Phrases › Arabic (Libyan)
Phrases
In Arabic (Libyan), hello is السلام عليكم (essalamu 'alaikum) and thank you is شكرا (shukran). Here are 19 everyday Arabic (Libyan) phrases with pronunciation, for travel and a first conversation.
How to say hello in Arabic (Libyan) · How to say thank you in Arabic (Libyan) · How to say goodbye in Arabic (Libyan) · How to say please in Arabic (Libyan) · How to say sorry in Arabic (Libyan)
| English | Arabic (Libyan) | Say It Like |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | السلام عليكم The universal greeting (lit. 'peace be upon you'); a casual alternative among younger people is 'هاي' (hi, from English). | essalamu 'alaikum |
| Goodbye | مع السلامة Said by either person leaving or staying; very standard across the Arab world. | ma'a essalama |
| Please | من فضلك Changes ending depending on the gender of the person you're speaking to. | min fadlak (to a man) / min fadlik (to a woman) |
| Thank you | شكرا Understood everywhere; you can add 'برشة' (barsha, 'a lot') for 'thank you very much': شكرا برشة. | shukran |
| Yes | أيوة Very common colloquial 'yes'; the more formal 'نعم' (na'am) is also understood. | aywa |
| No | لا Simple and universal; doubling it, 'لا لا', softens or emphasizes it in casual speech. | la |
| Excuse me / Sorry | سامحني Use for both getting someone's attention and apologizing. | samehni (to a man) / samhini (to a woman) |
| Do you speak English? | تتكلم انجليزي؟ Verb ending changes with the gender of the person you're asking. | titkallam ingilizi? (to a man) / titkallami ingilizi? (to a woman) |
| I don't understand | ما نفهمش The ما...ش wrapping is how Libyan Arabic makes a verb negative. | ma-nifham-sh |
| Please speak slowly | تكلم بشوية من فضلك Said to a man; to a woman: تكلمي بشوية من فضلك (tkallami bishwiya min fadlik). | tkallam bishwiya min fadlak |
| How much is it? | قداش هذا؟ 'قداش' (gaddaish) is the very characteristic Libyan/Maghrebi word for 'how much'. | gaddaish hadha? |
| Where is the bathroom? | وين الحمام؟ 'حمام' (hammam) is used for 'bathroom/toilet' just as much as for a bathhouse. | win elhammam? |
| I'd like this, please | نبغي هذا من فضلك 'بغى' (bagha, 'to want') is the everyday Libyan verb for 'would like/want'. | nabghi hadha min fadlak |
| The bill, please | الفاتورة من فضلك 'فاتورة' (fatura) is standard in restaurants; 'الحساب' (elhisab) is also understood. | elfatura min fadlak |
| Where is …? | وين …؟ Fill the gap with the place, e.g. وين المحطة؟ (win elmahatta?, 'where is the station?'). | win …? |
| Help! | النجدة! The urgent shout for help; 'عاونوني!' (a'awnuni!, 'help me!') is also used. | ennajda! |
| I need a doctor | يلزمني طبيب 'يلزمني' (yilzimni) is the impersonal 'I need' construction, literally 'it is necessary for me'. | yilzimni tabib |
| Call the police! | اتصل بالبوليس! 'بوليس' (bulis) is a widely used loanword for 'police', alongside 'الشرطة' (esh-shurta). | ittasel bilbulis! |
| Can you help me? | تقدر تعاونني؟ 'قدر' (gdar, 'can/be able') — verb ending changes with the listener's gender. | tagdar ta'awenni? (to a man) / tagdri ta'awenni? (to a woman) |
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