Ramadan For Beginners

Ramadan of 2023 is halfway over. With that in mind, we thought we’d give you all the skills you need to navigate Ramadan as a non-native Arabic speaker.

Treat this as your “Ramadan for beginners” guide.

The goal of this article is simple: provide you with all the vocabulary and example phrases you need to succesfully “celebrate” or observe Ramadan in Egyptian Arabic.

We have split up the article into what we think are the most important “areas” of Ramadan from the perspective of somebody learning Egyptian Arabic.

• Fasting صيام
• Praying الصلاة
• Breaking the fast الفطار
• Hanging out with friends الخروج
• Giving to the poor الصدقة

Each section will start with a bit of cultural insight about each topic. After that, we’ll teach you the most important Egyptian Arabic vocabulary, example phrases, and questions you need to know on that topic.

We also have one more section with a few “bonus” phrases you might find useful. You might also check out our guide to Ramadan before diving into the “skills” of this post.

Let’s get started.

Fasting صيام

Background

Muslims of both genders are obligated to fast during Ramdan from Fajr (Dawn) to Maghreb (Sunset). This is typically 29 to 30 days.

However, there are a number of exceptions. Here are Muslims which the Koran exempts from fasting during the holy month:

• Children (changes once they hit puberty)
• Women during their period (they often fast a few days after Ramadan to compensate for the days they didn’t fast)
• Anybody who couldn’t safely fast due to sickness or travel (also make up for it after Ramadan is over)
• People with long term conditions that don’t allow them to fast

While fasting is an important part of Ramadan for all able-bodied adult Muslims, nobody can tell what percentage of Egyptian Muslims actually do it. That’s because of social pressure: even if somebody wasn’t fasting, they (usually) wouldn’t freely admit it. 

Still, even though fasting for many people is more difficult than praying, you will still see many people (even those that aren’t very religious) partake. Perhaps that’s because it only happens once a year. Prayer, in comparison, should happen everyday for devout Muslims. Whether it actually does for any given person is a different story.

Lastly, in lower classes you will find a lot of people who are comfortable with the fact that they aren’t fasting. For example, a lot of lower class workers will still smoke during the day. This is technically not allowed. This could very well be due to the fact that they are less educated about religion.

Vocabulary 

Fasting. : elseyam.

صيام

Hungry. : Ga3an/Ga3ana

جعان/جعانة

Thirsty. : 3atshan/3atshana.

عطشان/عطشانة

Tired. : ta3ban/ta3bana.

تعبان/تعبانة

Food. : akl.

اكل

Drink. : shorb/yeshrab.

شرب.

يشرب

Water. : maia.

مياه

Example Phrases

Fasting is an essential thing during Ramadan. : elseyam haga asasia fe ramadan.

الصيام حاجة اساسية في رمضان

The hardest days of Ramadan are the first few days. : as3ab ayam fe ramadan awel kam youm.

اصعب ايام في رمضان اول كام يوم

I am hungry. : ana ga3an.

انا جعان

I am thirsty. : ana 3atshan.

انا عطشان

Remember, if you are a woman speaking of yourself, you would use the tambraboota at the end of “hungry” and “thirsty.” This would turn the words into ga3ana and 3atshana, respectively.

We really want to eat! : ehna bgad 3ayzen nakol.

احنا بجد عايزين ناكل

The goal of fasting is to learn to control yourself. : elhadaf mn elseyam enak tet3lam tet7akem f nafsak.

الهدف من الصيام انك تتعلم تتحكم في نفسك

Question To Ask

Are you fasting? : enta sayem? 

انت صايم؟

Is fasting difficult? : elseyam sa3b? 

الصيام صعب؟

Is it more difficult that you don’t eat or don’t drink? : elas3ab enak matkolsh wala matshrabsh?

الاصعب انك متكلش ولا متشربش.؟

Are you fasting or like every year? : Sayem wala zai kol sana?

صايم ولا زي كل سنة؟

This is kind of a funny, “tongue in cheek” question to ask. “Like every year” is basically implying that the person in question always says they’re fasting, but never actually does.

It is meant as a joke, though. Not a serious accusation. 

Treat it like a dad joke! 🙂

Questions To Understand

Are you hungry? : enta ga3an? 

انت جعان؟

The male form.

Are you thirsty? : enty 3atshana?

انتي عطشانة؟

The femal form.

Praying الصلاة

Background

Praying is an important part of being a Muslim. Technically, (most) Muslims are obligated to pray 5 times throughout the day, everyday. Not just Ramadan. 

And yet, prayer somehow becomes even more essential during Ramadan.

Here is some important information about the prayers you will see during the holy month:

• All prayers must face the Ka3ba (in Mecca, Saudi Arabia)
• The names of the five different prayers, in order: Fagr, Duhr, 3asr, Maghreb and 3esha
• The following prayers have to be prayed out loud so that people could actually hear you: Fagr, Maghreb and 3esha
• The following prayers are “silent” (you say them to yourself): Duhr and 3asr

An interesting thing about Ramadan is that many Muslims will get more spiritual during the month. There’s a good chance that somebody who doesn’t typically pray so much will take it more seriously during Ramadan.

Fun fact: Muslims also have the option to recite an extra prayer after 3esha (the last prayer of the day). This one is called Sunnah, and while it’s not an obligation, you can either do it alone or at the mosque. One of the most popular types of this prayer is called tarawee7 (التراويح).

The tarawee7 prayer is a long one. In fact, it probably takes longer than all the prayers combined! Because of this, it’s common to hear somebody sarcastically ask “Are you praying Tarawee7?” if someone is taking an especially long time with another prayer. 

Basically, another dad joke!

Still, many Muslims still commit to tarawee7 as it has a great spiritual reward attached to it.

Vocabulary 

Pray. : yesali.

يصلي

Mosque. : game3, masged.

الجامع – المسجد

Both of these are equally used.

Prayer #1: before dawn. : Fajr.

الفجر

Prayer #2 (when the sun is in the middle of the sky). : Duhr.

الضهر

Prayer #3 (late afternoon). : 3asr.

العصر

Prayer #4 (sunset). : Maghreb.

المغرب

Prayer #5 (night time). : 3esha.

العشا

Example Phrases

People pray a lot during Ramadan. : elnas btsali f ramadan.

الناس بتصلي في رمضان

I like seeing the people at the mosque during Ramadan. : ana ba7eb ashof elnas f elgame3 f ramadan.

انا بحب اشوف الناس في الجامع في رمضان

Probably a good time to read up on how to talk about religion in Egyptian Arabic.

Questions To Ask

Have you already prayed? : saleet?

صليت؟

Are you going to go the mosque? : hatrou7 elgame3?

هتروح الجامع؟

The very first letter in hatrou7 هتروح signifies the Egyptian future tense.

Questions To Understand

Do you want to go to a mosque? : 3ayz trou7 elgame3?

عايز تروح الجامع؟

Are you Muslim? : enta muslim?

انت مسلم؟

Breaking The Fast الفطار

Background

Breaking the fast: everybody’s favorite part of the day! 🙂 While there are a ton of things we could share with you, here are three cultural insights you might find useful:

Cultural Insight 1:

In Islam, it’s preferred to first break the fast with a few dates once you hear the Maghreb Azan. This is the signal that the fast is over. (It’s recommended not to postpone it so everyone in the same region is actually eating at the exact same time), 

It’s typical to then go pray the Maghreb prayer, and only then eat the full Iftar meal. However, this is not the case in all Egyptian homes. You will often find people who eat the full Iftar meal, and then pray afterwards.

And we don’t blame them: they’ve just been fasting for 12+ hours! 

Cultural Insight 2:

We wrote a cool post about the different juices of Egypt. As we’ve said before, if you live in Egypt or are going to visit, drinking juice from the juice shops is one of the best (and most delicious) things you can possibly do while in the country. 

However…

Ramadan takes this juice culture to a whole new level! Indeed, during the holy month, Egyptians will introduce you to a whole new dimension of amazing juices.

Here are a few of the most common Egyptian juices in Ramadan. Try them and let us know which one is your favorite. 

• Khoshaf (the basic version is just dates with water or milk, while some add other dried fruit and nuts)
• Amar eldeen (apricot juice, very common although nobody seems to like it)
• Tamr hendy (mix of tamarind, sugar, water and sometimes hibiscus)
• Sobia (oats, raisins, cinnamon, super famous in Saudi Arabia)

Cultural Insight 3

According to Islam, there is a huge reward for Muslims who feed fasting muslims. That’s why you find a lot of free “breaking the fast tables” in the streets. These are funded by either companies or rich people to feed the poorer people (see the last section on “giving to the poor”).

Still, with these tables, the concept is also extended to just giving out food to any fasting muslim. For example, a random guy on the street coming onto your bus while it’s stopped in traffic to hand out juice once the fast is over at sunset.

And before you ask, yes: this exact thing happened to me once! Such a wonderful feeling, even if I’m not Muslim.

Vocabulary 

Eat. : yakol.

ياكل

Drink. : yeshrab/shorb.

يشرب

شرب

Break the fast. : yeftar/teftar.

يفطر

تفطر

Example Phrases 

I’m so excited to eat! It looks nice. : ana mot7ames awy lel akl. Shaklo 7elw.

انا متحمس قوي للاكل. شكله حلو

I have been waiting for this moment only to drink. : Ana mestani el la7za de 3alshan ashrab bas.

انا مستني اللحظة دي علشان اشرب بس

Question To Ask

Where do you want to meet? : 3ayz net2abel fen?

عايز نتقابل فين؟

Where are we going to meet? : hant2abel fen?

هنتقابل فين

Do you pray first or do you eat first? : btsali elawal wala btftar elawal?

بتصلي الاول ولا بتفطر الاول

Do you want to break the fast together? : te7b neftar sawa?

تحب نفطر سوا

Questions To Understand

Do you want to eat with us later (Lit. Do you want to eat with us at night)? : te7b takol ma3ana belil?

تحب تاكل معانا بليل

Where will we break the fast? : hatftar fen?

هتفطر فين؟

Hanging Out With Friends لخروج

Background:

If you are looking to go out and meet friends during the holy month, Ramadan tents are one of the best places to go. They are one of Egypt’s most distinct ways to celebrate. While originally from Cairo, the tents, decorated with lights and designed for cozy Iftar and Sohoor parties with family and friends, have spread across the Middle East. Still, we all know where the best Ramadan tents are! 

No bias, of course. 😉

That said, some people are against the idea of Ramadan tents and the “extra festive” vibes you’ll experience there. The reason? They claim they go a bit against the holy spirit and religious meaning of Ramadan.

Regardless of your opinion, Cleo Lingo’s opinion is clear: Ramadan tents remain something very unique and original in Cairo, and you should try them at least once. 

As for what you do when you meet with people? Well, in addition to Iftar, there is often one last meal between the Iftar and sunrise. This is called Sahoor. It is basically the meal eaten before fasting (right before the Fajr prayer). This means the cut-off would be hearing Fajr Azan at sunrise; after this, no more Sahoor because people must start fasting.

The timing of Sahoor varies. In Egyptian culture, some people eat an “early” Sohoor around midnight. Others are up all night until a bit before the Fajr prayer and eat their Sahoor then, or go to sleep for a bit and wake up in time to eat again). 

Still others eat Iftar and Sohoor, as well as a light meal between them. 

Vocabulary 

Go out. : khrog.

خرج

نتسحر بره (Go out for Sohoor) – netsa7ar barra

Place. : makan.

مكان

Party. : 7afla.

حفلة
خيمة رمضانية (Ramadan Tent). : khema ramadania

Example Phrases

We are going out tonight. : ehna khargen elnahrda.

احنا خارجين النهاردة

I will meet with my friend later (tonight). : ha2abel so7abi belil.

هقابل صحابي بليل

Question To Ask

Do you want to go out tonight? : te7b nekhroug belil?

تحب نخرج بليل 

Are you doing anything tonight? (Do you have any plans?) : hat3mel haga belil?

هتعمل حاجة بليل؟

Do you know any cool place to go to for sohoor? : te3raf makan 7elw lel so7oor?

تعرف اي مكان حلو للسحور؟

Questions To Understand

What time are you guys meeting? : hatet2ablo emta ya shabab?

هتتقابلو امتى يا شباب

Where are you going? : ray7en fen? 

رايحيين فين

What are you going to do? : hat3mlo eh?

هتعملو ايه؟

Giving To The Poor الصدقة

Background:

Ma2det elra7man is a charity concept that takes place only during ramadan. This is basically a big table with free food that is placed somewhere in the street right before Iftar. Whoever can’t afford to get proper Iftar can go there and take a seat on the table to eat free food.

Here is the translation:

• Ma2eda: This is the formal Arabic word for table (unlike Tarabiza which is the Egyptian slang word for it) 
• el-ra7man: One of God’s names which means “The Merciful.” 

Put them together and Ma2det elra7man means “The merciful table.” 

These are usually funded by a businessman or charitable organization. They can also be a sort of project for the central mosque in this area. You will find these tables all over Egypt during Ramadan with different standards of food.

Check out this video about the longest Iftar Table in Matarya neighborhood in Cairo.

Vocabulary 

The poor / poor people. : fo2ara.

فقرا

Give money. : sadaqa (charity) / yedfa3 flos.

صدقة /  يدفع فلوس

Example Phrases

Giving money to the poor during Ramadan increases. : elsadaqa 3ala elfo2ara fe ramadan btzeed

الصدقة على الفقرا في رمضان بتزيد 

Happy Ramadan. : Ramadan kareem.

رمضان كريم 

Peace be upon you. : salamo 3aleko.

سلام عليكم

Question To Ask

How are you, is everything ok? : 

ازيك؟ كله تمام؟ 

Questions To Understand

Do you know where the nearest charity Iftar table (ma2det elra7aman) is? : te3raf fen a2rab ma2det rahaman?

Bonus Section

Here are some things you might find useful. They don’t really fit into the rest of the post, but you might find them useful anyway!

Happy. : mabsot.

– مبسوط

Content / Satisfied. : rady.

راضي

Calm. : metamen.

متطمن

Ramadan always makes me happy. : ramadan dayman bykhaleni mabsoot.

رمضان دايما بيخليني مبسوط

I am thankful for everything in my life. : ana shaker l kol 7aga f 7yaty.

انا شاكر لكل حاجة في حياتي

What’s your favorite part about Ramadan? : eh aktar 7aga bt7bha f ramadan? 

ايه اكتر حاجة بتحبها في رمضان

Do you like Ramadan? : bt7eb ramadan?

بتحب رمضان

Is Ramadan hard? : hwa ramdan sa3b?

هو رمضان صعب؟

Do you have Muslim friends? : 3andak so7ab moslmeen?

عندك صحاب مسلمين؟

What do you think of Ramadan? : eh ra2yak fe ramadan? 

ايه رأيك في رمضان؟