Useful Phrases of Arabic to Learn Before Visiting Dubai
This is very helpful article about useful phrases of Arabic to learn before visiting. Dubai is multi culture and multi national dominant business hub now. The predominant languages in the UAE are Arabic and English. You can get around with speaking just English, but there are many Arabic terms you may come across in daily conversation. Here are the top phrases to know while vacationing in Dubai.
How to say hello and goodbye in Dubai
Saying formal greeting in Arabic is “as-salam alaykum” answer to this in response is always “wa’alaykum as-salam”. Translation of this phrase as respectively “peace be upon you” and “pease be upon you too”.
But if you would prefer to casually say hi, you can say instead “salam” or “halla”, which is slang for hello.
When you arrive in Dubai there is also a good chance that you will be greeted with the pleasant “marhabaan”or welcomed with “ahlan”.
The next phrase that is common spoken is “how are you?” or “kayfa halluk” (for a man) and “kayfa halluki” (for a woman). The response to this is respectively “anabekhair”, “shukran”, which means “I’m fine, thank you”.
Often, goodbye is expressed as “mae alsalama”, which translates to “go with peace”.
Day-to-day conversational terms before visiting Dubai
If you’re in a market and would like to buy something, wanted to ask for price “how much does it cost?” it should be asked in Arabic like this “kam yukalif?”
Also good to know is “yes” and “no” which is said respectively “na’am” and “la”.
“Please” is said as “min fadlak” for a man, when speaking to a woman and “min fadlik”.
If you bump into someone, “excuse me” is said like “alma’derah” and “sorry” is said “aesef”.
“Thank you” is “shukran”.
Popular lingo to know before visiting Dubai
Some Arabic words have been used in other languages in the Emirates. People who live in Dubai who aren’t Arab might say things like:
For a boy, “habibi” means “beloved.” For a girl, “habibti” means “beloved.” This word can also be used to call someone a “dude” or “chick.” It is a term that is used between close friends and lovers. People say “no problem” or “don’t worry about it” when they say “maafi mushkila.”
When someone says “inshallah” or “insha’allah,” it means “if God wants it.” Suppose you ask someone to meet you at 6pm, and they say, “Sure, see you then, Inshallah.” This means that you made plans for about 6pm, as long as nothing else comes up.
Muslim people believe of “Haram” as a sin or something that isn’t allowed and is against Islamic law. Breaking etiquette is what this term is used for when people talk about it. It can also be used as a warning. If someone says this to you, it’s best to stop what you’re doing, because it could be offensive, or even be against the law.
“Khallas” means done, over, or enough. A waiter might ask you if you’d like dessert after your meal, and you can say “khallas“, which means you’re done.
“Yallah” is a word that means “move quickly” or “let’s go.” You might hear a parent in Dubai say this to their kids.
Shu hadha? What does “what is this?” mean? It can be used either as an innocent question, or as an expression that sounds like “What on Earth are you doing?!’
It can be used both ways.
Phrases to know just in case before visiting Dubai
It could be hard to communicate in Arabic when you’re stuck somewhere and need to speak. These words and phrases might help.
If you need to say that you’re lost, say “ada’tu tareeqi“, which means “I’m lost.”
When you want to ask if someone can help you, say “hal beemkanik musaea’adati“, or just say ‘help’
If someone is trying to talk to you in Arabic and you don’t understand, you can say “la afham” to let them know.
Conclusion
I hope this article will help you to understand basic Arabic language words. There are some companies who provide interpreters in case you need one you can reach Bukhari Translation Services for professional interpretation services support
