50 Essential Levantine Arabic Phrases for Beginners
Forget the textbook phrases. If you’re traveling to Beirut, visiting family in Amman, or just trying to hold your own at a Lebanese restaurant, these are the phrases you actually need.
Everything below is Levantine Arabic — the dialect spoken across Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. This is the Arabic of real conversations, not the formal MSA you’d hear on Al Jazeera. (Not sure which dialect is right for you? See our guide to which Arabic dialect you should learn.)
Each phrase includes Arabic script, romanization, and a translation with context for when to use it.
Greetings and basics
These are the phrases you’ll use dozens of times a day.
1. مَرحَبا (marḥaba) — Hello
The universal Arabic greeting. Works everywhere, with everyone.
2. كيفَك / كيفِك (kīfak / kīfik) — How are you?
-ak for speaking to a man, -ik for a woman. You’ll hear this immediately after marḥaba.
3. مْنِيح / مْنِيحة (mnīḥ / mnīḥa) — Good, fine
The standard answer to “how are you?” -mnīḥ if you’re male, mnīḥa if you’re female.
4. الحَمْد لله (al-ḥamdu lillāh) — Thank God / I’m well
Another common response to “how are you?” — carries a warm, grateful tone.
5. أَهلًا وْ سَهلًا (ʾahlan w sahlan) — Welcome
More emphatic than marḥaba. Used when welcoming someone to your home or business.
6. صَباح الخير (ṣabāḥ al-khayr) — Good morning
Response: صَباح النّور (ṣabāḥ al-nūr) — “morning of light.”
7. مَسا الخير (masa l-khayr) — Good evening
Response: مَسا النّور (masa l-nūr) — “evening of light.”
8. شو اسمَك / اسمِك؟ (shū ʾismak / ʾismik?) — What’s your name?
9. اسمي… (ʾismī…) — My name is…
10. تْشَرَّفنا (tsharrafna) — Nice to meet you
Literally “we are honored.” The standard response when someone introduces themselves.
Getting around
11. وين…؟ (wayn…?) — Where is…?
وين الحمّام؟ (wayn al-ḥammām?) — Where’s the bathroom? وين المحطّة؟ (wayn al-maḥaṭṭa?) — Where’s the station?
12. قدّيش؟ (ʾaddaysh?) — How much?
The essential haggling word. Use it at markets, shops, taxis.
13. بعيد / قريب (bʿīd / ʾarīb) — Far / close
14. يَمين / شْمال / دُغري (yamīn / shmāl / dughrī) — Right / left / straight
15. على مَهلَك (ʿala mahlak) — Slow down / take it easy
Useful in taxis. Very useful in taxis.
At a café or restaurant
16. بدّي… (biddī…) — I want…
The most important phrase for ordering anything. بدّي قَهوة (biddī ʾahwe) — “I want a coffee.” بدّي مَي (biddī may) — “I want water.”
17. تْفَضَّل / تْفَضَّلي (tfaḍḍal / tfaḍḍalī) — Here you go / please sit / go ahead
You’ll hear this constantly. A waiter handing you food, someone holding a door, a host offering you a seat — all تفضّل.
18. صَحتين (ṣaḥtayn) — Bon appétit
Literally “two healths.” Said before meals. Response: عَ قَلبَك (ʿa ʾalbak) — “on your heart.”
19. الحِساب لَو سَمَحت (al-ḥisāb law samaḥt) — The bill, please
20. كتير طَيِّب (ktīr ṭayyib) — Very delicious
Guaranteed to make any Lebanese cook beam.
21. شي تاني؟ (shī tānī?) — Anything else?
You’ll hear this from waiters and shopkeepers. Answer with لا شكرًا (laʾ shukran) — “no thank you” — or add to your order.
Essential conversational phrases
22. يَلّا (yalla) — Let’s go / come on
Perhaps the most useful word in all of Levantine Arabic. يلّا نروح (yalla nrūḥ) — “let’s go.” يلّا بينا (yalla bayna) — “come on, let’s go.”
23. إن شاء الله (inshāʾallāh) — God willing
Used for anything in the future. “See you tomorrow?” — “Inshāʾallāh.” Can also mean “probably not” depending on tone.
24. ما شاء الله (māshāʾallāh) — God has willed it
Expresses admiration. Someone’s baby is beautiful? Māshāʾallāh. Someone cooked an incredible meal? Māshāʾallāh.
25. الله يعطيك العافية (ʾallāh yaʿṭīk al-ʿāfye) — May God give you strength
Said to anyone who’s working — a shopkeeper, a waiter, a construction worker, a parent. It’s like “thank you for your effort” wrapped in a blessing. Deeply Levantine.
26. يَعطيك العافية (yaʿṭīk al-ʿāfye) — Shortened version of the above
The everyday form. Use it freely and often. People appreciate it.
27. هلّق (hallaʾ) — Now
One of the most distinctly Levantine words. MSA uses الآن (al-ān). In Levantine, it’s هلّق.
28. كتير (ktīr) — Very / a lot
كتير حلو (ktīr ḥilw) — very nice. كتير منيح (ktīr mnīḥ) — very good.
29. شو؟ (shū?) — What?
شو هاد؟ (shū hād?) — What’s this? شو بتحبّ؟ (shū btḥibb?) — What do you like?
30. ليش؟ (laysh?) — Why?
Polite phrases
31. لو سمحت / لو سمحتي (law samaḥt / law samaḥtī) — Please / excuse me
The polite way to get someone’s attention or make a request.
32. شكرًا (shukran) — Thank you
33. عفوًا (ʿafwan) — You’re welcome / excuse me
34. آسِف / آسفة (ʾāsif / ʾāsfe) — Sorry
-āsif if you’re male, āsfe if female.
35. مَعليش (maʿlaysh) — No worries / it’s okay / never mind
One of the most comforting words in Arabic. Covers everything from “don’t worry about it” to “these things happen.”
Expressing feelings
36. مبسوط / مبسوطة (mabsūṭ / mabsūṭa) — Happy
37. تَعبان / تعبانة (taʿbān / taʿbāne) — Tired
38. جوعان / جوعانة (jūʿān / jūʿāne) — Hungry
39. اشتقتلّك / اشتقتلِّك (ishtaʾtillak / ishtaʾtillik) — I missed you
One of the warmest phrases in Levantine Arabic. Use it with family and close friends.
40. بحبَّك / بحبِّك (bḥibbak / bḥibbik) — I love you
-ak to a man, -ik to a woman. See the root ح ب ب — love runs deep in this language.
Useful reactions
41. خلص (khallaṣ) — Done / enough / that’s it
42. ماشي (māshī) — Okay / fine / got it
43. أكيد (ʾakīd) — Sure / of course
44. والله؟ (wallāh?) — Really? / I swear
Both a question (“really?”) and an emphatic statement (“I swear”). Context is everything.
45. حرام (ḥarām) — What a shame / poor thing
Used for sympathy. “He’s been sick all week.” — “Ḥarām!”
Goodbye
46. مَع السلامة (maʿ al-salāme) — Goodbye
Literally “with peace/safety.” The person leaving says this.
47. الله معَك (ʾallāh maʿak) — God be with you
What the person staying says in response.
48. بِكرا منشوفَك (bukra mnshūfak) — See you tomorrow
49. إلى اللقاء (ʾila l-liqāʾ) — Until we meet again
More formal, but still used.
50. يلّا باي (yalla bāy) — Alright, bye!
The casual goodbye. يلّا + the English “bye” — peak Levantine code-switching.
Keep going
Fifty phrases is a foundation, not a finish line. The next step is hearing these in context — in real conversations, stories, and situations where the words come alive.
That’s what Alyma is built for: Levantine Arabic lessons that start with the phrases people actually say, not textbook grammar nobody uses. From your first مَرحَبا to your first full conversation.