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FOOD & DRINK

Egyptian Arabic Restaurant Phrases

Restaurant conversations are repetitive, which makes them excellent practice. Learn a polite request pattern and reuse it with different foods.

Reviewed learning guide ยท 6 min read ยท Masri Latin + Arabic script

1

At a restaurant

Swipe to see all columns โ†’

Masri LatinArabic scriptMeaningUsage note
el-menu law sama7tุงู„ู…ู†ูŠูˆ ู„ูˆ ุณู…ุญุชthe menu, pleaseโ€”
3andoko eh?ุนู†ุฏูƒูˆ ุฅูŠู‡ุŸwhat do you have?โ€”
ana 3ayez...ุฃู†ุง ุนุงูŠุฒ...I would like... (man)โ€”
men gheir la7maู…ู† ุบูŠุฑ ู„ุญู…ุฉwithout meatโ€”
maya law sama7tู…ูŠุฉ ู„ูˆ ุณู…ุญุชwater, pleaseโ€”
helw awiุญู„ูˆ ุฃูˆูŠvery good / deliciousโ€”
el-7esab law sama7tุงู„ุญุณุงุจ ู„ูˆ ุณู…ุญุชthe bill, pleaseโ€”
2

Ordering clearly

  • โœ“Pointing at the menu is completely normal.
  • โœ“Use men gheir for without.
  • โœ“Ask about ingredients if you have an allergy.
  • โœ“Repeat the order back if the restaurant is noisy.

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.