Say Thank You in Lebanese: The Ultimate Guide

Welcome to our guide on learning how to say “thank you” in Lebanese Arabic! Whether you’re planning a trip to Lebanon, or simply interested in learning more about the Arabic language, being able to express gratitude in the local dialect is an essential skill to have. In this post, we will be sharing with you not only the various ways to say “thank you” in Lebanese, but also other polite phrases such as “please” and “you’re welcome.” You will also find a video and a transcript of the lesson, as well as a list of words and sentences used in the lesson. We hope that this guide will be helpful for you in your journey to learn Lebanese Arabic, and that you will be able to use these phrases with confidence while in Lebanon and among Lebanese speakers. So let’s get started and learn how to say “thank you” in Lebanese, and many other useful phrases.

Transcript

sabaH el kheir!
A new video and my mom will be proud of this video because it’s all about formalities: How to say thank you in Lebanese in many ways, and how to say sorry in many ways which “tante” and “3ammo” (old people) will be happy to hear.

Saying “Please” in Lebanese

Traditional Way

Please (traditional way): 3mol ma3rouf (for a man), 3meleh ma3rouf (for a woman). ma3rouf means a favor. 3mol means do. so do a favor, like “please”.

Commonly Used

The second one and it’s very used, especially for students that study Arabic abroad: mn fadlak (for a man) or mn fadlik (for a woman). Fadel means also kind of a favor. So mn fadlak/mn fadlik: please.

Casual

A funny one: ma tosghar for a man, ma tosghareh for a woman. And tosghar means getting smaller, so please also means ma tosghar.

Saying “Excuse Me” in Lebanese

Formal

Excuse me: 3afwan Excuse me, miss I didn’t understand 3afwan, miss I didn’t understand

Casual

another one: b3azbak or b3azbik can I please ask you for this? b3azbak?

So b3azbak means in a way to torture you or ask you a favor. So b3azbak, I’m asking you a favor. and it is not excuse me, it’s please so b3azbak and b3azbik it’s for please, not for excuse me

excuse me: law sama7et, law sama7teh. and sama7et means I permit so: if you permit, can you get me this book? law sama7et/law sama7teh, can you get me this book?

and now another one for excuse me. Now this is casual: bi sharafak, bi sharafik. sharaf means something like pride… bi sharafak, bi sharafik

Is it ok?

“ma3leh? (Is it ok?) ma3leh iza…? (Is it ok if?) ma3leh iza beshrab may? (Is it ok if I wash my hands?) ma3leh iza bekoul? (Is it ok if I eat?) is it ok if? : ma3leh iza?”

Do you have a problem?

“3endak meshkleh? or 3endik meshkleh? (Do you have a problem?) 3endalk meshkleh/3endik meshkleh if I go and swim?”

No problem

“mesh meshkleh or mesh mashkal (No problem)”

It doesn’t matter

“ma bi 2assir (It doesn’t matter)”

You’re welcome

“tekram 3aynak, tekram 3aynik (You’re welcome) It means: yes, of course, you are welcome to use it.

Another one for welcome

“ahla or ahla w sahla (Another one for welcome) Another one for welcome: ya 3ayb el shoum, which means, oh don’t say “thank you”. You’re welcome: ya 3ayb el shoum which could also mean: if someone makes something bad, especially kids “ya 3ayb el shoum”: it’s not appropriate”

Excuse me or Sorry to Bother

“ma twekhezneh or ma twekhzineh (Excuse me or Sorry to Bother) another one is mn ba3ed eznak, mn ba3ed eznik which literally means after your permission”

Don’t mention it

“mesh baynetna (Don’t mention it) Example: what! you’re saying “thank you” to me? You’re like my sister! mesh baynetna. mesh baynetna if you borrow my top. Another one for don’t mention it: walaw! la 3younak/3younik Example: -Oh! did you get me this? thank you I love it! -la 3younak/3younik”

Yes, I will do it

“bi amrak/amrik (Yes, I will do it) amer means command or demand. A strict demand.”

Thank you in Lebanese

“yeslamo (Thank you in Lebanese) we also say, like when someone prepares food for you and want to thank them and you feel very special, you say yeslamo hal ‘idein so if my mother cooks something for me, or my I-don’t-know-who, and I like it: yeslamo hal ‘idein shou taybeen! yeslamo hal ‘idein, how delicious they are!

If someone recently gets a baby

you will say: ykhallilak/ykhallilik yeh if the child is a boy. If it’s a girl you will say ykhallilak/ykhallilik yeha

I think I will stop because I did a lot

there’s a lot lot more of those sentences in the Lebanese Arabic Phrasebook Vol. 2
and thank you, yeslamo, ykhallileh yekoun, betshakkarkoun, bi amerkoun! ok lots of expressions! see you!

List of Words From This Lesson

Here are all of the words and sentences taught in this lesson, as well as some essential words that I hadn’t mentioned in the video and which fit right into this topic

English	Lebanese
Thank you	shukran شكرًا
Thank you	yeslamo يسلموا
Please	3mol/3meleh ma3rouf عمول/ عميلي معروف
Please	bi sharafak/bi sharafik ِبشَرَفَك/ ِبشَرَفِك
Please	mn fadlak/fadlik من فضلك
Please	ma tosghar/tosghareh ما تصغر/ي
Excuse me	3afwan عفوًا
Excuse me/Please	b3azbak/b3azbik بعزبك (بعذبك)
Excuse me/Please	law sama7et/sama7teh لو سمحت/ي
You’re welcome	tekram 3aynak/3aynik تكرم عينك
You’re welcome	tekram/ tekrameh تكرم/ي
You’re welcome	ahla اهلا
You’re welcome	ahla w sahla اهلا وسهلا
You’re welcome	ya 3eib el shoum يا عيب الشوم
You’re welcome	la 3younak/ 3younik لعيونك
Is it ok?	ma3leh? معلي؟
Do you have a problem?	3endak meshkleh? or 3endik عندك مشكلة؟
No problem	mesh meshkleh / mesh mashkal مش مشكلة/مشكل
It doesn’t matter	ma bi 2assir ما بأسّر (بأثّر)
Don’t mention it	mesh baynetna مش بيناتنا
Don’t mention it	walaw! la 3younak/3younik ولو! لعيونك
Your wish is my command	bi amrak/amrik بأمرك

Spread the dialect!