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How to take a taxi in Egyptian Arabic
Whether you take a street taxi or an app ride, a few words make the trip smoother, and drivers love chatting with visitors who try.
| Arabic | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| عايز أروح… | 'Ayez aruḥ… | I want to go to… |
| على طول | 'Ala ṭool | Straight ahead |
| يمين | Yemeen | Right |
| شمال | Shmal | Left |
| هنا | Hena | Here |
| على جنب | 'Ala ganb | Pull over here! |
| بكام؟ | Bi-kam? | How much? |
| شكراً | Shukran | Thank you |
Putting it together
Law samaḥt, 'ayez aruḥ il-metro. ("Excuse me, I want to go to the metro.") Then guide the driver: 'ala ṭool… yemeen… hena, 'ala ganb!
A woman says 'ayza aruḥ instead of 'ayez aruḥ. The Arabic changes with who is speaking; here's how that works.
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