A quick way into Egyptian Arabic
Start with the shapes, shortcuts, and real-life phrases you will actually see. No giant grammar book required.
A little practice from the dictionary
Start with one real word, then follow the examples into the rest of the guide.
Arabic letters, without the wall of text
These are the 28 letters you will meet in Arabic writing. Egyptian pronunciation can shift with the word, speaker, or region, so use the sound cue as a starting point—not a hard rule.
The examples are familiar Egyptian words, but there is more than one perfectly normal way to transliterate them.
| Letter | Name | Learner cue | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ا | alif | long a / a carrier | أنا · ana |
| ب | baa | b | بيت · beet |
| ت | taa | t | تمام · tamam |
| ث | thaa | often t or s in Egyptian speech | ثانية · sanya |
| ج | jeem | g in most Egyptian speech | جميل · gameel |
| ح | haa | strong h | حلو · helw |
| خ | khaa | kh, like Bach | خلاص · khalas |
| د | daal | d | ده · da |
| ذ | dhaal | often d or z in Egyptian speech | ذهب · dahab |
| ر | raa | r | رايح · rayeh |
| ز | zaay | z | زي · zay |
| س | seen | s | سهل · sahl |
| ش | sheen | sh | شكراً · shokran |
| ص | saad | heavy s | صحبي · sa7by |
| ض | daad | heavy d (varies by word) | ضهر · dohr |
| ط | taa | heavy t | طيب · tayeb |
| ظ | zaa | heavy z / dh | ظريف · zareef |
| ع | ayn | a deep throat consonant | عادي · 3ady |
| غ | ghayn | gh | غالي · ghali |
| ف | faa | f | فين · fein |
| ق | qaaf | often a glottal stop in Cairo | قلب · 2alb |
| ك | kaaf | k | كده · keda |
| ل | laam | l | ليه · leh |
| م | meem | m | معلش · ma3lesh |
| ن | noon | n | ناس · nas |
| ه | haa | light h | هو · howa |
| و | waaw | w / oo | وحشتني · wa7ashteny |
| ي | yaa | y / ee | يلا · yalla |
Name
alif
- Learner cue
- long a / a carrier
- Example
- أنا · ana
Name
baa
- Learner cue
- b
- Example
- بيت · beet
Name
taa
- Learner cue
- t
- Example
- تمام · tamam
Name
thaa
- Learner cue
- often t or s in Egyptian speech
- Example
- ثانية · sanya
Name
jeem
- Learner cue
- g in most Egyptian speech
- Example
- جميل · gameel
Name
haa
- Learner cue
- strong h
- Example
- حلو · helw
Name
khaa
- Learner cue
- kh, like Bach
- Example
- خلاص · khalas
Name
daal
- Learner cue
- d
- Example
- ده · da
Name
dhaal
- Learner cue
- often d or z in Egyptian speech
- Example
- ذهب · dahab
Name
raa
- Learner cue
- r
- Example
- رايح · rayeh
Name
zaay
- Learner cue
- z
- Example
- زي · zay
Name
seen
- Learner cue
- s
- Example
- سهل · sahl
Name
sheen
- Learner cue
- sh
- Example
- شكراً · shokran
Name
saad
- Learner cue
- heavy s
- Example
- صحبي · sa7by
Name
daad
- Learner cue
- heavy d (varies by word)
- Example
- ضهر · dohr
Name
taa
- Learner cue
- heavy t
- Example
- طيب · tayeb
Name
zaa
- Learner cue
- heavy z / dh
- Example
- ظريف · zareef
Name
ayn
- Learner cue
- a deep throat consonant
- Example
- عادي · 3ady
Name
ghayn
- Learner cue
- gh
- Example
- غالي · ghali
Name
faa
- Learner cue
- f
- Example
- فين · fein
Name
qaaf
- Learner cue
- often a glottal stop in Cairo
- Example
- قلب · 2alb
Name
kaaf
- Learner cue
- k
- Example
- كده · keda
Name
laam
- Learner cue
- l
- Example
- ليه · leh
Name
meem
- Learner cue
- m
- Example
- معلش · ma3lesh
Name
noon
- Learner cue
- n
- Example
- ناس · nas
Name
haa
- Learner cue
- light h
- Example
- هو · howa
Name
waaw
- Learner cue
- w / oo
- Example
- وحشتني · wa7ashteny
Name
yaa
- Learner cue
- y / ee
- Example
- يلا · yalla
Franco: Arabic written with Latin letters
Franco (also called Arabizi) uses Latin letters and numbers to make Arabic easy to type. There is no single official spelling: people choose what reads clearly to them.
Think of these numbers as useful conventions, not a secret code. The same sound may appear with letters, a number, or both.
The numbers you will see most
| Number | Usually stands in for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | ء / hamza (glottal stop); sometimes ق in Egyptian spellings | سؤال → so2al |
| 3 | ع | عادي → 3ady |
| 3' | غ (in some styles) | غالي → 3'aly |
| 5 | خ (common; kh is also used) | خلص → 5alas |
| 6 | ط (in some styles) | طالب → 6aleb |
| 6' | ظ (in some styles) | ظريف → 6'areef |
| 7 | ح | حبيبي → 7abiby |
| 7' | خ (a variant; 5 or kh are also used) | خلاص → 7'alas |
| 8 | ق or غ (varies by writer) | قلب → 8alb |
| 9 | ص (in some styles) | صاحبي → 9a7by |
| 9' | ض (in some styles) | ضهر → 9'ahr |
| gh | غ (letters instead of a number) | غالي → ghali |
Make your Franco easy to read
- Keep the spelling consistent inside one message: 7abiby and 7abebi are both readable, but switching halfway is confusing.
- Use 3, 5, and 7 when they help; write kh, sh, or gh if that is clearer for the person reading you.
- Vowels are flexible. ya5i, yakhi, and ya5y can point to the same word depending on the writer.
- When a word could be read two ways, add the Arabic spelling. It is the fastest way to remove guesswork.
Learn through situations, not flashcards
Open a small phrase guide, then jump into the real word page for examples and community meanings.
Essential Egyptian Arabic phrases for everyday life
Everyday Egyptian Arabic phrases with real examples, Arabic script, and Franco spelling from 3ammiya.
Egyptian Arabic phrases for a trip
Useful Egyptian Arabic for a trip: ask the price, find the bathroom, and say what you want naturally.
Egyptian Arabic numbers, prices, and change
Egyptian Arabic for counting, asking prices, and checking your change—from everyday numbers to “bikam?” and “how much change?”.
Egyptian Arabic phrases for texting
Egyptian Arabic texting phrases, with the literal meaning and the feeling each word carries in a message.
How to read Egyptian Franco / Arabizi
A quick guide to reading Egyptian Franco / Arabizi, with live Arabic and Latin-script examples from 3ammiya.
Egyptian Arabic food and café words
Egyptian Arabic food and café words, from an ahwa hangout to saying you are hungry.
Egyptian Arabic greetings you will actually hear
Natural Egyptian Arabic greetings and hellos, from ahlan wa sahlan to sabah el kheir, with Arabic and Franco spellings.
How to say goodbye in Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic goodbye and safe-travel phrases for leaving, travelling, and coming back.
How to say I love you in Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic love phrases: habibi, ya alby, bahebbak, with Arabic script and Franco spelling.
Egyptian Arabic for beginners: your first words
Beginner Egyptian Arabic words you need first. Simple, everyday vocabulary with real examples.
How to say sorry in Egyptian Arabic
How to say sorry in Egyptian Arabic — asef and ma3lesh and when to use them.
How to say thank you in Egyptian Arabic
How to say thank you in Egyptian Arabic — from motshakkereen to rabena yekhalek.
Family in Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic words for family members.
Weather in Egyptian Arabic
Weather in Egyptian Arabic.
Shopping in Egyptian Arabic
Shopping in Egyptian Arabic.
Directions
Directions.
Feelings in Egyptian Arabic
Feelings in Egyptian Arabic.
How Are You in Egyptian
How to ask how someone is in Egyptian Arabic.
Colors in Egyptian Arabic
Colors in Egyptian Arabic.
Clothing in Egyptian Arabic
Clothes in Egyptian Arabic.
Months and days of the week in Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic words for months, days, and everyday time planning, from March and day to Monday and Tuesday.
Body parts in Egyptian Arabic
Everyday Egyptian Arabic body-part vocabulary, including head, eye, hand, leg, heart, and ear.
Transportation and getting around in Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic transportation words for cars, taxis, buses, the metro, airports, and stations.
A tiny practice loop
Pick a word, notice both scripts, then try it in a sentence. That is enough for a useful first pass.
- 1
Search a word you have heard—try 3ammiya, ya5i, or 7abibi.
- 2
Compare the Arabic spelling, Franco spelling, and the examples people actually use.
- 3
Save the phrase in your own sentence, then add a better example if the page is missing one.