With the recent concert by world-renowned rock band Coldplay in Amman, Jordan, and two Arab countries and two Arab cities (Morocco, Tunisia, Cairo, and Dubai, respectively) making Lonely Planet’s lists of the best countries and cities to travel to in 2020, it’s no wonder the Middle East is once again fast becoming the destination of choice for many travelers from around the globe.

If you have had any of these Arabic speaking countries or cities on your personal list (i.e., your “bucket list”) of places you’ve always wanted to go, knowing a few Arabic words and phrases can really be helpful in your travels. Here are some of them:


ahlan – أهلاً

A general greeting meaning “Hello” and used by people from all over the Middle East and North Africa region.


as salaamu alaykum – السلام عليكم

This a greeting meaning “Peace be upon you” and is generally exchanged by Muslims all over the world (which means that when you learn Arabic language vocabulary, an extra-added benefit is that you can use some of it in other Islamic countries like Singapore and Malaysia if they happen to be on your bucket list, as well).


shukraan – شكراً

As in other languages, “Thank you” is an important phrase to be used generously.


min fadhlik – من فضلك

Won’t your parents be proud that you use “please” when making requests in another language?


ma hadha? – ما هذا؟

“What is this?” in English, not only can it help you learn new vocabulary, but also help you know what you’re eating and where you’re going.


bi kam? – بكم؟

This phrase meaning “How much?” is important for everything in your daily travels from eating to public transportation.


na’am/laa – نعم/ لا

“Yes” and “No” (respectively) are the simplest, yet possibly the most important words you can learn in Arabic.


shurta – شرطة

We hope you never have to use this Arabic word meaning “police”, but if you do run into trouble, at least you know who to call to help.


mustashfa – مستشفى

Another word you should learn, but we hope you never have to use is this word meaning “hospital”.


mataar – مطار

You’re probably going to have to know this to get either in or out of the country your visiting, so knowing “airport” in Arabic will let the taxi driver know exactly where you want to go.


safaara – سفارة

If you have a non-medical or non-life threatening emergency, the “embassy” is a little swath of your own country you can turn to for protection.

Now that you know some basic Arabic words to use when you travel, are you ready to rewrite that bucket list and see the beauty of the Arab world you’ve always dreamed of?


If you’re interested in journeying a little deeper into the Arabic language and Arab culture, why not download the Kaleela Arabic language learning app – the leader in Arabic language learning apps? At home or on the go, download the best way to learn Arabic to your IOS or Android mobile device from kaleela.com today!





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