Greetings
السلام عليكم
as-salamu alaykum
Peace be upon you — the standard formal greeting. The reply is 'wa alaykum as-salam'.
مرحبا
mar-ha-ba
Hello, welcome — the everyday casual greeting across the Gulf.
شكراً
shuk-ran
Thank you. 'Afwan' is you're welcome.
لو سمحت
law sa-maht
Excuse me / if you please — the polite opener for asking anything.
Daily life
العين
al-ayn
The city's name means 'the spring'. It is named for the water that made an oasis possible in the middle of a desert.
الفلج / الأفلاج
al-falaj / al-aflaj
The channel irrigation system, partly underground, that waters Al Ain's oases. Hili has one of the oldest known examples and it is why the city is a World Heritage site.
الواحة
al-waha
The oasis. Al Ain has several inside the built-up city, and they are working date farms rather than parks.
جبل حفيت
ja-bal ha-feet
Jebel Hafeet, the 1,240-metre mountain on the city's southern edge — the highest point in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.
البريمي
al-bu-rai-mi
Al Buraimi — the Omani town on the other side of the border, physically continuous with Al Ain.
خلاص
kha-las
Done, enough, finished. The most useful single word in the Gulf.
Work
الهوية
al-hawiya
The Emirates ID — your proof of residency and the key to a bank account, a postpaid SIM, a registered tenancy and a driving licence.
Food
الحساب لو سمحت
al-hisab law samaht
The bill, please.
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