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Survival Phrases

Iraqi Arabic / Baghdad

Spoken dialects of Arabic use more vowels than those of formal Arabic. You may click here in order to see a list of vowels in the spoken dialects.

A feature of the dialect in Iraq is that the long I vowel (ee) is pronounced in a manner that is somewhat similar to American English (e.g. like in feel). However, there is a little difference. Whereas the American ee can be described as a compound vowel of a long I (ee) followed by a schwa (ė), the Iraqi ee is composed of a long I (ee) followed by a short E (e).

Formal Long I	Iraqi Long I
ee	ee + e = iy + e = iye

Another feature of Iraqi is that the litter kaaf (k) is sometimes pronounced similar to Turkish ç. This is a middle sound between j and sh. I will write it as jsh.

I. Basics

Yes	na"am	نَعَمْ
	'ee	إِيْ
	balaa	بَلَىْ

la'

لاء

O.K.	ziyen	زِيْنْ
	fine
	saar	صَاْرْ
	(he/it) happened

Please (to a male)	min fadl-ak	مِنْ فَضْلَكْ
	of your favor
	rajaa'an	رَجَاْءً
	(I beg you) begging
	law samahėt	لَوْ سَمَحتْ
	if you allowed

Please (to a female)	min fadl-ijsh	منْ فَضْلِكْ
	of your favor
	rajaa'an	رَجَاْءً
	(I beg you) begging
	law samahti	لَوْ سَمَحْتِ
	if you allowed

Thank you	shukran	شُكْرًا
	thanks

You're welcome (responding to thank you)	"afwan	عَفْوًا
	(I beg) pardoning
	yaa hėlaa	يَاْ هلا
	welcome

Excuse me (to a male)	'aasif	آسِفْ
	sorry
	tismah l-ee	تِسْمَحْ لِيْ
	will (you) excuse me

Excuse me (to a female)	'aasif	آسِفْ
	sorry
	tismaheen l-ee	تِسْمَحِيْنْ لِيْ
	will (you) excuse me

I am sorry

(male)

'anee 'aasif

أَنِيْ آسِفْ

I (am) sorry

I am sorry

(female)

'anee 'aasfa

أَنِيْ آسْفَة

I (am) sorry

Sorry

(male)

'aasif

آسِفْ

sorry

Sorry

(female)

'aasfa

آسْفَة

sorry

No problem	moo mushkila	مُوْ مُشْكِلَة
	not a problem

Hello	'as-salaamu "alaykum	السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُمْ
	the peace on you
	marhabaa	مَرْحَبَاْ
	welcome

Hello (response)	wa-"alaykum ės-salaam	وَعَلَيْكُمْ السَّلامُ
	and on you the peace
	'ahlan	أَهْلاً
	welcome

Welcome (to a male)	yaa hėlaa	يَاْ هلا
	welcome
	hėla biye-k	هلا بِيْكْ
	welcome to you
	'ahlan wa-sahlan	أَهْلاً وَسَهْلاً
	welcome

Welcome (to a female)	yaa hėlaa	يَاْ هلا
	welcome
	hėla biye-jsh	هلا بِيْكْ
	welcome to you
	'ahlan wa-sahlan	أَهْلاً وَسَهْلاً
	welcome

Good morning	sabaah ėl-khair	صَبَاْحْ الْخيرْ
	(the) morning of well-being

Good morning

(response)

sabaah ėn-noor

صَبَاْحْ الْنُّوْرْ

(the) morning of brightness

Good afternoon

Not used

Good evening	masaa'< ėl-khair	مَسَاْءْ الْخيرْ
	(the) evening of well-being

Good evening

(response)

masaa'< ėn-noor

مَسَاْءْ الْنُّوْرْ

(the) evening of brightness

Good night

(to a male)

tisbah "alaa khair

تِصْبَحْ عَلَىْ خيرْ

you be in morning with well-being

Good night

(to a female)

tisbaheen "alaa khair

تِصْبَحِيْنْ عَلَىْ خيرْ

you be in morning with well-being

Goodbye	salaam	سَلامْ
	peace
	ma" as-salaama	مَعْ السَّلامةْ
	with safety