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Of course, all expatriates working in Middle Eastern countries do not understand Arabic, but they have probably encountered a situation during their stay in the Middle East where they had trouble communicating with the locals.
You never know when you will find yourself in a situation where you need Arabic.
Therefore, expatriates are better off remembering at least a few phrases that are useful from time to time.
There are as many dialects of Arabic as there are countries where Arabic is spoken.
Levantine Arabic, spoken in Lebanon and Syria, tends to be very singalong, Egyptian Arabic is somewhat slangy, and Gulf Arabic is more colloquial.
Also read: 24 Weird Things About Saudi Arabia You Probably Don’t Know!
Among the most frequently used words is yalla, which means “Let’s go!” khalas (pronounced halas), meaning “done.” And Insha’Allah is translated as “If Allah wills,” which is a valid answer to anything from “Can you come to dinner?” “Can you fix the toilet this week?”
The same applies to the term “mafi mushkila”, which means “no problem”. If you hear this, it’s safe to say there’s a big problem.
Other Arabic words that have made their way into everyday English include habibi (to address men) and habibti (to address women). Men use this with each other all the time.
English-speaking Arabs sometimes add yani to their language, meaning “you know.”
We have compiled a list of Arabic phrases to help you when you need time.
Click Next to read Arabic phrases commonly used in the Gulf.
(In this photo, Lt. Essa Ahmed helps a man who stopped to ask for directions. Image courtesy of The National)
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