In Jordan, you can get by very well with English — but a few words of Jordanian Arabic will bring a smile to every Jordanian's face. Arabic is a language of the heart: those who make an effort are rewarded with warmth and enthusiasm.
Greetings & Politeness
| German | Jordanian Arabic | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Hello (Islamic) | As-Salamu Alaykum | as-saLAmu aLAIkum |
| (Response) | Wa Alaykum as-Salam | wa aLAIkum as-saLAM |
| Hello (informal) | Marhaba | MARhaba |
| Welcome | Ahlan wa Sahlan | AHlan wa SAHlan |
| Good morning | Sabah al-Khair | SAba al-CHAIR |
| (Response) | Sabah an-Nur | SAba an-NUR |
| Good evening | Masa al-Khair | MAsa al-CHAIR |
| Goodbye | Ma'a Salama | MA-a saLAma |
| Thank you | Shukran | SHUKran |
| Thank you very much | Shukran Jazilan | SHUKran dschaSIlan |
| You're welcome | Afwan | AFwan |
| Yes / No | Aiwa / La' | AIwa / LA |
| Excuse me | Afwan / Samahni | AFwan / saMACHni |
| How are you? | Kif halak? (m) / Kif halik? (f) | KIF HALak / KIF HALik |
| I'm fine | Al-Hamdu lillah, tamam | alHAMdu LILlah, taMAM |
| What's your name? | Shu Ismak? (m) / Shu Ismik? (f) | schu ISSmak / schu ISSmik |
| My name is... | Ismi... | ISmi... |
Useful Phrases
| German | Jordanian Arabic |
|---|
| How much does this cost? | Qaddesh ha? |
| Too expensive! | Ghali ktir! |
| Where is...? | Wein...? |
| I don't understand | Ma bafham |
| Do you speak English? | Btihki Inglizi? |
| No problem | Mafi mushkile |
| God willing | Inshallah |
| Thank God | Al-Hamdu lillah |
| Beautiful! | Hilu ktir! |
| Delicious! | Tayyib! |
| I want... | Biddi... |
| Enough! | Khalas! |
Food & Drink
| German | Arabic |
|---|
| Water | Mai / Mayy |
| Bread | Khubz |
| Coffee | Qahwa |
| Tea | Shai |
| Meat | Lahmeh |
| Chicken | Djaj |
| Rice | Ruzz |
| The bill, please | Al-Hisab, min fadlak |
Numbers
| Number | Arabic | Number | Arabic |
|---|
| 1 | Wahad | 6 | Sitteh |
| 2 | Ithnen | 7 | Sab'a |
| 3 | Thalatheh | 8 | Thamaniyeh |
| 4 | Arba'a | 9 | Tis'a |
| 5 | Khamseh | 10 | Ashara |
| 20 | Ishrin | 100 | Miyeh |
At the Hotel
| German | Arabic |
|---|
| Room | Ghurfa |
| Single room | Ghurfa mufrada |
| Double room | Ghurfa muzdawaja |
| Air conditioning | Takyif |
| Key | Muftah |
Emergency
| German | Arabic |
|---|
| Help! | Musaa'da! / Sa'idni! |
| Police | Shurtah (Tel: 911) |
| Ambulance | Is'af (Tel: 911) |
| Hospital | Mustashfa |
| Pharmacy | Saydaliyyeh |
| I need a doctor | Biddi doktor |
| German Embassy | As-Safara al-Almaniyyeh (Tel: +962 6 5901170) |
💡 Tipp
The magic formula in Jordan: "Shukran" (Thank you) with a smile. And when someone asks "Kif halak?" (How are you?), reply "Al-Hamdu lillah" (Thank God, good) — even if you've just climbed 800 steps to the monastery. The Jordanians will love it.
