Hi again and welcome back! In this lesson, we’re going to dive into the world of travel and learn some essential phrases in Lebanese Arabic that will come in handy when you’re in Lebanon. The word “afwan” in Arabic is a very important one to remember, as it means “excuse me” and is used frequently in conversation. From asking about your delayed baggage to exchanging money, to taking a cab, we’ve got you covered. So, let’s start by learning the word afwan and the rest of the key phrases you need to make your trip to Lebanon a smooth and enjoyable one.
Transcript
In this lesson, you’ll learn some useful phrases for traveling in Lebanon.
At the Airport
Upon arrival in Lebanon, you will hear the greeting “Welcome to Lebanon” which in Arabic is “Ahla w sahla b Lebnen.”
If your baggage is late, you can say “Excuse me, my baggage is late” in Arabic, which is “afwan, ghradeh t2akharit.” Alternatively, you can also say “afwan shenateh t2akharit.”
If you’ve lost your baggage, you can say “Excuse me, I lost my baggage” in Arabic, which is “afwan dayya3et ghradeh” or “afwan dayya3et shenateh.”
Exchanging Money
If you need to exchange money, you can say “Excuse me, I want to exchange money” in Arabic, which is “afwan, baddeh sarrif masareh.” The currency in Lebanon is the Lira, and both Lira and dollars are accepted in shops. Euros are not accepted.
Taking a Cab
To take a cab to your hotel, step outside the airport and you’ll see many cabs available. There are no buses or metros available in the airport.
When you get into the cab, you can say “Hello, I want to go to Ashrafieh” in Arabic, which is “marhaba baddeh rouh aal Ashrafieh.” To ask how much the cab will cost, you can say “How much do you take?” in Arabic, which is “Addeh betrid.”
Note that the first cab you take from the airport will likely be more expensive than subsequent cabs. There are two types of cabs in Lebanon: “service” cabs which you see on the streets, and “taxi” cabs which you call to reserve in advance. Service cabs are much cheaper than taxi cabs and will cost less than one euro or dollar.
Recap
Let’s repeat what we learned:
| English | Lebanese Arabic |
|---|---|
| Welcome | ahla w sahla |
| Lebanon | lebnein |
| Welcome to Lebanon | Ahla w sahla b lebnen |
| Excuse me | afwan |
| Excuse me, my baggage is late | afwan, ghradeh t2akharit or afwan shenateh t2akharit |
| Excuse me I lost my baggage | afwan dayya3et ghradeh or afwan dayya3et shenateh |
| Excuse me, I wanted to exchange money | afwan, baddeh sarrif masareh |
| Hello I want to go to Ashrafieh | marhaba baddeh rouh aal Ashrafieh |
| How much do you want? | Addeh betrid? |
| Money | masareh |
| I want | baddeh |
Ok so, now my lesson at the airport is done, and now you know how to ask people questions starting with ‘excuse me’ which is ‘afwan‘ in Arabic.
I hope you enjoyed it
I will meet you again in lesson 3, to talk more about the hotels, and apartments, if you’re going to reserve.
So see you soon!
After you learn these sentences, watch them being used in a conversation: Conversation 1 : Airport (from Lesson 2)