Food and Drink

الطعام والشراب

Order food, discuss meals, and use numbers for quantities. The Islamic concept of ḥalāl naturally integrates into the food vocabulary of this unit.

Food and Drink Vocabulary

ArabicTransliterationMeaning

خُبْزkhubzbread

أَرُزّaruzzrice

لَحْمlaḥmmeat

مَاءmāʾwater

حَلِيبḥalībmilk

حَلَالḥalālpermissible (food)

أُرِيد...urīdu...I want / I would like...

أُرِيدُ كُوبَ مَاءٍ مِنْ فَضْلِك Urīdu kūba māʾin min faḍlik I would like a glass of water please.

نَأْكُلُ الْأَرُزَّ وَاللَّحْمَ فِي الْغَدَاء Naʾkulu l-aruzza wa-l-laḥma fī l-ghadāʾ We eat rice and meat for lunch.

مِنْ فَضْلِك: The standard polite "please" literally "from your grace/favour."
Numbers with food: ثَلَاثَة كُيُوب (three cups) number comes before the noun.
أُرِيد vs أَرِيد: Both are correct; أُرِيد (Form IV) is the standard MSA form.
Halal integration: هَل هَذَا حَلَال؟ (Is this halal?) a practical phrase for Muslim travellers.