The United Arab Emirates is an amazing country to visit, and if you are moving there, Dubai or Abu Dhabi is a great place to live! You will be able to speak English with a large number of people there, but you should know that Emiratis will be very happy if you use a few local Emirati Arabic words and phrases. After all, it is a sign of respect and a way to show them that you are interested in Emirati Arabic culture and language. In this article, you will find popular Emirati Arabic phrases for beginners that you will need for everyday use.
Emirati Arabic dialect is different from MSA or Modern Standard Arabic (fus’ha). As it is a dialect, there are many Emirati-specific Arabic phrases that people in other Arabic speaking countries might not understand. For example, the word for “I want” is often Abghi in Emirati Arabic but does not exist in other Arabic dialects. Emirati Arabic is a part of the Gulf Arabic dialect family. This is why you should keep in mind that some words will be different from the Egyptian Arabic or even the standard Saudi dialect.
In this article, you will find the most popular and most useful Emirati Arabic phrases. They include “I love you in Emirati Arabic”, “how are you in Emirati Arabic”, “thank you in Emirati Arabic”, and even “good morning in Emirati Arabic” or “happy birthday in Emirati Arabic”. In each section of this guide, there is a table with Arabic script, pronunciation, and English translation. You can always edit the table to add more Emirati Arabic vocabulary later.
Greetings and Everyday Phrases
| English Phrase | Emirati Arabic (Arabic Script) | Pronunciation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello | مرحبا / هلا | Marhaba / Hala | Both are common greetings. |
| How are you? | كيف حالك؟ | Kayf Halak (m) / Kayf Halich (f) | Classic phrase used daily. |
| What’s up? | شو الأخبار؟ | Shu al-akhbar | Informal, like “What’s new?”. |
| Good morning | صباح الخير | Sabah al-khair | Used in both MSA and Emirati. |
| Good night | تصبح على خير | Tisbah ala khair | Literally: “Wake up to good”. |
Love and Affection Phrases
| English Phrase | Emirati Arabic (Arabic Script) | Pronunciation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| I love you | أحبك | Uhibbek (m) / Uhibbich (f) | Most searched phrase online. |
| I miss you | مشتاق لك | Mushtaq lak | Common in Gulf Arabic too. |
| My love | حبيبي / حبيبتي | Habibi (m) / Habibti (f) | Very famous in songs and culture. |
| You are my life | إنت حياتي | Enta hayati | Romantic expression. |
Gratitude and Politeness
| English Phrase | Emirati Arabic (Arabic Script) | Pronunciation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thank you | شكراً | Shukran | Universal Arabic thank you. |
| You’re welcome | عفواً / تسلم | Afwan / Teslam | Teslam is more local. |
| Excuse me | عفوا | Afwan | Can mean “sorry” or “excuse me”. |
| No problem | ما في مشكلة | Ma fi mushkila | Widely used across the Gulf. |
Special Occasions and Wishes
| English Phrase | Emirati Arabic (Arabic Script) | Pronunciation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Happy Birthday | عيد ميلاد سعيد | Eid milad sa‘id | Formal but used. |
| Eid Mubarak | عيد مبارك | Eid Mubarak | Very common during Eid. |
| Good luck | بالتوفيق | Bil-tawfeeq | Literally: “with success”. |
| Congratulations | مبروك | Mabrook | Essential for happy occasions. |
Useful Phrases for Travel and Shopping
| English Phrase | Emirati Arabic (Arabic Script) | Pronunciation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| How much is this? | بكم هذا؟ | Bkam hatha? | Classic shopping phrase. |
| I want this | أبغي هذا | Abghi hatha | Very Emirati expression. |
| Do you have…? | عندك…؟ | 3indak…? | “3” = deep “ain” sound. |
| Where are you? | وينك؟ | Wainak (m) / Wainich (f) | Informal but common. |
| See you tomorrow | أشوفك باجر | Ashoofak bacher | “Bacher” = tomorrow in Emirati dialect. |
Final Thoughts
Learning and practicing Emirati Arabic phrases is one of the best ways to bond with the locals, whether you’re shopping in a traditional souq in Dubai, UAE, getting to know your new Emirati friend, or attending a family gathering during Ramadan. Start with some basic phrases like “hello in Emirati Arabic”, “thank you in Emirati Arabic”, and “I love you in Emirati Arabic”.
You’ll soon realize that Emirati Arabic is not only a beautiful language but also a gateway to the UAE’s culture, traditions, and hospitality with a little practice. Bookmark this page and keep adding more Emirati Arabic words and phrases as you learn!
