Banks and exchange offices are part of everyday life when you travel or live in an Arabic-speaking country. Note that in many places cash is still king, so knowing how to ask for the ATM and exchange money is genuinely useful.
Banking vocabulary
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| بنك | bank | bank |
| حساب | ḥisaab | account |
| نقود | nuqood | money / cash |
| بطاقة | biṭaaqa | card |
| بطاقة ائتمان | biṭaaqat i’timaan | credit card |
| صراف آلي | ṣarraaf aalee | ATM |
| تحويل | taḥweel | transfer |
| إيداع | eedaa3 | deposit |
| سحب | saḥb | withdrawal |
| رصيد | raṣeed | balance |
| عملة | 3umla | currency |
| سعر الصرف | si3r aṣ-ṣarf | exchange rate |
At the bank
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| أريد فتح حساب | ureed fatḥ ḥisaab | I want to open an account |
| أين الصراف الآلي؟ | ayna aṣ-ṣarraaf al-aalee? | where is the ATM? |
| أريد تحويل نقود | ureed taḥweel nuqood | I want to transfer money |
| أريد سحب نقود | ureed saḥb nuqood | I want to withdraw money |
| ما سعر الصرف اليوم؟ | maa si3r aṣ-ṣarf al-yawm? | what is the exchange rate today? |
| هل تقبلون البطاقات؟ | hal taqbaloon al-biṭaaqaat? | do you accept cards? |
| ما رقم حسابك؟ | maa raqm ḥisaabak? | what is your account number? |
Money and numbers
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ريال | riyaal | riyal |
| دولار | doolaar | dollar |
| يورو | yooroo | euro |
| خمسمئة | khamsimi’a | five hundred |
| ألف | alf | one thousand |
| كم العمولة؟ | kam al-3umoola? | how much is the commission? |
Dialogue: Sending money
At the bank counter
- Amarhaba, kayfa usaa3iduk?Hello, how can I help you?
- Bureed taḥweel nuqood ilaa miṣrI want to transfer money to Egypt
- Ahal ladayk ḥisaab hunaa?Do you have an account here?
- Bna3am, haadha raqm ḥisaabeeYes, this is my account number
- Amaa al-mablaḡ?What is the amount?
- Bkhamsimi'at doolaarFive hundred dollars
- Amaa si3r aṣ-ṣarf al-yawm?What is the exchange rate today?
- Btamaam, shukran jazeelanOkay, thank you very much
Practice
How do you say 'bank' in Arabic?
hint: It sounds similar to the English word
What does 'حساب' mean?
hint: You open one at the bank
How do you ask 'where is the ATM?' in Arabic?
hint: Use 'أين' for 'where'
Match each pair — start with Arabic (left)
0 / 8Arabic
English
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Travelling soon? Review Arabic travel phrases.
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