Ordering Food & Coffee in Egyptian Arabic
Key phrases for ordering at a restaurant or ahwa, customizing your order, and talking about food you like.
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Questions Covered in This Set
11 cards to master
لو سمحت / لو سمحتي (law samaḥt / samaḥti)
"Excuse me / if you please" — to a man / to a woman; the standard way to get a waiter's attention.
How do you say "I want tea" as a man? As a woman?
أنا عايز شاي (ana ʿāyez shāy) — man; أنا عايزة شاي (ana ʿāyza shāy) — woman. عايز is normal, not rude.
ممكن الحساب؟ (mumkin el-ḥesāb?)
"Could I have the bill?" — ممكن is the soft, always-safe way to request something (ممكن المنيو؟ = the menu).
Name the four coffee sugar levels at an ahwa.
سادة sāda (no sugar), عالريحة ʿar-rīḥa (barely a pinch), مظبوط maẓbūṭ (medium — the default), زيادة ziyāda (very sweet).
How is ق pronounced in Egyptian Arabic (e.g. قهوة)?
As a glottal stop — قهوة is ʾahwa, not qahwa.
How do you say "with" and "without" when customizing an order?
بـ (bi-) = with; من غير (min ghēr) = without. E.g. من غير شطة = without hot sauce.
Size words: large, medium, small
كبير kebīr (large), وسط wasaṭ (medium), صغير ṣughayyar (small).
بحب الكشري / مش بحب الباذنجان
baḥebb el-koshari = "I love koshari"; mesh baḥebb el-bitingān = "I don't like eggplant." بحب = I like/love.
How do you say "I'm vegetarian"?
أنا نباتي (ana nabāti — m.) / أنا نباتية (ana nabātiyya — f.).
What does the waiter say meaning "Right away"?
حاضر (ḥāḍer). He may greet you with أيوه يا فندم؟ (aywa ya fandim?) or تحب إيه؟ (teḥebb eh?).
شاي كشري vs شاي فتلة
shāy koshari = strong steeped tea; shāy fatla = teabag tea.
