Abu Dhabi phrasebook: speaking Arabic as a visitor
Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and the largest of its seven emirates. As in Dubai, Arabic is the official language, Gulf Arabic is what you hear in Emirati homes and majlis gatherings, and English is widely used in hotels, offices and shops. Official signs pair Modern Standard Arabic with English, so learning to recognise a handful of written words — such as the words for exit, entrance and street — is genuinely useful.
Hospitality is central to Emirati culture: being offered Arabic coffee (gahwa) and dates is a common welcome, and it is polite to accept at least one small cup. Greet with as-salāmu ʿalaykum, use the right hand to give and receive, and dress modestly when visiting mosques, including the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, where a dress code applies to visitors.
What you will hear in a taxi
Taxi drivers in Abu Dhabi tend to use a few short, predictable phrases. Recognising them matters more than saying them:
| Arabic | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| إلى أين؟ | ilā ayna | Where to? (taxi) |
| حسناً. | ḥasanan | OK, alright. |
| كم؟ | kam | How much? |
Travel phrases for Abu Dhabi
| Arabic | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| واحد | wāḥid | 1 |
| ثلاثة | thalātha | 3 |
| مئة | miʾa | 100 |
| شاي | shāy | tea |
| الحساب | al-ḥisāb | the bill |
| أين؟ | ayna | where? |
| يمين | yamīn | right |
| المطار | al-maṭār | airport |
| لا أفهم | lā afham | I don't understand |
| مستشفى | mustashfā | hospital |
Flight search and trip essentials
Compare flights on Kiwi.com, our flight-search partner. Enter the airport code below as your destination when the search opens.
| Destination | Airport code (IATA) |
|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi, UAE | AUH |
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Once you land
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Situations to practise before you go
At the restaurant
Key pieces: قائمة الطعام · الحساب
Eating out is one of the best parts of travel. Learn to ask for a table, order, and pay.
- مطعم (MAT-'am) — restaurant
- طاولة (TAA-wi-la) — table
- قائمة الطعام (QAA-i-mat aT-Ta'aam) — the menu
- الحساب (al-hi-SAAB) — the bill
- ماء (maa) — water
- لذيذ (la-ZEEZ) — delicious
To say “A table for two, please” in Arabic: طاولة لشخصين، من فضلك (TAA-wi-la li-shakh-SAYN, min FAD-lak). Built from طاولة = table; لشخصين = for two persons; من فضلك = please.
To say “The menu, please” in Arabic: قائمة الطعام، من فضلك (QAA-i-mat aT-Ta'aam, min FAD-lak). Built from قائمة الطعام = the menu; من فضلك = please.
To say “I want water, please” in Arabic: أريد ماءً، من فضلك (u-REED MAA-an, min FAD-lak). Built from أريد = I want; ماءً = water; من فضلك = please.
To say “This is delicious” in Arabic: هذا لذيذ (HAA-za la-ZEEZ). Built from هذا = this; لذيذ = delicious.
To say “The bill, please” in Arabic: الحساب، من فضلك (al-hi-SAAB, min FAD-lak). Built from الحساب = the bill; من فضلك = please.
Money & prices
Key pieces: نقود · بطاقة · الباقي
Numbers up to a thousand help with prices. You can also ask whether card payment is possible.
- نقود (nu-QOOD) — money/cash
- بطاقة (bi-TAA-qa) — card
- مئة (MI-a) — hundred
- مئتان (mi-a-TAAN) — two hundred
- ألف (ALF) — thousand
- الباقي (al-BAA-qee) — the change (money back)
To say “How much is this?” in Arabic: بكم هذا؟ (bi-KAM HAA-za). Built from بكم = for how much; هذا = this.
To say “Can I pay by card?” in Arabic: هل يمكن الدفع بالبطاقة؟ (hal YUM-kin ad-DAF' bil-bi-TAA-qa). Built from هل يمكن = is it possible; الدفع = payment; بالبطاقة = by card.
To say “I want to pay with cash” in Arabic: أريد الدفع نقداً (u-REED ad-DAF' NAQ-dan). Built from أريد = I want; الدفع = to pay; نقداً = with cash.
To say “This is one thousand” in Arabic: هذا ألف (HAA-za ALF). Built from هذا = this; ألف = thousand.
To say “Where is the change?” in Arabic: أين الباقي؟ (AY-na al-BAA-qee). Built from أين = where; الباقي = the change.
Feeling ill / at the doctor
Key pieces: مريض · طبيب · صيدلية
If you get sick abroad, say you are ill, where it hurts, and ask for a doctor or pharmacy.
- مريض (ma-REED) — ill/sick
- طبيب (Ta-BEEB) — doctor
- صيدلية (Say-da-LEE-ya) — pharmacy
- يؤلمني (yu'-LI-mu-nee) — it hurts me
- رأسي (RA'-see) — my head
- بطني (BAT-nee) — my stomach
To say “I am ill” in Arabic: أنا مريض (A-naa ma-REED). Built from أنا = I; مريض = ill.
To say “My head hurts” in Arabic: يؤلمني رأسي (yu'-LI-mu-nee RA'-see). Built from يؤلمني = it hurts me; رأسي = my head.
To say “My stomach hurts” in Arabic: يؤلمني بطني (yu'-LI-mu-nee BAT-nee). Built from يؤلمني = it hurts me; بطني = my stomach.
To say “I need a doctor” in Arabic: أحتاج طبيباً (ah-TAAJ Ta-BEE-ban). Built from أحتاج = I need; طبيباً = a doctor.
To say “Where is the pharmacy?” in Arabic: أين الصيدلية؟ (AY-na aS-Say-da-LEE-ya). Built from أين = where; الصيدلية = the pharmacy.
Example dialogue
Taking a taxi
You: مرحبا، أريد الذهاب إلى المطار. (marḥaban, urīd adh-dhahāb ilā al-maṭār) — Hello, I want to go to the airport.
Driver: حسنا. (ḥasanan) — OK.
You: كم من الوقت؟ (kam min al-waqt) — How long does it take?
Driver: عشرون دقيقة. (ʿishrūn daqīqa) — Twenty minutes.
You: قف هنا من فضلك. شكرا. (qif hunā min faḍlak, shukran) — Stop here, please. Thanks.
Arabic etiquette that helps in Abu Dhabi
Dress modestly
Cover shoulders and knees, especially at mosques and religious or rural areas. Women may need a headscarf to enter a mosque.
During Ramadan
Avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight in the fasting month. The evening iftar is a warm, social occasion.
Feet & photos
Don't point the soles of your feet at people, and ask before photographing locals — especially women.
Written by the LanguagePath editorial team from our own course material. Pronunciation guides are approximate English respellings; tap any phrase in the app above to hear it. Native-speaker review of every course is ongoing — tell us if you spot an error.