Lebanese-Arabic phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in Lebanese-Arabic with translation. | Free & useful
Lebanese-Arabic phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.
They are an important part of Lebanese-Arabic culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.
Lebanese-Arabic phrases you should know
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Greet someone in Lebanese-Arabic
If you want to greet someone in Lebanese-Arabic, it’s actually quite easy:
| English | Lebanese-Arabic | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome! | أهلا وسهلا! | /ʔahlan w sahlan/ |
| Good day to you! | نهارك سعيد! | /nhaːrek saʕiːd/ |
| Good morning to you! | صباح الخير إلك! | /sˤabaːħ lxeːr ʔɛlek/ |
| Good evening! | مسا الخير! | /masaː lxeːr/ |
| Good to see you. | منيح شفتك. | /mniːħ ʃeftak/ |
| I’m glad to see you. | مبسوط إني شفتك. | /mabsˤuːt ʔinni ʃeftak/ |
If you are greeted in Lebanese-Arabic, the best way to respond is as follows:
| English | Lebanese-Arabic | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Have a nice day too! | نهارَك سعيد إنت كمان! | /nhaːrak saʕiːd ʔenta kamaːn/ |
| Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. | شكراً، حلو شوفك كمان. | /ʃukraːn, ħelo ʃoːfak kamaːn/ |
How is my dialogue partner?
As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:
| English | Lebanese-Arabic | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| How are you doing? | كيفك؟ | /kiːfak/ (to a male) /kiːfik/ (to a female) |
| Are you doing well? | إنت منيح؟ | /ʔenta mniːħ/ (to a male) /ʔenti mniːħa/ (to a female) |
If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:
| English | Lebanese-Arabic | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you for asking, I am fine. | شكراً لأنك سألت، أنا منيح. | /ʃukraːn laʔannak saʔalt, ʔana mniːħ/ (to a male) /ʃukraːn laʔannik saʔalti, ʔana mniːħa/ (to a female) |
| Thank you, I am fine. | شكراً، أنا منيح. | /ʃukraːn, ʔana mniːħ/ (male) /ʃukraːn, ʔana mniːħa/ (female) |
| Thank you, I am not doing so well. | شكراً، مش كتير منيح. | /ʃukraːn, miʃ kteːr mniːħ/ (male) /ʃukraːn, miʃ kteːr mniːħa/ (female) |
| Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing? | شكراً، أنا منيح. كيفك؟ | /ʃukraːn, ʔana mniːħ. kiːfak?/ (to a male) /ʃukraːn, ʔana mniːħa. kiːfik?/ (to a female) |
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How do I say goodbye to someone in Lebanese-Arabic?
Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in Lebanese-Arabic is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:
| English | Lebanese-Arabic | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Goodbye! | باي! | /baːj/ |
| Take care of yourself! | دير بالك ع حالك! | /diːr baːlak ʕa ħaːlak/ (to a male) /diːri baːlik ʕa ħaːlik/ (to a female) |
| Goodbye | مع السلامة | /maʕ as-salaːme/ |
| See you tomorrow | بشوفك بكرا | /bʃuːfak bukra/ (to a male) /bʃuːfik bukra/ (to a female) |
| See you soon | بشوفك قريب | /bʃuːfak ʔariːb/ (to a male) /bʃuːfik ʔariːb/ (to a female) |
| See you later | بشوفك بعدين | /bʃuːfak baʕdeːn/ (to a male) /bʃuːfik baʕdeːn/ (to a female) |
| Good night | تصبح على خير | /tˤesˤbaħ ʕala xeːr/ |
| Sleep well | نام منيح | /neːm mniːħ/ (to a male) /neːmi mniːħ/ (to a female) |
| Talk to you later. | بحكيك بعدين. | /baħkiːk baʕdeːn/ (to a male) /baħkiːki baʕdeːn/ (to a female) |
| Nice to have met you! | تشرفت بمعرفتك! | /tʃarraft b maʕreftek/ (to a male) /tʃarraft b maʕreftek/ (to a female) |
How do I introduce myself in Lebanese-Arabic?
When travelling in Lebanon, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in Lebanese-Arabic and know who you’re talking to.
| English | Lebanese-Arabic | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| My name is Jonas. | اسمي يوناس. | /ʔisme joːnaːs/ |
| What is your name? | شو اسمك؟ | /ʃuː ʔismak/ (to a male) /ʃuː ʔismik/ (to a female) |
| What is your surname? | شو كنيتك؟ | /ʃuː kinneːtak/ (to a male) /ʃuː kinneːtik/ (to a female) |
| What is your first name? | شو اسمك الأول؟ | /ʃuː ʔismak l ʔawwale/ (to a male) /ʃuː ʔismik l ʔawwale/ (to a female) |
| What is your surname? | شو اسم العيلة؟ | /ʃuː ʔism l ʕaːyle/ |
If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:
| English | Lebanese-Arabic | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Where do you come from? | من وين إنت؟ | /men weːn ʔenta/ (to a male) /men weːn ʔenti/ (to a female) |
| I am from London. | أنا من لندن. | /ʔana men londen/ |
| Are you from Birmingham? | إنت من برمنغهام؟ | /ʔenta men bermenhaːm/ (to a male) /ʔenti men bermenhaːm/ (to a female) |
| No, I’m from Madrid. | لأ، أنا من مدريد. | /laʔ, ʔana men madriːd/ |
| Great, I’m from Madrid too. | رائع، أنا كمان من مدريد. | /raːʔeʕ, ʔana kamaːn men madriːd/ |
| Where do you live? | وين ساكن؟ | /weːn saːken/ (to a male) /weːn saːkne/ (to a female) |
| I live in Berlin. | ساكن ببرلين. | /saːken b berlin/ (male) /saːkne b berlin/ (female) |
If you have problems with your Lebanese-Arabic, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:
| English | Lebanese-Arabic | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | بتحكي إنجليزي؟ | /btɛħki ʔenʒleːzi/ |
| Yes, I speak English. | إي، بحكي إنجليزي. | /ʔeː, baħki ʔenʒleːzi/ |
| Yes, I speak some English. | إي، بحكي شوي إنجليزي. | /ʔeː, baħki ʃwaɪy ʔenʒleːzi/ |
| No, I do not speak any English. | لأ، ما بحكي إنجليزي أبداً. | /laʔ, ma baħki ʔenʒleːzi ʔabadan/ |
| I only speak English. | بحكي بس إنجليزي. | /baħki bas ʔenʒleːzi/ |
| I understand some Lebanese-Arabic. | بفهم شوي عربي لبناني. | /bifham ʃwaɪy ʕarabe lebnaːne/ |
Useful sentences with ‘I am…’
The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in Lebanese-Arabic and express your wishes and concerns:
| English | Lebanese-Arabic | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| I am English. | أنا إنجليزي. | /ʔana ʔenʒleːzi/ |
| I am injured. | أنا مجروح. | /ʔana madʒruːħ/ |
| I am here. | أنا هون. | /ʔana hoːn/ |
| I am hungry. | أنا جوعان. | /ʔana ʒuːʕaːn/ |
| I am thirsty. | أنا عطشان. | /ʔana ʕatˤʃaːn/ |
| I am a single person. | أنا أعزب. | /ʔana ʔaʕzab/ |
| I need help! | بدي مساعدة! | /baddi musaːʕade/ |
| I am tired. | أنا تعبان. | /ʔana taʕbaːn/ |
| I am happy. | أنا مبسوط. | /ʔana mabsˤuːtˤ/ |
| I am sad. | أنا زعلان. | /ʔana zaʕlaːn/ |
| I am in love. | أنا واقع بالحب. | /ʔana waːʔeʕ bel ħobb/ |
| I am ill. | أنا مريض. | /ʔana mˤariːdˤ/ |
| I am ready. | أنا جاهز. | /ʔana dʒaːhiz/ |
| I am busy. | أنا مشغول. | /ʔana maʃɣuːl/ |
| I am lost. | أنا ضايع. | /ʔana dˤaːjaʕ/ |
| I am a tourist. | أنا سائح. | /ʔana saːʔeħ/ |
| I am new here. | أنا جديد هون. | /ʔana ʒdiːd hoːn/ |
| I am confident. | أنا واثق من حالي. | /ʔana waːsˤeʔ men ħaːle/ |
| I am proud. | أنا فخور. | /ʔana faːxuːr/ |
| I am a teacher. | أنا أستاذ. | /ʔana ʔistaːz/ |
| I am late. | أنا مأخّر. | /ʔana maʔaχχar/ |
| I am 30 years old. | عمري تلاتين سنة. | /ʕomri tlaːtiːn sine/ |
| I am in a hurry. | أنا مستعجل. | /ʔana mestaʕdʒel/ |
| I am happy. | أنا مبسوط. | /ʔana mabsˤuːtˤ/ |
| I am surprised. | أنا مستغرب. | /ʔana mestaɣreb/ |
| I am angry. | أنا معصّب. | /ʔana mʕasˤsˤeb/ |
Apologising in Lebanese-Arabic
Here’s how to apologise to a Lebanese-Arabic speaker:
| English | Lebanese-Arabic | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| I apologise. | بعتذر. | /bʕetˤzer/ |
| Sorry, that was not the intention. | آسف، ما كانت القَصِد. | /ʔaːsef, ma kaːnet lʔaʂed/ |
| Sorry, I did not do it on purpose. | آسف، ما عملتا عن قصد. | /ʔaːsef, ma ʕemelta ʕan ʔaʂed/ |
| Sorry, that was very clumsy of me. | آسف، كانت كتير حركة غشيمة مني. | /ʔaːsef, kaːnet kteːr ħarake ɣaʃiːme menni/ |
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Useful signs and notices in Lebanese-Arabic
Useful signs and messages in Lebanese-Arabic that you will often see.
| English | Lebanese-Arabic | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance | مدخل | /madxal/ |
| Toilet | تواليت | /twaːleːt/ |
| Exit | مخرج | /maxraj/ |
| Attention! | انتبِه! | /ʔenteˈbeh/ |
| Police | الشرطة | /ʃˤorˤtˤa/ |
| Emergency services | الطوارئ | /etˤ-tˤawaːreʔ/ |
| Fire brigade | الدفاع المدني | /eddeˈfaːʕ elˈmadani/ |
| Passage forbidden. | الممر ممنوع. | /el-mamaːr mamnuːʕ/ |
| Caution! | تنبِيه! | /tanˈbiːh/ |
| This building is under video surveillance. | هيدا المبنى تحت المراقبة بالكاميرا. | /haːda l-mabna taħt el-muraːʔabe bel-kaːmira/ |
Numbers to 25 in Lebanese-Arabic
Counting in Lebanese-Arabic is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in Lebanese-Arabic from 1 to 25.
| English | Lebanese-Arabic | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | واحد | /waːħad/ |
| 2 | تنين | /tneːn/ |
| 3 | تلاتة | /tleːte/ |
| 4 | أربعة | /ʔarbaʕa/ |
| 5 | خمسة | /xamse/ |
| 6 | ستة | /sitte/ |
| 7 | سبعة | /sabʕa/ |
| 8 | تمانية | /tmaːnje/ |
| 9 | تسعة | /tisaʕ/ |
| 10 | عشرة | /ʕaʃra/ |
| 11 | حدعش | /ħaˈdaʃ/ |
| 12 | تنَعش | /tnaˈʃ/ |
| 13 | تلتعش | /tleˈtˤaʃ/ |
| 14 | أربعتعش | /ʔarbaʕˈtˤaʃ/ |
| 15 | خمستعش | /xamasˈtˤaʃ/ |
| 16 | ستعتعش | /settˤaʕˈtˤaʃ/ |
| 17 | سبعتعش | /sabaʕˈtˤaʃ/ |
| 18 | تمانتعش | /tmaːnˈtˤaʃ/ |
| 19 | تسعتعش | /tisaʕˈtˤaʃ/ |
| 20 | عشرين | /ʕeʃriːn/ |
| 21 | واحد وعشرين | /waːħad w ʕeʃriːn/ |
| 22 | تنين وعشرين | /tneːn w ʕeʃriːn/ |
| 23 | تلاتة وعشرين | /tleːte w ʕeʃriːn/ |
| 24 | أربعة وعشرين | /ʔarbaʕa w ʕeʃriːn/ |
| 25 | خمسة وعشرين | /xamse w ʕeʃriːn/ |
The colours in Lebanese-Arabic
The most common colours in Lebanese-Arabic with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.
| English | Lebanese-Arabic | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Red | أحمر | /ʔaħmar/ |
| Blue | أزرق | /ʔazraʔ/ |
| Green | أخضر | /ʔaχdˤar/ |
| Yellow | أصفر | /ʔasˤfar/ |
| Black | أسود | /ʔaswad/ |
| White | أبيض | /ʔabjaðˤ/ |
| Orange | برتقالي | /burtoʔaːli/ |
| Pink | زهري | /zahri/ |
| Purple | بنفسجي | /banafsaʒi/ |
| Brown | بني | /binni/ |
Days of the week, months and seasons in Lebanese-Arabic
Of course, you will also need the days of the week in Lebanese-Arabic and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in Lebanese-Arabic.
| English | Lebanese-Arabic | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Days of the Week | ||
| Monday | التنين | /etːneːn/ |
| Tuesday | التلاتا | /etːaleːta/ |
| Wednesday | الإربعا | /elʔerbaʕa/ |
| Thursday | الخميس | /elxamiːs/ |
| Friday | الجمعة | /elʒemʕa/ |
| Saturday | السبت | /essabt/ |
| Sunday | الأحد | /elʔaħad/ |
| Months | ||
| January | كانون التاني | /kaːnuːn ettːaːni/ |
| February | شباط | /ʃbaːtˤ/ |
| March | آذار | /ʔaːzaːr/ |
| April | نيسان | /niːsaːn/ |
| May | أيار | /ʔajjaːr/ |
| June | حزيران | /ħzeːraːn/ |
| July | تموز | /tamːuːz/ |
| August | آب | /ʔaːb/ |
| September | أيلول | /ʔajluːl/ |
| October | تشرين الأول | /teʃriːn elʔawwal/ |
| November | تشرين التاني | /teʃriːn ettːaːni/ |
| December | كانون الأول | /kaːnuːn elʔawwal/ |
| Seasons | ||
| Spring | الربيع | /errabiːʕ/ |
| Summer | الصيف | /eṣṣeːf/ |
| Autumn | الخريف | /elxariːf/ |
| Winter | الشتوية | /eʃʃetːawje/ |
OUR TIP: If you want to learn these Lebanese-Arabic phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn Lebanese-Arabic phrases and dialogues.
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More information about the Lebanese-Arabic Business Course.
Additional links
- The different ways of learning languages
- Learning vocabulary successfully
- Motivated language learning
- It is so easy to train your understanding of a language at the same time
- Learning languages quickly? – Is it possible?
- The different types of learners when learning languages
More information about the Lebanese-Arabic Course for Children.