How To Buy Fruit And Vegetables At The Souq (In Arabic)

Going to the souq is an essential experience in Arabic-speaking countries.

Not knowing the language or the words for what you would like to buy can make it stressful though.

Worry not! This will help.

Today’s guide will help you learn the different types of vegetables and fruits in Arabic, and how to buy them from the souq vendor or from the supermarket.

As a complete beginner of Egyptian Arabic, you need to know two essential verbs for this trip: to buy and to want.

Egyptian verbs: to buy and to want

In order to say “I want to buy (x)”, you would say:

We can now dive in.

Egyptian fruit and vegetable vocabulary

Vegetables

Let’s go over the vocabulary for the vegetables (El-khodaar الخضار) first:

Fruit And now, let’s take a look at the vocabulary for the different fruits (El-Fak.ha الفاكهة):

NOTE: you can listen to the full audio for these terms by creating an account.

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples before we move on to measurements & weights, and how to buy your fruits and vegetables.

The following section is for the more advanced readers. If you are a complete beginner feel free to skip this part and move on the measurements right away:

The following examples are from conversations you are bound to hear in Egypt. These are conversations that occur between family members, some heading to the souq, others bringing fruits from the kitchen, etc.

If you plan to stick around in Egypt and have a roommate or two, you will too eventually be part of these conversations.

Now, before we follow Samira back to the souq, let’s learn the different measurements for weights that she will use.

Measurements and weights in Arabic

For example:

Transliteration: Itnin Kilo tofaah law samaht.

Transliteration: Nos Kilo batates law samaht

Transliteration: Rob‘ Kilo ba’dounes law samaht.

In these previous examples, you might have noticed the direct structure of (weight+ product+ please) in Egyptian Arabic which you can either use with no verb, or preceded with the verb want.

Phrases for shopping in the souq

And now, let’s go over the different questions you might ask while you’re shopping.

The following questions will be in order; as soon as you step into the kiosk, walk you through all the different interactions you might have with the vendor, and until you take your bags and say “Thank you, sir.”

‘Andak Tamatem?

When you know exactly what you’re looking for, this would be the format to use:

‘Andak + vegetable/fruit name?

Example:

You can also use:

Fi+ vegetable/fruit name?

Fi is a preposition meaning “in” and it also has a different meaning: Is there? / There is

El Kilo bi Kam?

Once you do know that the product is in stock, you need to ask about the cost of the product in kilo so you can figure out if it’s a good price or whether it is too expensive.

Good knowledge of numbers will be useful to you then as the vendor will answer الكيلو ب (El Kilo b-) followed by a number which you will help you determine whether it’s expensive or not.

Is the price too high? Want to negotiate?

“Yadoubak” is an expression that means barely.

In this context, you are implying that you would barely agree to pay the alternative number you’re suggesting, and that would be the highest price you are willing to pay.

Momken Nos Kilo Tamatem?

Once you make your decision and you both agree on a price for the kilo, you officially make your order.

This next format you will use is for exactly that, so he can weigh your order and put it in a bag:

**Momken+weight+ product+ (please)? **

Momken means: Is it possible to

Example:

El Wazn Tamam?

Another possible question you might want to ask as a follow up when he weighs your order would be:

That would only be in the case if you want to make sure the weight of the product you asked for is accurate and is not more/less than you initially ordered.

Keda Kam?

Once everything is ready and he packages your order. It’s time to pay!

You will eventually use the question of “Keda kam?” a lot and in several contexts, whenever you’re buying several items anywhere, whether at the grocery store or at the mall, etc.

Another alternative question that you can use is:

Ma‘ak Fakka?

You reach in your pocket and you realize you only have a 50 and you were supposed to pay 8.5 Egyptian pounds. So, you turn to the vendor and say:

Want to take it the extra step, and be a fluent Egyptian?

We would say:

Ma'lish

“Ma‘lish” is a brilliant and sometimes a very frustrating term that Egyptians use.

It can mean: excuse me, never mind, and I am sorry, all at the same time.

In this case, of course, you would mean it as in excuse me” because you will inconvenience the vendor to find change.

It’s also worth mentioning that when you ask someone for “Fakka” in Egyptian, it could either mean:

Shukran

Once you do get your change, do not forget to say thank you in Egyptian Arabic:

Tazza wala la’?

Sometimes you would also like to check on the quality of the product that you are buying.

Is it fresh?

When is its expiration date?

Is it soft enough or is it too ripe?

Sometimes you would even want to handpick your own fruits and vegetables.

I am the same way, and so, I wanted to include this small section of the guide to similar questions for the advanced Arabic learners.

I hope this guide is useful for you and that you will have an enjoyable shopping trip the next time you head to the souq.