Arabic dialects / How to say
How to say “Sorry” in Arabic dialects
“Sorry” changes from one Arabic dialect to the next: smeh liya in Morocco, asif in Egypt, bi3tather minnak in Lebanon, aasif in Saudi Arabia.
| Dialect | Say it | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| 🇲🇦 Moroccan Arabic | smeh liya | سمح ليا |
| 🇩🇿 Algerian Arabic | samahli | سامحلي |
| 🇹🇳 Tunisian Arabic | sama7ni | سامحني |
| 🇱🇾 Libyan Arabic | aasif | آسف |
| 🇪🇬 Egyptian Arabic | asif | اسف |
| 🇱🇧 Lebanese Arabic | bi3tather minnak | بعتذر منك |
| 🇯🇴 Jordanian Arabic | aasif | آسف |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabic | aasif | آسف |
| 🇦🇪 Emirati Arabic | āsif | آسف |
| 🇮🇶 Iraqi Arabic | aasif | اسف |
Arabic often changes with who you are talking to. These are the forms taught in each Lahja course. In the spelling, 3 is the letter ayn, 7 is a breathy h, 2 is a glottal stop, 5 is kh and 9 is qaf.
There is no single Arabic word for most everyday things. Modern Standard Arabic has its own formal version, but in conversation people use their local dialect. Lahja teaches each dialect as its own course, so you learn the version people around you really say.
More phrases
- How are you
- What's your name
- Hello
- Thank you
- Please
- I love you
- How much
- Money
- Let's go
- Come here
- What's this
- Delicious
- Beautiful
- No problem
- Okay
- I'm cold
- Why
- Now
- Because
- Cheap
- Cold
- Expensive
- Fast
- Hot
- Maybe
- My friend
- No
- Slow
- Tired
- Wait
- When
- Where
- Who
- Yes
- Hungry
- Bill
- Correct
- Enough
- Food
- Freezing
- I'm warm
- In a bit
- Rain
- Snow
- Water
- Where are you going