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FIRST CONVERSATIONS

Greetings in Egyptian Arabic

Greetings often continue beyond one word. A short exchange about how someone is doing is a normal way to open a friendly conversation.

Reviewed learning guide ยท 5 min read ยท Masri Latin + Arabic script

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Common greetings

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Masri LatinArabic scriptMeaningUsage note
es-salamo 3aleikomุงู„ุณู„ุงู… ุนู„ูŠูƒู…peace be upon you / helloโ€”
wa 3aleikom es-salamูˆุนู„ูŠูƒู… ุงู„ุณู„ุงู…reply to the greetingโ€”
ezayyak?ุฅุฒูŠูƒุŸhow are you? (to a man)โ€”
ezayyek?ุฅุฒูŠูƒุŸhow are you? (to a woman)โ€”
el-7amdu lillah, tamamุงู„ุญู…ุฏ ู„ู„ู‡ุŒ ุชู…ุงู…thank God, all goodโ€”
esmak eh?ุงุณู…ูƒ ุฅูŠู‡ุŸwhat is your name? (to a man)โ€”
ana esmi...ุฃู†ุง ุงุณู…ูŠ...my name is...โ€”
forsa sa3eedaูุฑุตุฉ ุณุนูŠุฏุฉnice to meet youโ€”
ma3 es-salamaู…ุน ุงู„ุณู„ุงู…ุฉgoodbyeโ€”
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Conversation notes

  • โœ“The vowel in ezayyak changes slightly by speaker and addressee.
  • โœ“Religious greetings are used broadly in everyday life.
  • โœ“Tone and warmth matter as much as exact transliteration.
  • โœ“Listen for rapid linking between words.

Sources and editorial note

This guide uses established Egyptian Arabic teaching and linguistic references, then presents the material for practical beginner use. Egyptian Arabic varies by region, speaker, and situation.