In case you haven’t heard, juice is popular in Cairo. And if you haven’t yet learned how to order juice in Egyptian Arabic….now’s the time.
Most of this post will just be a giant list of juices. In all honesty, that (paired with bit of “high use vocabulary”) is really all you need to know.
Because let’s be honest: Egyptian juice is just too damn good to wait around. Get in, get out, and get on your way to sugary refreshment.
Today, Cleo Lingo will be explaining…..how to order juice in Egyptian Arabic.
Vocabulary To Order Juice in Egyptian Arabic
Juice shop : “mawhell awSEER”
محل عصير
This is what you are looking for. Thankfully, it shouldn’t be hard to find one. You’ll recognize them by the giant sacks of fruit outside the entrance and the overall “tropical” look that doesn’t really mesh with Egypt.
Peace be upon you. : “SuhLAWM-awLAY-kome.”
السلام عليكم
Good morning /Good evening. : “SuhBAWH elKHair/MESSuh alKHAIR.”
صباح الخير\ مساء الخير
Need we say more? As we’ll explain towards the end, a juice shop isn’t the best place for long, drawn-out discussions. Say what you want and pay. Still, even the juice guy deserves a bit of a greeting.
Big : “kuhBEER”
كبير
Medium : “WUHsutt”
وسط
Small : “sooGHEYErr”
صغير
These are the sizes. Pretty straightforward. You can also (it’s especially popular during Ramadan) buy giant containers of juice. These are between one and two liters in size, and they make for quite the sugar rush. For now, though, let’s just stick with the main three.
We have also included some useful phrases for you to learn. Keep these in your back pocket. You never know when you’ll have to use them.
Do you want to drink a juice? : “EYEizz TEHshrub awSEER.”
عايز تشرب عصير؟
I’m thirsty. : “Ana uhTSHAWN.”
انا عطشان
Is there a juice shop around here? : “Fee mawhell awSEER ooREYEib men hehnuh?”
في محل عصير قريب من هنا
Let’s go eat koshary. After that, we can drink a juice. : “YAWluh nuhROOH NEHkll KOshuhree, w BAW’duh KEHduh moomkin NEHshrub awSEER.”
يلا نروح ناكل كشري,بعد كده, ممكن نشرب عصير
Just so you know, there are two main types of juice shops in Cairo. We will be talking about the big, “noticeable” ones. These have multiple people working there, sell all sorts of drinks, and are generally what you think of when you think of “Egyptian juice.” The other one (called the “Asab shop”) specializes in sugarcane juice, is usually much smaller, and often has one old dude working there. The one we are talking about has more options. It’s also prettier.
And if you really meant this sentence…it’s important to know how to order koshary in Egyptian Arabic.
Different Flavors of Juice in Egyptian Arabic
Juices : “UhSAW’rr”
العصائر
These are the most popular normal juices, just plain fruit juices, for those who don’t wanna risk it.
Lemon : “LeeMOne”
ليمون
Mango : “MAWNguh”
مانجا
Watermelon : “BawTEEH”
بطيخ
Orange : “BortuhWAWN.”
برتقان
Strawberry : “FuhROWluh”
فراولة
Apple : “TooFEH”
تفاح
Banana : “MOze”
موز
Pomegranate : “RuhMAWN”
رمان
Peach : “HOOH”
خوخ
This is also, if you remember a previous post, the best shisha flavor.
Shakes : “ZuhBAWduh”
زبادو
Basically, these are milkshakes made with yogurt. Try them out. Sooo freaking good.
Plain yogurt : “ZuhBEHduh ZEHduh.”
زبادي سادة
Yogurt with honey : “ZuhBEHduh belAWsll.”
زبادي بالعسل
Yogurt with strawberry : “ZuhBEHduh bllfuhROWluh.”
زبادي بالفراولة
Yogurt with mango : “ZuhBEHduh bllMAWNguh”
زبادي بالمانجا
In addition, juice shops in Cairo also cater to people that like to think they are saving the world. Yes, if you are a vegan, you are in fact considered “special” in Cairo.
If all of the aforementioned fruits didn’t satisfy your vegan ego and your cannibal friends are drinking the same stuff, you can get even greener. Here are a few more options for all you hippies out there, just to let everybody know just how “straight edge” you really are.
Veggies : “KHuthdawRAWT.”
خضرات
Kiwi : “KEEwee”
كيوي
Avocado : “AWfuhKAWdoh”
افوجادو
Arugula (yes, a juice) : “GARgeer”
جرجير
Avocado with mango : “AWfuhKAWdoh belMAWNguh”
افوجادو بالمانجا
And our personal favorite:
Avocado with Honey (Recommended) : “AWfuhKAWdoh belAWsll”
افوجادو بالعسل
Fruit Salad : “SEluhtuh foWEHkuk”
سلطة فواكه
There are also little “fruit salad” things that you are able to order. These are bowls of fruit slices that you eat with a fork; you can also add ice cream to that fruit bonanza in case you are more hungry than thirsty. These aren’t nearly as good as the freshly made juices (objective fact, not an opinion), so we won’t bother. Stick to the drinks.
But of course, the Egyptians have thought of everything! Not only can you order a juice at these places, but you’ve got your desserts as well. As if pure strawberry juice didn’t have enough sugar already, you’ve also got the option of milkshakes. These chocolate mixes fall under the category called:
Vocabulary To Order “Dessert” Juice in Egyptian Arabic
Chocolate World : “AWlum elSHOhkuhLAWduh”
عالم الشوكولاتة
Oreo
Boreo
Twix
Snickers
These chocolatey drinks are all exactly how you say them in English.
Cocktails
كوكتيل فخفخينا
Unfortunately, these are not the type of cocktails you are thinking about. A funny thing about this category is that Egyptians always give weird names to the cocktails. These names rarely have anything to do with the actual ingredients. Here are some examples that we included just for fun. The exact names will vary from a shop to another:
Smart Cocktail = Peach and orange. We don’t what’s so smart about that…but here you go.
سمارت كوكتيل
Viagra = Arugula, dates, and banana. Enough said…..
فياجرا
Bin Laden = Avocado, mango, ice cream, and milk. Completely bomb free, don’t worry.
بن لادن
These first four are all exactly how they sound in English. The last two sound different:
The Emperor (“El EMpraTORE”) = Nescafe, mango, milk.
الامبراطور
Champions (“ElebawTELL”) = Dates, avocado, kiwi.
الابطال
We’ve covered the sizes and some of what exactly you might order; we will leave the rest of the menu for you to discover. Now it’s time to give you some examples. The great thing about learning a new language is that the better you get, the more creative you can become. Give Egyptian Arabic a couple months, and soon you’ll be ordering strawberry shakes with mint frosting and chocolate on the side.
For now, though, we’ll give you some of the basics. Mix and match as you see fit.
A Few More Phrases
I want a small strawberry. : “EYEizz fuhROWluh sooGHEYErr”
عايز فراولة صغير
We want a medium mango. : “EYEihZEEN MAWNguh WUHsutt.”
عايزين مانجا وسط
She wants a small watermelon and he wants a large orange. : “HEEuh EYizuh bawTEEH sooGHEYErr wuh HOOuh EYEizz BORtuhKAWN kaBEER.”
هي عايزة بطيخ صغير و هو عايز برتقان كبير
I want a medium apple/orange mix. : “EYEizz tooFEH bllBORtuhKAWN WUHsutt.”
عايز تفاح بالبرتقان وسط
I want two chocolate milkshakes, please. : “EYEizz itNANE milkshake SHOkuhLAWduh loh suhMAWHT.”
عايز 2 ميلك شيك شوكولاته لو سمحت
We have mentioned it before, but oftentimes when you order in Egypt, you will literally just say the name of the thing you want. It’s not that Egyptians are rude, just to the point. Take of the conjugations of “eyeizz” above and the sentence will still be perfect.
You should know how to make change. It’s one of the most important parts of being an expat. In case you have forgotten, here you are:
How expensive is that? “beeKEHM kehduh?”
بكام كده؟
Do you have change? : “MAW’kk FUkuh?”
معاك فكة؟
Do you have two pounds in change? : “MAW’kk itNANE gihNEE FUHkuh?”
معاك اتنين جنيه فكة؟
While it’s true that Egyptians love a good chat, juice in Egypt is popular. Most of these places, at most times of the day, will be packed. Don’t be surprised when you have to wait in line. For an Egyptian juice stall, it’s strictly business. They don’t have the time to mess around, and as time is money, you better just spit it out. We were planning on making this post a bit shorter….then we relized just how much we love juice.
Know what you want to drink, know what size, and know how to make change. Now that you’ve learned these three things, you’re golden.
Cultural Insight
If you are from most Western countries, you are well-acquainted with the “drink after work.” Whether that’s a pub, a bar, or some swanky downtown club, a beer (or three) can make for the perfect way to let off a little steam.
Egyptians have the alcoholic beverage of choice after work, as well. Just minus the alcohol. It’s common to see businessmen meeting up around 5-6 PM after work for a juice. They leave their job, hop on a minibus, and 20 minutes later are sipping a mango-apple mix with a cigarette in hand. Expect it. Juice is drunk at all times of the day, and we at Cleo Lingo think you haven’t really “done Egypt” until you’ve had one.
This sort of thing sounds funny until you have experienced it. Once you have (especially during the summer) a whole new world opens before your very eyes. Just go easy on the juice. It might be “all natural”….but it’s mostly sugar, after all.
Good luck with all those options. 🙂
…..
Happy learning,
Cleo Lingo
