Understand the pattern
Bekam da? and bekam di? both ask “how much is this?”. Da or di agrees with the item’s grammatical gender, not with the customer or seller. When you do not know the noun, pointing and asking bekam? can avoid guessing that form. Batfarag bas tells the seller you are only looking. Momken a2al? asks whether the price can be lower, but bargaining is not appropriate in every shop. Check the currency, quantity and total; understanding one number does not necessarily tell you the final price.
Examples to use
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| Masri Latin | Arabic script | Meaning | Usage note |
|---|---|---|---|
| bekam da? | بكام ده؟ | how much is this? (masculine) | — |
| bekam di? | بكام دي؟ | how much is this? (feminine) | — |
| ghali awi | غالي أوي | very expensive | — |
| momken a2al? | ممكن أقل؟ | can it be less? | — |
| 3ayez da | عايز ده | I want this one (man) | — |
| batfarag bas | بتفرج بس | I'm just looking | — |
| fi ma2as akbar? | في مقاس أكبر؟ | is there a larger size? | — |
Try it yourself
Does da/di change because the seller is a woman? What can you say when you are only browsing? If the price is khamsa w 3eshreen, what number did you hear?
Answer and explanation
Da/di refers to the item, not the seller. Batfarag bas (بتفرج بس) means “I am just looking”. Khamsa w 3eshreen is 25. Confirm the quantity and currency before treating that as the total.
Sources and editorial note
Further reading on this topic. These external references use their own transcription conventions; they are not an endorsement or a review of this guide.