How to say "how much is this?" in Egyptian Arabic
بِكَام دَه؟
bkam da?
- Without tashkeel
- بكام ده؟
- Franco / chat alphabet
- bkam da?
- Literally
- with-how-much this?
When to use it
This is the standard, everyday way to ask the price of an item in Cairo. It is used in all contexts, from street markets to high-end stores, regardless of who you are speaking to. The demonstrative pronoun changes based on the grammatical gender of the item being discussed.
Other ways to say it
feminine item
بِكَام دِي؟
bkam di?
How much is this?
Use when pointing at a grammatically feminine object like a bag or a car.
plural items
بِكَام دُول؟
bkam dol?
How much are these?
Use when asking the price of multiple items together.
polite to a man
بِكَام دَه لَو سَمَحْت؟
bkam da law sama7t?
How much is this, please?
Add 'law sama7t' to be more polite to a male shopkeeper.
polite to a woman
بِكَام دَه لَو سَمَحْتِي؟
bkam da law sama7ti?
How much is this, please?
Add 'law sama7ti' to be more polite to a female shopkeeper.
How people reply
دَه بِخَمْسِين جِنِيه.
da b khamsin geney.
This is fifty pounds.
بِبَلَاش يَا بَاشَا.
bebalash ya basha.
It is for free, pasha.
دِي بِمِيَّة جِنِيه.
di b meyet geney.
This is one hundred pounds.
In a sentence
لَو سَمَحْت، بِكَام دَه؟
law sama7t, bkam da?
Excuse me, how much is this?
بِكَام دَه؟ غَالِي أَوِي!
bkam da? ghali awy!
How much is this? It is very expensive!
التِّيشِيرْت دَه بِكَام؟
el-tishert da bkam?
How much is this t-shirt?