Let’s speak Qatari Arabic

The native language in Qatar is Arabic, but within the Arabic language, there are so many different dialects. For example, Egyptians speak differently than Palestinians who speak differently than Qataris. Now, Arabs can eventually understand each other, but it’s sometimes difficult to pick up a few words or phrases that are specific to a country or region. We got you, we got you! We’re going to share the fundamentals of a conversation you may find useful.

Can I Qatari? Yes, you can!

Hello – Depends on who you’re addressing;

Friend or sibling: you can use Hala and reply with Hala,[how are you?]

An elder or a stranger: you can use the Islamic greeting As-Salam w ‘alay-kum

The reply to that would be, wa- ‘alaykumo-ssalām

How are you? – Also depends on who you are addressing.

To a female: you ask shlo-nich?

To a male: you ask shlo-nik?

If you want to reply, “Fine, thank you”, you would say Be-kheir, shukran!

Another reply would be al-hamdu-lilah which literally translates to “Thank God”, but this word can be used in different contexts.

For example, you finished a challenging assignment, you would say “al-hamdu-lilah, I’m done!”

You would also say it after finishing a meal. A fourth use is after sneezing, you would also say al-hamdu-lilah. Arabs in general like to use al-hamdu-lilah and Masha’Allah a lot!

“What God is willing” - It literally translates to Masha'Allah. It’s used to express many feelings such as appreciation, joy, praise and even used to protect from jinx.

For example, when a friend shows you their new car, you say “Masha’Allah, it’s beautiful. Congratulations!”.

When you see a cute, adorable baby you say “Awww cute, Masha’Allah” many people believe it doesn’t jinx the baby, so they say Masha’Allah.

Congratulations - Mabrouk

Thank you – shukran

Good morning – Sabah il-kheir

Good afternoon – Masā il-kheir

Now you are ready to go out and show off your Qatari-speaking skills. If you want to learn more Qatari Arabic and listen to the pronunciation, download the app called Phrasebook. It was developed by Georgetown University in Qatar’s Arabic program. It is available for free, in the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Want to form a simple question in Qatari Arabic? Let us know in the comments below.

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