Arabic is a fascinating and melodic language that is thought to be the most happy language in the world. So, why not learn a few basic Arabic phrases and expressions to enhance your general knowledge and become happier in the process?
There’s an infinite number of sentences in the Arabic language that make learning Arabic feel overwhelming. Let's stay optimistic. We have some good news: you only need to know a fraction of the total number of Arabic sentences to be able to speak Arabic fluently. For example, by knowing as little as 100 words you will understand 50% of any text in Arabic. That's right! You don't have to know the ins and outs of Arabic to have a real conversation with someone from Dubai.
The secret is to learn Arabic the smart way. Start with the most common Arabic phrases and expressions and build from there. Learning sentence after sentence, you’ll feel one step closer to fluency. Then, to lock the knowledge in, use the Arabic sentences you learned in real conversations. So, why not make the first step towards learning Arabic today? Let’s go over some common sentences in Arabic you can learn right now. These are just a fraction of the phrases spoken by native Arabic speakers you can listen to on Mondly, our high rated language learning app loved by millions of people around the world.
We have prepared a list of common Arabic expressions that will help you have a basic conversation in Arabic in no time. Let's dig in!
If you find yourself in Dubai it is always polite to say “Hi” every morning because Arabic speakers are really sociable. “Good morning” in Arabic is "صباح الخير".
Now enjoy being greeted by a native speaker:
But what if it's later in the day and you want to greet someone from Saudi Arabia? Well, “Good afternoon” in Arabic is "مساء الخير".
Now listen to how an Arabic speaker would pronounce it:
Let's say your name is Mondly, you are traveling to Kuwait and meet someone on the street. To introduce yourself you can say "انا اسمي موندلي" which means "My name is Mondly" in Arabic.
Listen to how a person from Dubai would pronounce this phrase:
Now that you have introduced yourself, an Arabic speaker would respond "أنا سعيد بلقائك" which means "I'm pleased to meet you" in Arabic.
Listen to a native Arabic speaker saying that exact sentence to you right now:
At this point it might be polite to ask the person you are having a conversation with "How are you?" in Arabic.
It’s really easy to pronounce. Here's how to say it:
Arabic speakers are known to be really friendly, so it wouldn't be unusual to make an Arabic friend during your travels. But friends are sometimes late to meetings in which case you might have to call them and ask "Where are you?" in Arabic.
Here's a native speaker showing you how to say it:
And because you might find yourself in a bar when visiting Qatar you might have to learn how to order a beer in Arabic.
Let a native Arabic speaker show you how it's done:
There are times when what you ordered is out of stock, so a bartender might say "انا آسف" which means "I'm sorry" in Arabic.
Listen to how it's pronounced:
This is a good way of saying "See you soon" in Arabic to a co-worker from Dubai that you are probably going to see the next day.
Delight your senses with an Arabic speaker saying the phrase:
Let's end with the best way to end a pleasant conversation politely. This is another way of saying "Goodbye" in Arabic.
Here's how a person from Dubai would pronounce it:
The Arabic language has quite a few popular quotes that have influenced the western world. One of the most popular Arabic quote is “الكتاب يقرأ من عنوانه” (Al kitabu yuqra’a min inwanihi) which means that a book can be judged by its title or what you see is what you get. This is the opposite of the more popular saying nowadays: “You can’t judge a book by its cover”.
A popular Arabic proverb is “يد واحدة لا تصفـّق” (Yadon waheeda la tusaffek) which means that you need to cooperate to get things done. In direct translation it means “You cannot clap with one hand”. Another popular proverb is “من عاشر القوم اربعين يوما، إما صار منهم أو رحل عنهم” (Man a’asharal qawna arba’eena yawman, imma sara minhum aw rahala a’anhum) which refers to the fact that it takes time to really know people. In literal translation this Arabic phrase means “Stay among people for 40 days and you will either become one of them or vanish”.
Learning a new language is a perfect way to boost your IQ. In no time, your brain will make new connections and associations and you’ll feel that learning Arabic was one of the best choices you ever made.
Once you start learning a few basic sentences in Arabic you will have the knowledge to start your first Arabic conversation. That’s why, at Mondly, we’ve created experiences that simulate real life conversations to get you speaking Arabic in no time.
Starting with the basics, we quickly lay a foundation for you to learn more complex Arabic phrases and sentences. We gradually build your Arabic knowledge so you get fluent faster than you could imagine.
Every language experience should start gradually, from the easiest to the more complex concepts. Starting with the easiest and most common Arabic phrases, you will feel confident in your ability to learn a new language. That’s one of the core principles Mondly is built on.
"The drag-and-drop and visuals make it a lot more fun and easy than just reading flashcards."
"Mondly uses games and gestures to help you learn new languages."
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"On Mondly, users can interact using both text input or speech."
"Mondly encourages its users to practice in everyday scenarios, such as ordering food and drinks in a restaurant."