A Non-Muslim’s Guide to Traveling in Muslim Countries: Basic Arabic Phrases and Numbers

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Arabic is the de facto language of Islam, as it is the language of the Qu’ran.

And as I wandered through multiple Arabic-speaking countries, I really wished I had learned more Arabic before arriving (by this, I mean I had learned basically zero Arabic). It’s tricky though, as there are many dialects of Arabic, so which one do you even try to learn?

Spoken Arabic differs from country to country, but Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is the standardized version (and one of six official UN languages) that is commonly used to communicate throughout the Middle East. Speakers of different dialects cannot always understand each other very well, but the written form is more universal.

Short of learning a whole new language to smooth your travels, this post highlights the most basic phrases and numbers you are likely to encounter in the Muslim world (even those countries that do not have Arabic as their official language) and will help you get the gist of at least some common expressions.

I do encourage you to hop on over to Duolingo or Babbel asap if you want to actually start learning Arabic before you go!

Common Phrases or Expressions

There are several common Arabic phrases or expressions that are sprinkled throughout conversations in any Muslim country, even if that country’s language is not Arabic.

Here are a few of the most common phrases or expressions you will likely hear frequently during your travels.

Assalamu alaikum — Peace be upon you

Basically, this is how you say hello. It’s lovely, really, to wish peace upon everyone you greet. The response to someone who says assalamu alaikum is wa alaikum assalam (and upon you, peace).

Salam — Peace

Salam, or salaam, is a short form of assalamu alaikum and is commonly used as a greeting in Arabic-speaking countries. I never heard it used in Pakistan, and frequently heard it in Morocco…so take your cues from the locals!

Allahu Akbar — God is great

Thanks to terrorists, this phrase does not have a great reputation.

Yet it is a very benign phrase, used very much as Christians would say “thank God”, showing gratitude for something good that you think might have been impossible without the benevolence of God.

Bismillah Ir Rahman Ir Rahim — in the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Benevolent

This phrase is used by Muslims at the beginning of any undertaking, seeking Allah’s protection and blessings during the task, speech, or action that they are about to perform.

There are two versions: the full phrase, Bismillah Ir Rahman Ir Rahim­—called the Basmallah, and the shortened version with just Bismillah—called the Tasmeeyah.

While researching when to use which one, I found that there is not complete consensus on when you should use the complete phrase. That said, there seem to be some universal guidelines.

Muslims are required to use the full Bismillah Ir Rahman Ir Rahimin two situations:

• Before reading the Qur’an (Bismillah is also the first word of every chapter of the Qur’an but one).
• When writing the introduction for books and correspondence (letters, memos, etc.)

My favorite time to hear it is when the pilot recites it before the plane takes off; protection and blessings are always welcome then (although I do always hope that the pilot is also qualified…).

The shorter Bismillah can be said anytime. But specifically, Bismillah should be recited before eating, upon entering and leaving one’s house, when entering the toilet, or if you are ill. You are even supposed to say Bismillah before or during sexy time! (This is so that any potential child conceived will be protected from Satan). It is unnecessary, and some might say inappropriate, to say the full Basmallah on these occasions.

Alhamdullilah / hamdullah — All praise is due to Allah

This phrase is used to express gratitude whenever you find yourself benefiting from an accomplishment or achievement. Saying Alhamdulillah shows you are humble and grateful to Allah.

Muslims also say Alhamdulillah after sneezing, giving thanks to Allah. Anyone around a sneezer should respond with Yar Hamaukum Allah (may God forgive or bless you).

Insh’allah — if Allah wills it

You will hear insh’allah as a response to just about any future plans, casual or serious, short-term or long-term. “We’ll see you tomorrow at 9am”…”insh’allah”, “Maybe one day you can visit me in the US”…”insh’allah”, “one day they will cure cancer”…. ”…”insh’allah”.

It’s probably my most favorite phrase, even though it seems to absolve everyone from responsibility for any future happenings!

Mashallah — what Allah has willed has happened

This phrase is probably most comparable to “congratulations” in terms of the context in which you would say it. People say Mashallah to express a feeling of awe or beauty or to show appreciation for something good that has happened to someone. It also serves as a reminder that everything is achieved by the will of God.

People also should say Mashallah after complimenting someone, giving credit to God for his handiwork.

Interestingly, you will also see Mashallah decals on vehicle windshields, windows, or bumpers. Conventional wisdom says that this is to protect the vehicle from the Evil Eye.

Shukran (Shukriya in Urdu) — Thank you.

This one is pretty self-explanatory and one word you should definitely learn!

The correct response to shukran is afwan, which means “you’re welcome” or “not at all”. Afwan can also be used at the beginning of a sentence, similar to “excuse me”.

Merhaba — Hello or welcome

I heard this expression used most in Morocco, especially shopkeepers using it to welcome you into their shop or restaurant, or just to their country. Although an internet search indicates that “hello” is the primary meaning in Arabic, I rarely heard it used that way, unless in the context of the shopkeeper greeting.

Baraka — Blessing

I first heard the word baraka when a guide in Morocco asked for “a little baraka” at the end of our tour, basically asking for a tip beyond our negotiated price. (You might also recognize the word as the root of President Barack Obama’s name.) So, curious, I had to look into it further.

While baraka technically means “blessing”, it can also be used in a way that we would use “luck” (but the kind bestowed upon you by God).

Baraka is something that continues to grow exponentially over time, sometimes beyond your expectations. There are many ways for Muslims to get baraka, starting with reading the Qur’an following the guidance of the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh), saying Bismillah, doing things with good intent, and restraining yourself from doing things that are forbidden.

Yalla — Let’s go!

Yalla has to be the most popular phrase of the YOLO set. It’s easy to say and is usually spoken with enthusiasm by tour guides and taxi drivers everywhere. It can sometimes also mean “hurry up”—you’ll know what it means in which context by the way it is said.

Habibi — My love

Habibi is probably the most common term of endearment, and you will likely hear it quite a bit. It means darling, honey, my dear, my love, sweetheart…you get the idea. People use it a lot, but just to be on the safe side, don’t use it casually with people you don’t know, unless perhaps they start with it.

Numbers

Yes, even the numbers are different in Arabic. Some countries (Jordan comes to mind) use only Arabic numerals on some of their currency, which means it’s really important to know your basic Arabic numerals—at least one to ten.

Wait, what? Don’t we English-speakers call our numbers Arabic numerals?

Yes, yes we do! But apparently our numbers are actually Western Arabic numerals. There is a whole world of Eastern Arabic numerals that are used predominantly in some of these countries, so it’s helpful to learn them before you go.

The following table highlights the basic numbers you should learn—or keep handy as a reference. I have tried to write the pronunciation in a way that best represents how it sounds (CAPS are emphasized syllables), geared towards speakers of American English. But the Arabic pronunciation also differs across countries and dialects, so use this as a rough guide.

Honestly being able to recognize them visually is probably more important than being able to say them properly.

You will note that the teen digits and above are written left to right—weird, right…when Arabic script is read right to left? But it’s actually very logical because the way they say the words aligns with a right to left reading, i.e. for fourteen, you say four before the teen/ten.

In the category of curious things, you might see some words written in English with numbers sprinkled in, particularly on ads (I saw this mostly in Morocco, but also in Jordan). What does this mean?

Well, in some cases they use numbers to represent sounds that do not exist in the Latin alphabet—and it’s called Arabic Chat Alphabet or Arabglish. It was created when texting started and Arabic keyboards didn’t exist yet so they would type out the Arabic words phonetically and use numbers for the letters that had no equivalent in the Latin alphabet (there are about seven numbers that don’t have good equivalents in Arabic letters). In some cases the numbers vaguely resemble the Arabic letter. To make it even more confusing, there isn’t one standard, so the numbers might represent different letters depending on where you are.

Arabic Script

The Arabic script is the most beautiful script on the planet, especially when you can’t read it. It is intrinsically beautiful and can be incorporated into graphic design like no other. Change my mind!

If you love the challenge of languages like I do, take some time to at least learn the Arabic alphabet. It is not easy, but it is totally worth it!

The Arabic script has 28 characters and is written from right to left. This Bite-Size Arabic site has a clear presentation of the alphabet for you to get started.

Each letter has four written forms: independent (when the letter stands alone), initial (when the letter is at the beginning of a word), medial (when the letter is between two other letters), and final (when the letter is at the end of a word). There are no short vowels, only long vowels, and they use diacritics (mostly diagonal dashes above or below a letter) to indicate vowel sounds. Despite the absence of vowels, you will become quickly familiar with the “a” which is a straight up line (ا) anywhere it lands in a word.

Anyway, have fun putting together the puzzle that is the Arabic alphabet, and enjoy deciphering those signs out there!