Essential Arabic phrases

The universal greeting; reply 'wa alaykum as-salaam'. Works with everyone in Bahrain regardless of religion or nationality, and is expected before you get to business.

'How are you?' — the Bahraini and Kuwaiti form. Saudis from Riyadh say 'kayf halak'. Using shlonak here marks you as someone who has actually been in the Gulf.

'The bridge' — the King Fahd Causeway to Saudi Arabia. Nobody uses the full name. Traffic reports, weekend plans and half of Bahrain's retail economy revolve around it.

One thousandth of a dinar. Bahraini prices carry three decimal places — 'BD 1.250' is one dinar 250 fils. The dinar is worth roughly USD 2.65, so small numbers mean large amounts.

The CPR card, from the Central Population Register. Everyone says 'CPR' in English. It is the number your bank, landlord, clinic and phone line all key off.

Muharraq — the old capital on the next island, home to the UNESCO-listed pearling path and the airport. Bahrainis distinguish sharply between Manama and Muharraq.

The reception room where a Bahraini family receives guests, and by extension the weekly open gathering itself. An invitation to someone's majlis is a real social step, not small talk.

Adliya — the restaurant and gallery quarter around Block 338. When someone says 'let's go 338' they mean the pedestrianised block, not a street number.

Bahrain's national dish — spiced rice with fish or meat. Note the 'ch': Bahraini dialect turns some k sounds into ch, which is one of the quickest ways to hear where someone is from.

Sweet, milky, cardamom-spiced tea sold from roadside stands for a few hundred fils. The Gulf's real social lubricant and the reason there are queues on the corniche at midnight.

Emergencies — 999 covers police, ambulance and civil defence together in Bahrain. 112 is not a Bahraini emergency number, despite being the GSM default.