Learning the Language

Expat and teacher, this blog will provide you with some useful phrases and words to help and support you with your travels in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

So, I've always been terrible at learning a new language, so much so that when I learn 'hello' and 'goodbye' in a new language I'm pretty impressed with myself.

This said, and when living in a different country, and where the first language isn't English, I believe it's respectful to at least try and learn some basic phrases.

The first thing I should say is I am in no way an expert or fluent in Arabic, in fact I'm still pretty much at the 'hello' and 'goodbye' stage of learning the language, however I'm trying and through the kindness of a local Saudi resident, I've been given a crib sheet to further enhance my learning, which I'm pleased to share with you.

General Phrases

Arabic Translation	English Translation
as-salāmu ʿalaykum	Hello (Peace be upon you. Recommended between Muslims.)
wa ʿalaykum as-salām	Hello (response)
kīf il-ḥāl ?	How are you?
tamām al-ḥamdu lillāh	Good, praise be to God
shukran	Thank you
ʿafwan	You're welcome / Excuse me
in shāʾ Allāh	God willing
mā shāʾ Allāh	Wonderful / What God has willed
maʿ as-salāmah	Goodbye

Public Transport/ Taxi

Arabic Translation	English Translation
abghā arūḥ...	I want to go to...
kam as-siʿr ?	How much is it?
shwayya shwayya, law samaḥt	Slowly, please
waqqif hnā	Stop here
ʿind al-ishārah	At the traffic light
udkhul yamīn	Turn right
udkhul yasār	Turn left

In a Shop

Arabic Translation	English Translation
kam hādhā ?	How much is this?
ʿindak ḥajm akbar ?	Do you have a bigger size?
mumkin ajarrib ?	Can I try it?
abghā hādhā	I want this one
mā ʿindī kāsh	I don't have cash
tidfaʿ kāsh aw biṭāqah ?	Do you pay cash or card?

Introducing Yourself

Arabic Translation	English Translation
anā ismī...	My name is...
anā min amreeka/canada/breetanya	I’m from USA/Canada/UK
ashtaghil fī...	I work in...
sākin fī ar-Riyāḍ	I live in Riyadh
awwalan marrah fī as-Saʿūdiyyah	First time in Saudi Arabia

With Neighbours or People

Arabic Translation	English Translation
ṣabāḥ al-khayr	Good morning
masāʾ al-khayr	Good evening
kīf al-awlād ?	How are the kids?
tasharrafnā	Nice to meet you
ḥayyāk Allāh	Welcome (response)

At Work

Arabic Translation	English Translation
ʿindī ijtimāʿ	I have a meeting
arsil al-īmīl	Send the email
khallaṣt ash-shughl	I’ve finished the work
matā nabdaʾ ?	When do we start?

So there you have it, some basic phrases which if you can learn will help you when visiting an Arabic speaking country.

Most importantly, and as communicated to me, the most important thing is trying, therefore don't worry too much about the pronunciation yet, you can master this over time. Even then, there are many different dialects of Arabic.

This brings me to the end of this blog, a different spin from my normal stuff, however I do hope you find it useful and educational.

Remember, if you're reading this and finding my content useful, subscribe to my blog alert.