Knowing how to take public transportation in Egypt is one of the most useful things you can learn. It makes everything cheaper, connects you more deeply to Egyptian culture, and makes your Egyptian Arabic skills way better.
That’s why we made you this post. In it, you will find a ton of different phrases that you use in Egyptian Arabic when using public transportation. We’ve also given you links throughout to other posts you will find useful.
The Most Common Public Transportation In Egypt
Before we get into the vocabulary, we wanted to give you a list of the most common options for public transportation in Egypt. We’ve also linked some of our most useful posts below.
- Public buses. These are the biggest buses you will see in Egypt and can take anywhere around 50-70 people. Common on highways.
- Mini buses. These are smaller than the bigger public buses, but larger than microbuses. They can take around ~30 people, and you see them most places in Egypt.
- Microbuses. The smallest and most common type of bus. These can only fit 8-10 people, but are small enough that they can go pretty much anywhere.
- Taxis. Taxis are a fundamental part of life in Egypt. Just make sure the meter is working! 🙂
- Metro. These days the metro has four lines in Cairo and ticket prices are unfortunately more expensive than they used to be.
Useful Blog Posts To Check Out:
- How To Get A Taxi In Egyptian Arabic
- How To Get A Taxi From The Cairo Airport
- How To Ride The Cairo Metro
- How To Ride A Minibus In Egyptian Arabic
Public Transportation In Egyptian Arabic: Most Important Vocabulary
Here is the most important vocabulary you will need to ride public transportation in Egyptian Arabic. We’ve divided it into three sections: before the ride, during the ride, and after the ride
Before The Ride:
Excuse me where is the closest stop? : Law samaht feen a2rab maw2af?
لو سمحت فين اقرب موقف؟
Do you pass by Ramsis? : Bt3adi 3ala Ramsis?
بتعدي على رمسيس؟
Does this bus go to Maadi? : El bus da byro7 elmaadi?
الباص ده بيروح المعادي؟
Where is the nearest metro station? : Feen a2rab ma7tet metro?
فين اقرب محطة مترو؟
During The Ride:
How much is the ticket please? : El tazkara bkam law sam7t?
التذكرة بكام لو سمحت؟
This is more formal. Compare that to the next phrase, which is a bit more informal.
How much is the fare boss? : El2ogra kam yasta?
الأجرة كام ياسطى؟
This is a common thing you will hear in microbuses.
Do you have change for 100? : Ma3ak fakket mia?
معاك فكة مية؟
In Egyptian microbuses, there is this cultural thing where passengers will collect everybody’s fare and then pass it to the driver (because he usually has no “co-pilot” to help him out). Pretty cool!
Two tickets out of the 50 please. : etneen mn el khamseen law sam7t.
.اتنين من الخمسين لو سمحت
If the driver didn’t give you the change back, and you want to remind him, you can simply say:
The change of the 100 please. : Ba2i el mia law sama7t.
.باقي المية لو سمحت
| IMPORTANT NOTE:
At the metro station you can simply tell the person working which station you are going to. They will then give you the right ticket. As of March 2025, there are three ticket prices in the Cairo metro depending on how many stations you are traveling: 6 Egyptian pounds, 8 Egyptian pounds, and 15 Egyptian pounds. |
I want 2 tickets to Maadi station please. : Tazkrteen lel maadi law sam7t.
.تذكرتين للمعادي لو سمحت
After The Ride:
If you want to ask somebody if they are getting off, there is really only one word that you need to know:
To say “Are you getting off?”, you need to say:
- Nazel? / نازل؟ to men
- Nazela? / نازلة؟ to women
Important note: nazel literally means to climb down, or to go down.
The word could be used in a variety of ways:
- Nazel elbahr (getting into the sea)
- Nazel akhrog (going out with friends)
- Nazel mn el metro (getting off the metro)
Remember, practice makes perfect! Don’t be afraid to ask questions and be polite – Egyptians are known for their hospitality.
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Happy learning,
Cleo Lingo
