Learn how to ask for the check at a restaurant
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| INTRODUCTION |
| ArabicPod101.com presents Arabic Survival Phrases. This course is designed to equip you with the language skills and knowledge to enable you to get the most out of your visit to Arabic speaking countries, with particular focus on Morocco. So join us for Arabic Survival phrases. You will be surprised at how far a little Arabic will go. |
| Now before we jump in, remember to stop by ArabicPod101.com, there you’ll find an accompanying PDF, additional learning tools in the premium learning center, and other great Arabic language learning materials. In addition, you’ll find more information in the post. And if you stop by, be sure to leave us a comment. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Today, we'll cover getting out of a restaurant. First, you may have to get a hold of the staff. Again, you can accomplish this by raising your hand and saying “‘afâk” (عفاك) |
| ‘afâk |
| Let’s break it down by syllable: ‘afâk |
| Now let's hear it once again: ‘afâk |
| And this expression in Arabic means “please” or “excuse me.” |
| Once at your table, you can ask for the check. In spoken Arabic, “Check please” is al-ḥisāb ʿafāk (الحساب عفاك). |
| al-ḥisāb ʿafāk |
| Let’s break it down: al-ḥisāb ʿafāk |
| Let's hear it again: al-ḥisāb ʿafāk |
| The first word, al-ḥisāb (الحساب), literally means "counting" or "addition," and it’s used to mean “check” at a restaurant. |
| Let's break down this word and hear it one more time: al-ḥisā |
| al-ḥisā |
| This is followed by ‘afâk (عفاك), which in Moroccan Arabic is “please.” |
| ʿafāk |
| ʿafāk |
| Now, if you'd like to tell them how good the food is or if you're eating with someone and you want to let them know how good you feel the food is, you can say: al-maklah binīnah (المكلة بنينة). |
| Let's break down this phrase and hear it one more time: al-maklah binīnah |
| al-maklah binīnah |
| The first word, al-maklah (المكلة), means “the food” in Moroccan Arabic. |
| al-maklah |
| al-maklah |
| This is followed by binīnah (بنينة) which in Moroccan Arabic is “delicious.” |
| binīnah |
| binīnah |
| Altogether, al-maklah binīnah means “the food is delicious.” |
| And don't forget to say al-ḥamdu lilah (الحمد الله) when you finish eating, which means “Thanks to God.” |
| Cultural Insights |
| In Morocco, it is common practice to tip. Usually, you leave a tip at the table when you leave, or you give it to the waiter or waitress when they give you your change back. In a downtown restaurant, not too fancy or too expensive, a 5-Dh tip will do. 5 Dirhams are about 50 US cents. In a more upscale restaurant, anything from 10 Dhs is acceptable (that’s about 1 US dollar). |
| Morocco is a cash-based society, so make sure you always have enough cash on you when you eat out, because almost always you'll be asked to settle your bills in cash. Only upscale restaurants or really expensive places accept credit cards, and usually these places display a sign on the door with major credit cards that you can use. But in case you want to ask, here is a useful phrase for you. |
| In Morocco, “can I use a credit card?” is Kahqabaluu la carte de crédit? |
| The first word, Kahqabaluu , means “do you accept” in spoken Arabic. |
| Let's break down this word and hear it one more time: |
| Kahqabaluu |
| Kahqabaluu |
| This is followed by la carte de crédit, now, this is the French word for “credit card.” Spoken Arabic in Morocco is a mixture of Arabic and French words. Everybody uses la carte de crédit to say “credit card.” |
| la carte de crédit |
| And, la carte de crédit |
Outro |
| Okay, to close out today's lesson, we'd like for you to practice what you've just learned. I'll provide you with the English equivalent of the phrase and you're responsible for saying it aloud. You'll have a few seconds before I give you the answer, so حظ سعيد, that means "good luck" in Arabic. |
| Ok, here we go! |
| To call a waiter or waitress, you say - ‘afâk |
| ‘afâk |
| ‘afâk |
| “Check please” - al-ḥisāb ʿafāk |
| al-ḥisāb ʿafāk |
| al-ḥisāb ʿafāk |
| “The food is delicious.” - al-maklah binīnah |
| al-maklah binīnah |
| al-maklah binīnah |
| “Can I use a credit card?” - Kahqabaluu la carte de crédit? |
| Kahqabaluu la carte de crédit? |
| Kahqabaluu la carte de crédit? |
| All right. This is going to do it for this lesson of Arabic Survival Phrases. Remember to stop by ArabicPod101.com. There you’ll find an accompanying PDF, additional learning tools in the premium learning center, and other great Arabic language learning materials. See you soon, which in Arabic is - ilā al-liqāʾ. |
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