Essential Arabic phrases

Hello. Beirut answers in three languages, often in one sentence — 'hi, kifak, ça va' is a real and much-quoted Lebanese greeting, not a joke about one.

'How are you?' Lebanese Arabic is Levantine, close to Syrian and Palestinian, and quite unlike anything spoken in the Gulf.

The shared taxi. You hail an old Mercedes, say your destination through the window, and the driver either nods or drives off. A fixed shared fare, several passengers, and Beirut's only real public transport.

The neighbourhood generator. Almost every building subscribes to one for the hours the state grid does not cover, billed monthly by amperage and metered consumption.

Amperes — how generator subscriptions are sold. '5 amps' or '10 amps' is a capacity, and it determines how much you can run at once. Ask what the building is on before you rent.

The electricity — meaning the state supply from Électricité du Liban, as distinct from the generator. 'Ejit al-kahraba' means the state power has come on.

'Fresh dollars' — US dollars in cash or in a post-2019 account, as opposed to funds trapped in the pre-crisis banking system. Rent, salaries and most large payments are quoted in these.

Hamra — the west Beirut district around the American University, historically the city's intellectual and café quarter and still one of its most walkable.

The Corniche — the seafront promenade from Ain El Mreisseh round to Raouche. Free, open to everyone, and the most reliably functioning public space in the country.

'Two healths' — said to anyone eating. The reply is 'ʿala albak'. Lebanese food culture is central to social life and this is the phrase you will hear most often at a table.

The Lebanese Red Cross, on 140 — the country's principal ambulance service, free to call from anywhere in Lebanon. This is the number to know.