How to say "do you speak English?" in Egyptian Arabic
بِتِتْكَلِّم إِنْجِلِيزِي؟
betetkallem engleezi?
- Without tashkeel
- بتتكلم إنجليزي؟
- Franco / chat alphabet
- btetkallem engleezi?
- Literally
- you speak English?
When to use it
This is the standard way to ask if someone speaks English in Cairo. It is casual but perfectly acceptable for everyday interactions. When approaching a stranger, official, or someone older, Cairenes typically add the polite pronoun 7adretak to a man or 7adretek to a woman before the verb.
Other ways to say it
to a man (casual)
بتتكلم إنجليزي؟
betetkallem engleezi?
Do you speak English?
Default casual form for addressing a single male.
to a woman (casual)
بتتكلمي إنجليزي؟
betetkallemi engleezi?
Do you speak English?
Default casual form for addressing a single female.
to a group
بتتكلموا إنجليزي؟
betetkallemu engleezi?
Do you speak English?
Used when asking two or more people.
to a man (formal)
حضرتك بتتكلم إنجليزي؟
7adretak betetkallem engleezi?
Do you speak English?
Polite form for male strangers, elders, or authority figures.
to a woman (formal)
حضرتك بتتكلمي إنجليزي؟
7adretek betetkallemi engleezi?
Do you speak English?
Polite form for female strangers, elders, or authority figures.
How people reply
أيوة، شوية.
aywa, shwayya.
Yes, a little.
لأ، مابتكلمش إنجليزي.
la2, mabetkallemsh engleezi.
No, I don't speak English.
أيوة، بتكلم إنجليزي كويس.
aywa, batkallem engleezi kwayyes.
Yes, I speak English well.
In a sentence
لو سمحت، بتتكلم إنجليزي؟
law sama7t, betetkallem engleezi?
Excuse me, do you speak English?
أنا مابتكلمش عربي كويس، حضرتك بتتكلم إنجليزي؟
ana mabetkallemsh 3arabi kwayyes, 7adretak betetkallem engleezi?
I don't speak Arabic well, do you speak English?
يا جماعة، بتتكلموا إنجليزي ولا فرنساوي؟
ya gama3a, betetkallemu engleezi walla faransawi?
Guys, do you speak English or French?