sample Conversation
Imagine you’re in an Arabic supermarket looking for milk:
You: Excuse me, where is the milk, please? (to a male employee) – أَسْف، أَيْنَ الْحَلِيب مِنْ فَضْلِكَ؟ (ʾasif, ayna al-ḥaleeb min faḍlik?)
Employee: The milk is in the third aisle on the left. – الْحَلِيب فِي الْمَمَرّ الثَّالِث عَلَى الْيَسَار. (al-ḥaleeb fi al-mamarr ath-thaalith ʿala al-yasaar.)
You: Thank you very much! – شُكْرًا جَزِيلاً! (shukran jazeelan!)
Later at the checkout:
Cashier: Is this everything? – هَلْ هَذَا كُلّ شَيْء؟ (hal hatha kull shayʾ?)
You: Yes, please. How much is the total? – نَعَم، مِنْ فَضْلِكَ. بِكَمْ الْحِسَاب؟ (naʿam, min faḍlik. bikam al-ḥisaab?)
Cashier: … (mentions the price)
You: I will pay with a credit card. – سَأَدْفَعُ بِبِطَاقَة الائْتِمَان. (saʾadfaʿu bibiṭaqat al-iʾtimaan.)
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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