What to Say in Arabic When You Don’t Know What to Say (Beginner Survival Phrases)

✅ Use these polite, practical responses:

عفواً، ما فهمت. – Sorry, I didn’t understand.

ممكن تعيد؟ – Can you repeat that?

ببطء، من فضلك. – Slowly, please.

شو يعني ___؟ – What does “___” mean?

🎯 These keep you in the conversation without switching to English.

Sometimes, you just need a second. These fillers give you that pause — while sounding natural:

مممم… خليني أفكر. – Umm… let me think.

يعني… مش متأكد. – Like… I’m not sure.

مش عارف الجواب، بس... – I don’t know the answer, but...

🧠 These expressions are commonly used by native speakers too.

✅ Use workaround phrases to describe what you mean:

نسيت الكلمة، بس هو شيء ناكله.
"I forgot the word, but it’s something we eat."

ما بعرف الكلمة، بس أعتقد فهمت الفكرة.
"I don’t know the word, but I think I got the idea."

🎯 Fluency = flexibility. It's okay to explain around the word — the conversation continues.

Respond with a reaction or question to keep things flowing:

عن جد؟ – Really?

رائع! – That’s great!

وشو بعدين؟ – And then what?

ليش؟ – Why?

🗣 Even a short word can signal engagement and invite the other person to keep talking.

It’s okay to redirect — just do it smoothly:

طيب، خلينا نحكي عن شيء ثاني.
"Okay, let’s talk about something else."

بالمناسبة، عندي سؤال.
"By the way, I have a question."

This helps keep the conversation comfortable and in your zone.

✅ Natural exits make you sound thoughtful and polite:

منحكي بعدين؟ – Talk later?

تشرفت بالحديث معك. – It was nice talking to you.

يومك سعيد! – Have a good day!

These wrap up conversations without awkward silence.

Use these phrases in your daily speaking practice:

During roleplay exercises

In voice recordings

When replying to video prompts

As your "go-to" language when unsure

We help learners memorize them through real repetition in real context — not flashcards.

Not knowing what to say in Arabic doesn’t mean the conversation is over — it’s a chance to practice smarter. With a few survival phrases, you can stay in control, sound more fluent, and keep learning through conversation. MasterStudy gives you these tools so that even your "stuck" moments become speaking practice.

👉 Be ready for anything in Arabic conversations — with MasterStudy.ai