Lesson 11: Please
Here we'll learn about one of the most important words in Arabic – please! We’ll show you all the ways to say it. Yes, there is way more than one!
Polite Ways to Say Please in Levantine Arabic
In Arabic, there are many ways to say "please", depending on how formal you want to be and who you're talking to. Here's a breakdown.
Don't get overwhelmed—just stick to the ones that feel easiest and practice the others sway sway (little by little).
| Arabic | Transcription |
|---|---|
| بليز | Bliis |
| من فضلك | Min fadhlak |
| إذا بتريد | Idha betreed |
| لو سمحت | Law sama7t |
| عمل معروف | 3amel m3arouf |
بليز
Bliiz
Meaning: Please
- Very casual and widely used in Lebanon.
-
It comes from the English word "please."
من فضلك
Min fadlak
- Min faḍlak (to a man), min faḍlek (to a woman), min faḍlkon (to a group)
- Meaning: Please / From your kindness - That is why we add the possessives depending on who we are talking to.
إذا بتريد
Idha betreed
- Iza betreed (m), betreedi (f), betreedo (pl)
- Meaning: If you please / if you want
Here we are conjugating a verb. That is why we are no longer using the possessives but rather something new. For now keep in mind the endings!
لو سمحت
Law sama7t
- Law sama7t (m), sama7ti (f), sama7to (pl)
- Meaning: If you allow / Excuse me / Please
Again, we are working with a verb here, so the endings are different.
عمل معروف
3mel ma3rouf
-
3mel m3arouf (m), 3mli m3arouf (f), 3mlo m3arouf (pl)
-
Meaning: Do me a favor / Please (Sounds like "do me a kindness)
Again, we are working with a verb here, the verb to do (3mel) so we are gonna add the new learned entings (-i) when speaking to a woman and(-o) for a group.
Don’t stress — It's fine if you don't remember all the different ways to say "please". Just stick to the ones you feel comfortable with! Here are a couple of practice questions if you want to challenge yourself a bit! Translate these sentences!