NOTE: For this list, I’ll primarily give you the Modern Standard Arabic words as they’re widely understood. But I’ll include a few super common dialect words you should know.
Learning a new language like Arabic is all about getting those first crucial chunks down - those core words that pop up in every conversation.
Below you’ll find a list of over 150 essential Arabic words (based primarily on frequency).
These are your bread and butter - the words you’ll hear and use constantly.
While you can just memorize these words in isolation, it’s better to learn them in context. Listen out for them and build phrases where you can.
Greetings & essentials
These are your absolute must-knows for politeness and basic interaction.
| English | Transliteration (Approx.) | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Hello / Hi | Marhaban | مَرْحَباً |
| Peace be upon you (Common Islamic greeting) | As-salāmu ʿalaykum | السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُم |
| (Reply to As-salamu alaykum) | Wa ʿalaykum as-salām | وَعَلَيْكُم السَّلام |
| Good morning | Sabāḥ al-khayr | صَباح الْخَيْر |
| (Reply to Good morning) | Sabāḥ an-nūr | صَباح النُّور |
| Good evening | Masāʾ al-khayr | مَساء الْخَيْر |
| (Reply to Good evening) | Masāʾ an-nūr | مَساء النُّور |
| Goodbye | Maʿa as-salāmah | مَعَ السَّلامَة |
| Yes | Naʿam | نَعَم |
| Yes (Egyptian/Levantine) | Aywa | أيوه |
| No | Lā | لا |
| Please (to male) | Min faḍlik | مِنْ فَضْلِك |
| Please (to female) | Min faḍliki | مِنْ فَضْلِكِ |
| Thank you | Shukran | شُكْراً |
| You’re welcome / Pardon me | ʿAfwan | عَفْواً |
| Okay / Alright | Ḥasanan | حَسَناً |
| Okay (common in dialects) | Tayyib / Māshi | طيّب / ماشي |
| Congratulations | Mabrūk | مَبْرُوك |
Basic question words
Knowing how to ask questions is super important for getting information.
| English | Transliteration (Approx.) | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| What? (with verbs) | Mādhā | ماذا |
| What? (with nouns/prepositions) | Mā | ما |
| What? (Levantine) | Shū | شو |
| What? (Egyptian) | Ēh | إيه |
| Who? | Man | مَنْ |
| Where? | Ayna | أَيْنَ |
| When? | Matā | مَتى |
| Why? | Limādhā | لِماذا |
| How? | Kayfa | كَيْفَ |
| How much/many? | Kam | كَمْ |
| Which? | Ayy | أَيّ |
Pronouns (people words)
These little words replace nouns and are used all the time. Here are the subject pronouns (I, you, he, etc.).
| English | Transliteration (Approx.) | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| I | Anā | أنا |
| You (masculine singular) | Anta | أَنْتَ |
| You (feminine singular) | Anti | أَنْتِ |
| He | Huwa | هُوَ |
| She | Hiya | هِيَ |
| We | Naḥnu | نَحْنُ |
| You (plural masculine) | Antum | أَنْتُمْ |
| You (plural feminine) | Antunna | أَنْتُنَّ |
| They (plural masculine) | Hum | هُمْ |
| They (plural feminine) | Hunna | هُنَّ |
| This / This is (masculine) | Hādhā | هذا |
| This / This is (feminine) | Hādhihi | هذِهِ |
| That (masculine) | Dhālika | ذلِكَ |
| That (feminine) | Tilka | تِلْكَ |
Quick Tip: Possessive pronouns (my, your, his) are often shown as suffixes (endings) attached to nouns. For example, kitāb (كتاب) means “book.” Kitāb-ī (كتابي) means “my book.” Kitāb-uk (كتابك) means “your (m.) book.”
Common verbs (action words)
Verbs are doing words. Here are some of the most common ones. I’ll give the “I” form for the present tense (e.g., “I eat”).
| English (I …) | Transliteration (Approx. “I” form) | Arabic (Root / “I” form) |
|---|---|---|
| to be (is/am/are - often implied in present tense) | Akūn (I am) | أكون (كون) |
| to have (I have - often expressed with ‘عندى’ ‘indi) | ʿIndī (I have) | عِنْدي |
| to want (I want) | Urīd | أُريد |
| to want (I want - Egyptian) | ʿĀyiz (m) / ʿĀyza (f) | عايز / عايزة |
| to go (I go) | Adhhab | أَذْهَب |
| to come (I come) | Ātī | آتي |
| to eat (I eat) | Ākul | آكُل |
| to drink (I drink) | Ashrab | أَشْرَب |
| to see (I see) | Arā | أَرى |
| to hear (I hear) | Asmaʿ | أَسْمَع |
| to know (I know) | Aʿrif | أَعْرِف |
| to say/tell (I say) | Aqūl | أَقول |
| to do/make (I do) | Afʿal | أَفْعَل |
| to take (I take) | Ākhudh | آخُذ |
| to give (I give) | Uʿṭī | أُعْطي |
| to love/like (I love/like) | Uḥibb | أُحِبّ |
| to speak/talk (I speak) | Atakallam | أَتَكَلَّم |
| to understand (I understand) | Afham | أَفْهَم |
| to work (I work) | Aʿmal | أَعْمَل |
| to study (I study) | Adrus | أَدْرُس |
| to read (I read) | Aqraʾ | أَقْرَأ |
| to write (I write) | Aktub | أَكْتُب |
| to sleep (I sleep) | Anām | أَنام |
| to sit (I sit) | Ajlis | أَجْلِس |
| to can/be able (I can) | Astaṭīʿ | أَسْتَطيع |
People & family
Words to describe the people around you.
| English | Transliteration (Approx.) | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Man | Rajul | رَجُل |
| Woman | Imraʾah | اِمْرَأَة |
| Boy | Walad | وَلَد |
| Girl | Bint | بِنْت |
| Child/Kid | Ṭifl (m) / Ṭiflah (f) | طِفْل / طِفْلة |
| Family | ʿĀʾilah / Usrah | عائِلَة / أُسْرَة |
| Father | Ab | أَب |
| Mother | Umm | أُمّ |
| Brother | Akh | أَخ |
| Sister | Ukht | أُخْت |
| Friend (male) | Ṣadīq | صَديق |
| Friend (female) | Ṣadīqah | صَديقَة |
| People | Nās | ناس |
Time-related words
Talking about when things happen.
| English | Transliteration (Approx.) | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Time | Waqt | وَقْت |
| Now | Al-ān | الآن |
| Now (Egyptian) | Dilwaqtī | دلوقتي |
| Now (Levantine) | Hallaq / Hassaʿ | هلّق / هلّأ / هسة |
| Later | Bāʿdayn / Lāḥiqan | بَعْدَين / لاحِقاً |
| Today | Al-yawm | الْيَوْم |
| Yesterday | Ams / Al-bāriḥah | أَمْس / الْبارِحَة |
| Tomorrow | Ghadan | غَداً |
| Day | Yawm | يَوْم |
| Night | Laylah | لَيْلَة |
| Morning | Ṣabāḥ | صَباح |
| Evening | Masāʾ | مَساء |
| Week | Usbūʿ | أُسْبوع |
| Month | Shahr | شَهْر |
| Year | Sanah / ʿĀm | سَنَة / عام |
| Before | Qabl | قَبْل |
| After | Baʿd | بَعْد |
| Always | Dāʾiman | دائماً |
| Sometimes | Aḥyānan | أَحْياناً |
| Never | Abadan | أَبَداً |
Place & direction words
Talking about where things are.
| English | Transliteration (Approx.) | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Place | Makān | مَكان |
| Here | Hunā | هُنا |
| There | Hunāk | هُناك |
| In / Inside | Fī / Dākhil | في / داخِل |
| On / Above | ʿAlā / Fawq | عَلى / فَوْق |
| Under / Below | Taḥt | تَحْت |
| In front of | Amām | أَمام |
| Behind | Khalf / Warāʾ | خَلْف / وَراء |
| Next to / Beside | Bijānib / Janb | بِجانِب / جَنْب |
| Near / Close to | Qarīb min | قَريب مِنْ |
| Far from | Baʿīd ʿan | بَعيد عَنْ |
| Left | Yasār | يَسار |
| Right | Yamīn | يَمين |
| Straight ahead | Ilā al-amām / Dughrī (dial.) | إلى الأَمام / دغري |
| Between | Bayna | بَيْنَ |
Common nouns (things & concepts)
These are naming words for everyday objects and ideas.
| English | Transliteration (Approx.) | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Thing | Shayʾ | شَيْء |
| House / Home | Bayt / Manzil | بَيْت / مَنْزِل |
| Car | Sayyārah | سَيَّارَة |
| Book | Kitāb | كِتاب |
| Pen | Qalam | قَلَم |
| Water | Māʾ | ماء |
| Water (Egyptian/Levantine) | Mayya / Moy | ميّة / مي |
| Food | Ṭaʿām / Akl (dial.) | طَعام / أَكْل |
| Money | Māl / Fulūs (dial.) | مال / فُلوس |
| Problem | Mushkilah | مُشْكِلَة |
| Work / Job | ʿAmal / Shughl (dial.) | عَمَل / شُغْل |
| School | Madrasah | مَدْرَسَة |
| University | Jāmiʿah | جامِعَة |
| City | Madīnah | مَدينَة |
| Country | Balad / Dawlah | بَلَد / دَوْلَة |
| Street | Shāriʿ | شارِع |
| Name | Ism | اِسْم |
| Language | Lughah | لُغَة |
| World | ʿĀlam / Dunyā | عالَم / دُنْيا |
| Life | Ḥayāh | حَياة |
| Love | Ḥubb | حُبّ |
| Door | Bāb | باب |
| Window | Shubbāk / Nāfidhah | شُبّاك / نافِذَة |
| Chair | Kursī | كُرْسي |
| Table | Ṭāwilah | طاوِلَة |
| Phone | Hātif / Tilifūn | هاتِف / تليفون |
| Computer | Ḥāsūb / Kumbyūtar | حاسوب / كمبيوتر |
| Tea | Shāy | شاي |
| Coffee | Qahwah | قَهْوَة |
| Sugar | Sukkar | سُكَّر |
| Bread | Khubz / ʿĒsh (Egypt) | خُبْز / عيش |
Common adjectives (describing words)
Adjectives describe nouns. In Arabic, they usually come after the noun they describe and agree in gender and number.
| English | Transliteration (Approx. m/f) | Arabic (m / f) |
|---|---|---|
| Big / Large | Kabīr / Kabīrah | كَبير / كَبيرَة |
| Small / Little | Ṣaghīr / Ṣaghīrah | صَغير / صَغيرَة |
| Good | Jayyid / Jayyidah | جَيِّد / جَيِّدَة |
| Good (common in dialects) | Kuwayyis / Kuwayyisah (Egypt) | كويّس / كويّسة |
| Bad | Sayyiʾ / Sayyiʾah | سَيِّء / سَيِّئَة |
| Beautiful / Pretty | Jamīl / Jamīlah | جَميل / جَميلَة |
| Ugly | Qabīḥ / Qabīḥah | قَبيح / قَبيحَة |
| New | Jadīd / Jadīdah | جَديد / جَديدَة |
| Old (for things) | Qadīm / Qadīmah | قَديم / قَديمَة |
| Old (for people - use ‘big in age’) | Kabīr fī as-sinn | كَبير في السن |
| Happy | Saʿīd / Saʿīdah | سَعيد / سَعيدَة |
| Sad | Ḥazīn / Ḥazīnah | حَزين / حَزينَة |
| Easy | Sahl / Sahlah | سَهْل / سَهْلَة |
| Difficult / Hard | Ṣaʿb / Ṣaʿbah | صَعْب / صَعْبَة |
| Hot (weather/things) | Ḥārr / Sākhin | حارّ / ساخِن |
| Cold (weather/things) | Bārid | بارِد |
| Open | Maftūḥ / Maftūḥah | مَفْتوح / مَفْتوحَة |
| Closed / Shut | Mughlaq / Mughlaqah | مُغْلَق / مُغْلَقَة |
| Important | Muhimm / Muhimmah | مُهِمّ / مُهِمَّة |
| Possible | Mumkin | مُمْكِن |
| Impossible | Mustaḥīl | مُسْتَحيل |
| Delicious | Ladhīdh / Ladhīdhah | لَذيذ / لَذيذَة |
| Tired | Taʿbān / Taʿbānah | تَعْبان / تَعْبانَة |
| Hungry | Jāʾiʿ / Jāʾiʿah | جائِع / جائِعَة |
| Thirsty | ʿAṭshān / ʿAṭshānah | عَطْشان / عَطْشانَة |
Numbers
Let’s start with the numbers 1-10, plus a couple of bigger ones.
| English | Transliteration (Approx.) | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Zero | Ṣifr | صِفْر |
| One | Wāḥid | واحِد |
| Two | Ithnān | اِثْنان |
| Three | Thalāthah | ثَلاثَة |
| Four | Arbaʿah | أَرْبَعَة |
| Five | Khamsah | خَمْسَة |
| Six | Sittah | سِتَّة |
| Seven | Sabʿah | سَبْعَة |
| Eight | Thamāniyah | ثَمانِيَة |
| Nine | Tisʿah | تِسْعَة |
| Ten | ʿAsharah | عَشَرَة |
| Hundred | Miʾah | مِائَة |
| Thousand | Alf | أَلْف |
Conjunctions & prepositions (joining words)
These are crucial for connecting ideas and forming sentences.
| English | Transliteration (Approx.) | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| And | Wa | وَ |
| Or | Aw | أَوْ |
| But | Lākin / Lākinna | لٰكِنْ / لٰكِنَّ |
| In / At | Fī | في |
| On / About | ʿAlā | عَلى |
| With (together with) | Maʿa | مَعَ |
| With (by means of) | Bi- | بِـ |
| For / To (purpose/ownership) | Li- | لِـ |
| From | Min | مِنْ |
| To (direction) | Ilā | إِلى |
| Because | Liʾanna | لِأَنَّ |
| If / When (conditional) | Idhā / Law | إذا / لَوْ |
| That (conjunction, e.g. I think that…) | Anna | أَنَّ |
| Not (negating verbs) | Lā / Lam / Lan (depends on tense) | لا / لَمْ / لَنْ |
| Not (negating nouns/adjectives - is not) | Laysa (conjugated) | لَيْسَ |
These tables of Arabic words will give you a solid foundation.
Don’t learn in isolation. My chunking approach is all about learning in context - learn words phrases and sentences.
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