Public Transport

1. الباص دا بمشي وسط البلد؟

   Il-bāṣ da bimshi wasaṭ il-balad?

   Does this bus go to the town centre?

   Usage

   Check the destination with the driver or people nearby before boarding. Say the name of the place clearly

   Grammar Note

   "Bāṣ" is a loanword; do not confuse it with "baṣṣ", the command "look". Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

2. نزلني هنا لو سمحت

   Nazzilni hina law samaḥt

   Please let me off here

   Usage

   Tell the driver of a taxi, minibus or rickshaw where you want to get off. Check whether you pay before or after

   Grammar Note

   The imperative of "nazzil" (let off) plus "-ni" (me). The ending changes when speaking to a woman. The vowels are inferred. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

3. الكرسي دا فيهو زول؟

   Il-kursi da fīhu zōl?

   Is anyone sitting in this seat?

   Usage

   Ask before taking an empty seat on a vehicle. The everyday word for "person" is "zōl"

   Grammar Note

   "Fīhu" means "in it"; the literal sense is "is there a person in this seat". Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

4. اخر باص الساعة كم؟

   Ākhir bāṣ is-sāʿa kam?

   What time is the last bus?

   Usage

   Ask to be sure you can get back. Services thin out at night, so it is safer to return early

   Grammar Note

   "Last" comes before the noun as "ākhir". Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

5. وين ممكن اشتري تذكرة؟

   Wēn mumkin ashtiri tazkara?

   Where can I buy a ticket?

   Usage

   Use it to find the ticket office for long-distance buses or trains. For city transport you often pay the driver directly

   Grammar Note

   "Ticket" has the same form as in Standard Arabic. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

6. الباص دا بقيف عند السوق؟

   Il-bāṣ da bigīf ʿind is-sūg?

   Does this bus stop at the market?

   Usage

   Check before boarding whether it stops where you want to get off. If not, ask where it stops nearby

   Grammar Note

   The letter qāf is read g ("sūg"). "Stop" uses the verb "yigīf" (stand). The vowels are inferred. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

7. المشوار بياخد كم ساعة؟

   Il-mishwār biyākhud kam sāʿa?

   How many hours does the journey take?

   Usage

   For longer trips. Times change with road conditions and traffic, so allow some slack

   Grammar Note

   "Kam" + a singular noun means "how many". Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

8. المشوار للسوق بي كم؟

   Il-mishwār lis-sūg bi kam?

   How much is the ride to the market?

   Usage

   Use it to agree on the fare before riding. On vehicles without a meter, fix the price first to avoid arguments

   Grammar Note

   The destination takes "li-", which assimilates before the article, as in "lis-". Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

9. في ركشات هنا؟

   Fī rakshāt hina?

   Are there rickshaws (three-wheeled taxis) here?

   Usage

   Use it to look for three-wheelers, handy for short distances. Agree on the destination and price before riding

   Grammar Note

   A loanword takes the plural ending "-āt". The vowels are inferred. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

Browse all TravelPhrases languages