Lesson 13
Travel and Transport
السفر والمواصلات
Navigate airports, trains and taxis in Arabic. Polite request forms are introduced essential for any travel in the Arabic-speaking world.
Travel Vocabulary
ArabicTransliterationMeaning
مَطَارmaṭārairport
قِطَارqiṭārtrain
تَاكْسِيtāksītaxi
تَذْكِرَةtadhkiraticket
جَوَاز السَّفَرjawāz as-safarpassport
أَيْنَ...؟ayna...?Where is...?
مِنْ فَضْلِك، أَيْنَ مَحَطَّةُ الْقِطَار؟ اِذْهَبْ يَمِيناً ثُمَّ يَسَاراً
Min faḍlik, ayna maḥaṭṭatu l-qiṭār? Idhhab yamīnan thumma yasāran
Excuse me, where is the train station? Go right then left.
أُرِيدُ تَذْكِرَةً إِلَى الْقَاهِرَةِ، مِنْ فَضْلِك
Urīdu tadhkiratan ilā l-Qāhira, min faḍlik
I would like a ticket to Cairo, please.
- Imperative اِذْهَبْ: "Go!" the command form derived from the present يَذْهَب by removing the يَ prefix and adding sukūn.
- Directions: يَمِين (right), يَسَار (left), أَمَام (straight ahead), وَرَاء (back) essential for giving and following directions.
- مِنْ فَضْلِك: "Please" literally "from your favour." Indispensable in any Arabic-speaking country.
- Islamic travel: Travelling for Ḥajj, ʿUmrah, and seeking knowledge are all islamically encouraged this vocabulary serves those journeys directly.