Joanna James
Arabic and English are the languages that are most often used in the UAE. You may get by with only speaking English. Having mentioned that, there are a lot of Arabic phrases that you will come across in everyday speech. While you are on a vacation in Dubai, these are some of the most useful terms to know.
In Arabic, the standard greeting you will always hear is "asalam alaykum", and the appropriate answer is "walaykum assalam". This phrase means "peace be upon you" in English. But if you'd rather just say "hey" in a more casual manner, you might choose to say "salam" or even "halla". This is the slang for "hello".
When you land in Dubai, there is a large possibility that you'll be met with the warm greeting of Marhaba or greeted with ahlan by the locals.
"How are you doing?" is kayfa halluk when referring to a guy and then kayfa halluki when addressing a woman. The typical answer to this question is "I'm OK, thank you", which is said as "ana be khair, shukran".
The traditional farewell phrase in Arabic is “ma alsalama”, which may be loosely translated as "go with peace”.
If you find yourself at a souk and are interested in making a purchase, you might try asking in Arabic how much anything costs by saying “kam yukalif?”
Also helpful is learning the word for "yes", which is “naam”, and the word for "no", which would be “la”. When you are talking to a man and would like to say “please”, you would say “min fadlak", and when you are addressing a lady, you would say "min fadlik". Note the subtle changes when you address a man and a woman.
In the event that you accidentally bump into somebody, you should say "excuse me", which would be “alma derah” or "sorry", which would be “aasef”.
“Thank you” is very commonly used in any language and in Arabic it is “shukran”. You are likely to use this everywhere you go, be it the markets, restaurants, or the luxury resorts in Dubai you are staying at. Although all resort staff like the ones in Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort speak in English, you can always speak a word or two in Arabic and see their surprise.
These Arabic words may come in handy if you ever find yourself in a difficult circumstance and need to speak with others in Arabic.
Say "ada'tu tareeqi" whenever you feel the need to communicate that you are lost.
“Can you assist me?” will be “hal beemkanik musae aadati”, or merely say “musaeada”, which means “help”.
If you say "la afham" to someone who is attempting to speak with you in Arabic, it means that you are unable to comprehend what they are saying.
In the Emirates, expressions from Arabic have been adopted by speakers of various languages. Common terms you will hear among some of the non-Arab inhabitants of Dubai involve: “habibi” for a male or “habibti” for a lady, which signifies “beloved”, but it can also be used as a casual “dude” for someone you know very well. It is a phrase of endearment that is used not just between lovers but also between very close friends. The phrase "if God wills" is "insha allah in Arabic and you will hear a lot of people use it when making plans! Haram is yet another word that is used that signifies that something is forbidden in Islam or is a sin.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
