إزيك؟ (izzayyak?)
Pronunciation: iz-ZAY-yak
Meaning: How are you?
A common Egyptian Arabic greeting; form changes with gender and number.
Egyptian Arabic and multilingual Cairo usage
Cairo slang and local language guide
Cairo local language explained through Egyptian Arabic greetings, taxis, cafés, markets, food, directions, and everyday social conversation. Learn meaning, pronunciation, register, cultural context, and when neutral language is safer.
12 high-interest local terms
عامل إيه؟ (amel eh?)
Pronunciation: AA-mel eh
Meaning: How are you doing?
A very common informal greeting in Egyptian Arabic.
تمام (tamam)
Pronunciation: ta-MAAM
Meaning: Okay / perfect / all good
Used for agreement, reassurance, or confirmation.
ماشي (mashi)
Pronunciation: MAA-shee
Meaning: Okay / agreed / moving along
Meaning depends on tone and context.
خلاص (khalas)
Pronunciation: kha-LAAS
Meaning: Enough / finished / settled
Can close a discussion, signal completion, or express impatience.
يلا (yalla)
Pronunciation: YAL-lah
Meaning: Let’s go / come on
Widely used across Arabic-speaking regions.
معلش (maalish)
Pronunciation: maa-LEESH
Meaning: Never mind / sorry / it cannot be helped
A flexible Egyptian expression used for apology, consolation, or acceptance.
فكة (fakka)
Pronunciation: FAK-kah
Meaning: Small change
Useful in taxis, kiosks, and cash transactions.
أجرة (ogra)
Pronunciation: OG-rah
Meaning: Fare
Common in transport and taxi contexts.
كشري (koshari)
Pronunciation: KOSH-ah-ree
Meaning: Egyptian rice, pasta, lentil, and chickpea dish
A central Cairo food term.
قهوة (ahwa)
Pronunciation: AH-wah
Meaning: Coffee or coffeehouse
Egyptian pronunciation differs from Modern Standard Arabic.
وسط البلد (wust el-balad)
Pronunciation: wust el-BA-lad
Meaning: Downtown Cairo
A major geographic reference in everyday directions.
Explore the Cairo topic cluster
Use local language respectfully
Recognition is usually more useful than imitation. Local vocabulary may signal age, neighbourhood, class, profession, language background, or community membership.