Lebanese Arabic travel phrases

100 Essential Lebanese Arabic Travel Phrases (With Pronunciation)

A practical list of 100 Lebanese Arabic travel phrases with Arabic script, transliteration, and tourist-friendly meanings for food, taxis, and emergencies.

2026-06-0610 min read

If you are heading to Lebanon, a small bank of Lebanese Arabic travel phrases can change the whole trip. Even a few words can soften a taxi ride, make a cafe interaction warmer, help you ask for directions without panic, and show people that you are trying to meet them in their language. You do not need perfect grammar to get that benefit. You need useful phrases you can say clearly, hear again, and reuse fast.

This guide is built for travelers, tourists, and diaspora visitors who want practical spoken Lebanese Arabic, not textbook Arabic. The phrases below include Arabic script plus easy transliteration. Pronunciation varies by region and family, so treat the transliteration as a friendly approximation, not a strict academic system. If you want a deeper foundation before your trip, pair this page with Lebanese Arabic numbers, Lebanese Arabic food vocabulary, and how to say thank you in Lebanese Arabic.

One more useful note: if you want structured lessons before you land, the Lebanese Arabic Accelerator is taught in English and focused on spoken Lebanese. That makes it especially practical for travelers who do not want to detour through formal Arabic first.

Greetings and Politeness

These are the phrases that pay off immediately because they shape the tone of almost every interaction. In Lebanon, warmth matters. If you open with a greeting and a polite phrase, even simple follow-up questions feel easier.

Marhaba (مرحبا) Hello.
Ahlan (أهلًا) Hi or welcome.
Kifak? / Kifik? (كيفك؟) How are you, to a man or a woman.
Mnih / Mniha (منيح / منيحة) I am fine, masculine or feminine.
Shu akhbarak? (شو أخبارك؟) What is new with you.
Sabah el-kheir (صباح الخير) Good morning.
Masa el-kheir (مساء الخير) Good evening.
Tisbah ala kheir (تصبح على خير) Good night.
Shukran (شكرًا) Thank you.
Merci (ميرسي) Thanks, very common in Lebanon.
Afwan (عفوًا) You are welcome or excuse me.
Law samaht / Law samahte (لو سمحت / لو سمحتي) Please or excuse me, to a man or a woman.
Min fadlak / Min fadlik (من فضلك / من فضلك) Please, a slightly more formal option.
Maalesh (معلش) Sorry, never mind, or it is okay.
Hamdella aa saleme (الحمدلله عالسلامة) Glad you arrived safely or welcome back safe.

First Conversation Basics

If these ten phrases are the only ones you remember before the flight, you will still be far better equipped than most visitors. They help you introduce yourself, buy time, and stay polite when you miss something.

Shu ismak? / Shu ismek? (شو اسمك؟) What is your name, to a man or a woman.
Isme... (اسمي...) My name is...
Ana men... (أنا من...) I am from...
Ana seyeh / Ana seyeha (أنا سائح / أنا سائحة) I am a tourist, masculine or feminine.
Ma befham kteer arabi (ما بفهم كتير عربي) I do not understand much Arabic.
Mumkin tehke shway shway? (ممكن تحكي شوي شوي؟) Can you speak a little more slowly.
Mumkin bel inglizi? (ممكن بالإنجليزي؟) Can we do this in English.
Aywa (أيوه) Yes.
La2 (لأ) No.
Mish mushkile (مش مشكلة) No problem.

Directions and Getting Around

Directions are where travelers often freeze, not because the grammar is hard, but because they only learned single nouns. Phrase frames like `wen...` and `shu tari2...` make your vocabulary usable in the street instead of only recognizable on paper.

Wen...? (وين...؟) Where is...?
Wen el hammam? (وين الحمام؟) Where is the bathroom.
Wen el matar? (وين المطار؟) Where is the airport.
Wen el mahatta? (وين المحطة؟) Where is the station.
Wen wast el balad? (وين وسط البلد؟) Where is downtown.
Yamin (يمين) Right.
Shmel (شمال) Left.
Doghri (دغري) Straight ahead.
Wara (ورا) Behind or back there.
Oddam (قدام) In front of or ahead.
Areeb (قريب) Near.
Baeed (بعيد) Far.
La fo2 (لفوق) Upstairs or up.
La tahet (لتحت) Downstairs or down.
Shu tari2... ? (شو طريق...؟) Which way to...?

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Taxi and Transportation Phrases

For taxis, short and clear usually works better than overbuilding the sentence. Say the destination, check the fare if needed, and keep one or two control phrases ready so you can stop the ride where you want.

Taxi, law samaht (تاكسي، لو سمحت) Taxi, please.
Baddi rouh aa... (بدي روح ع...) I want to go to...
Aa Hamra, min fadlak (عالحمرا، من فضلك) To Hamra, please.
Kam el seer? (كم السير؟) How much is the fare.
Btemshe aal meter? (بتمشي عالعداد؟) Do you use the meter.
Fi bus la... ? (في باص ل...؟) Is there a bus to...?
Emta byousal? (إمتى بيوصل؟) When does it arrive.
Waqef hon (وقف هون) Stop here.
Nazzelne hon (نزّلني هون) Drop me here.
Fi zahme kteer? (في زحمة كتير؟) Is the traffic very bad.

Food, Coffee, and Restaurant Phrases

Food language matters because Lebanese hospitality shows up at every meal. If you can order politely, react warmly, and ask a simple follow-up question, the whole exchange feels more local. For more dish names and table vocabulary, our Lebanese Arabic food vocabulary guide is the best next step.

Baddi el menu, law samaht (بدي المينو، لو سمحت) I would like the menu, please.
Baddi... (بدي...) I want...
Mumkin may? (ممكن مي؟) Water, please.
Mumkin ahwe? (ممكن قهوة؟) Coffee, please.
Mumkin shay? (ممكن شاي؟) Tea, please.
Fi akel nabati? (في أكل نباتي؟) Do you have vegetarian food.
Bila lahme (بلا لحمة) Without meat.
Bila basal (بلا بصل) Without onions.
Heda har? (هيدا حر؟) Is this spicy.
Heda tayyeb kteer (هيدا طيب كتير) This is very delicious.
Sahtein (صحتين) Enjoy your meal.
El hseb, law samaht (الحساب، لو سمحت) The bill, please.
Fi tawle la tnen? (في طاولة لتنين؟) Do you have a table for two.
Mumkin safra aw shanta? (ممكن سفرة أو شنطة؟) Can I get a takeaway bag.
Shu btensaH? (شو بتنصح؟) What do you recommend.

Shopping and Money Phrases

Prices move fast in markets, so combine these lines with number practice before your trip. Even a five-minute review of Lebanese Arabic numbers makes shopping much less stressful.

Adde? (قديش؟) How much.
Ghale shway (غالي شوي) It is a bit expensive.
Fi khasem? (في خصم؟) Is there a discount.
Baddi hadol (بدي هدول) I want these.
Mumkin ajarrib? (ممكن جرّب؟) Can I try it on or try it out.
Andak asghar? / Andik asghar? (عندك أصغر؟) Do you have a smaller one.
Andak akbar? / Andik akbar? (عندك أكبر؟) Do you have a bigger one.
Ma maae cash (ما معي كاش) I do not have cash.
Btaakhdo card? (بتاخدوا كارد؟) Do you take card.
Rjaali el be2e (رجعلي الباقي) Please give me the change back.

Hotel and Accommodation Phrases

Lebanese travel speech often mixes Arabic with borrowed English or French terms, especially in hotels, restaurants, and urban services. That is normal, and it actually helps tourists. You do not need pure textbook Arabic to sound natural in Lebanon.

Andi hajz (عندي حجز) I have a reservation.
Fi oda fadiye? (في أوضة فاضية؟) Do you have a room available.
Baddi oda la layltayn (بدي أوضة لليلتين) I want a room for two nights.
Emta el check-in? (إمتى التشيك إن؟) When is check-in.
Emta el check-out? (إمتى التشيك أوت؟) When is check-out.
Shu el wifi? (شو الواي فاي؟) What is the wifi password.
Fi may sekhne? (في مي سخنة؟) Is there hot water.
Fi manshafe zeyde? (في منشفة زيادة؟) Is there an extra towel.
Mumkin tnaddfo el oda? (ممكن تنظفوا الأوضة؟) Can you clean the room.
Mumkin tsaheene bokra? (ممكن تصحّيني بكرا؟) Can you wake me up tomorrow.

Emergencies and Health Phrases

You hope not to use these, but having them ready lowers stress. In a hard moment, simple speech is better than elegant speech. Memorize the phrases you think would matter most to you personally.

Saaedne! (ساعدني!) Help me.
Fi mushkile (في مشكلة) There is a problem.
Baddi doktor (بدي دكتور) I need a doctor.
Wen el mustashfa? (وين المستشفى؟) Where is the hospital.
Wen el saydaliye? (وين الصيدلية؟) Where is the pharmacy.
Dayaat jawwaze (ضيّعت جوازي) I lost my passport.
Dayyaat tilifone (ضيّعت تليفوني) I lost my phone.
Ana mareed / Ana mareeda (أنا مريض / أنا مريضة) I am sick, masculine or feminine.
Biwjaane hon (بيوجعني هون) It hurts here.
Ittasel bel shorta (اتصل بالشرطة) Call the police.

Social Survival Phrases

These last five phrases are everywhere in daily Lebanese speech. They are small, but they make you sound much less like somebody reciting from a phrasebook and much more like somebody who has been listening.

Yalla (يلا) Let's go, come on, okay.
Khalas (خلاص) Done, enough, or okay.
Mabsout / Mabsouta (مبسوط / مبسوطة) I am happy or glad, masculine or feminine.
Nshallah (إن شاء الله) Hopefully or God willing.
Ma baaref (ما بعرف) I do not know.

How to Learn Lebanese Arabic Travel Phrases Fast

Do not try to memorize all 100 phrases in one sitting. Pick fifteen for the airport, fifteen for food, and ten for taxis. Say them out loud. Put the ones you need most into your notes app. Practice the phrases you are most likely to use in the first forty-eight hours after landing, because those are the ones that create confidence fastest.

The smartest travel prep is not volume. It is relevance. Learn how to greet people, ask where something is, order coffee, understand a fare, and handle a simple problem. Once those patterns feel familiar, the rest of the trip gets lighter. And if you want to keep going after the flight home, a structured course taught in English can turn survival phrases into real spoken Lebanese that actually stays with you.

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Use this phrase list on the ground, then build real conversation skills with our Lebanese Arabic numbers guide, Lebanese Arabic food vocabulary, and the English-taught Lebanese Arabic Accelerator.

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