Do You Speak Arabic Chat? ta7ki 3arabi?

When chatting online Arabs often use the Latin letters to write in Arabic instead of the Arabic alphabet. And, because certain sounds in the Arabic alphabet don’t have a counterpart in Western languages, there are a number of symbols used to represent these special sounds.

So don’t be surprised to see numerals such as 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 being used online – these numbers represent distinct sounds in the Arabic language. For instance تحكي عربي؟, or “do you speak Arabic?” becomes “ta7ki 3arabi?”.

Below is a table that summarizes how the numbers are used to replace certain Arabic sounds. I also suggest some mnemonics for how to remember which number corresponds with which letter.

Arabic Letter Transcription Comments
ح 7 the letter Haa’ looks quite similar to a 7
خ 5, 7’ the apostrophe represents the dot on the letter khaa’; alternatively the numeral <5> is used
ص 9 imagine a <9> lying on the side, in which case the numeral looks very similar to the letter Saad
ض 9, 9’ the apostrophe represents the dot on the letter Daad
ط 6 the shape of the numeral <6> is not too different from the shape of the letter Taa’
ظ 6, 6’ the apostrophe represents the dot of the letter Zaa’
ع 3 the letter ‘ayn looks like a mirrored <3>
غ 3’ the apostrophe represents the dot on the letter ghayn
ق 8 imagine that the two dots of the letter qaaf closed the top, which would result in an eight lying on its side

Update: See my new article on the Arabic chat alphabet where I dissect two sample sentences and translate them into normal Arabic script.

104 thoughts on “Do You Speak Arabic Chat? ta7ki 3arabi?

  1. 3ala ra2si ya Tasha!

    Btw, the “2” as a replacement for “hamza” is something I forgot to mention in this article.

  2. @sisi:
    I guess the Arabic is:
    تشتاق لك العافية حبيبي
    which translates literally as “may the good health yearn for you darling”. In other words the other person is wishing that you may always be healthy.

  3. Salut Imane! ArabicGenie n’est pas un forum. C’est pourquoi il n’ya pas de réponse ici. Néanmoins je suis à votre disposition si vous avez une question sur l’apprentissage des langues.

    Hello Imane! ArabicGenie is not a messaging board. This is why there has been no response to your message. However, please do not hesitate if you have any questions about language learning.

    For the convenience of our readers, here is what Imane typed in Moroccan Arabic (note the extensive use of French):

    slt asdi9aa momkin nt3araf moi imane a casa et toi
    Translation: Hello friends. Perhaps we can get to know each other. I am Imane from Casablanca and you?

    mayjaeb ahad
    Translation: no-one is answering

  4. i want to translte normal arabic to arabic chat (ارحل يا جبان ارحل يا عميل الا مريكان)

  5. Pingback: Graffiti, as protest and as celebration | CARTOGRAPHY

  6. Thank you for I posted the wrong message for translation but I will definitely like to use your site in the future for you guys are awesome in translating. I will definitely will recommend other friends to your website. Continue the good work. 🙂

  7. Chat to learn Arabic this my mail
    أذا كنت تريد تعلم العربية والدردشة تفضل على هذا العنوان

  8. Can someone please translate this for me :

    – 3ala 3l fadi
    khasran makel khara

    -Ma3ak ur fone?

    -yes akeed

    PLEASE! thank u so much 🙂

  9. 3ala 3l fadi = Whatever its nothing.
    khasran makel khara = I cant speek like someone who ate some shit !
    -Ma3ak ur fone? = Do you have a phone ?
    -yes akeed = Yes of course !

    its 100% true

  10. Hi
    Can someone please translate the following for me?

    la mt5afsh ma mabro7sh wara m5alini dayman 2odam

    Thanks in advance

  11. how do you say kalam fadi in internet language?? how is the d in fadi written with numbers???

  12. @salamlam
    I’d probably say it like this: “kalam fa9i” or “kalam fa9’i”. The “d” sound in the word “fadi” is a Daad. Note, however, that you might also encounter other transliterations, such as “fadhi” or simply “fadi”.

  13. Your first love will always have a special place in your heart♥.Your first love will always have a special place in your heart♥.

  14. Can anyone tell me what this says please?

    habeby b3d 48 sa3a hnp2a m3 p3d..ana msh adra astna da kolo

  15. What doe all this mean?

    yawdi hadi heya lehfada
    sbah l5IR
    rah tan9lab 3la wahd l7aja
    f you tub
    fin rak ??
    ewa heli sekyp
    ok

    strutt daniel

    Thanks

  16. Hi, sorry this is abit of a longer than usual arabic text – can any translate please?

    ‫هلا اياد
    ماعملت تاج ولا شيرينج ولا بعتت شي !!

    ليش هيك بتبعتلي !!؟

    ولا بفتح صفحتك اصل

    ‫اعمل زفت بلوك على اسمي اذا لهدرجه خايف افتح صفحتك
    مابعتت ولا شي ولا عملت اي شي‬

    ‫ان شالله كمان عمرك مابتشوفني اياد
    شو اللي حاكي لمرتك عني عشان تخاف حتى يوصلك مني تعليق!!!!!

    حسبي الله ونعم الوكيل بس

    انسى انو عندك بنت عم
    وفهم مرتك انها تغار من كل النسوان وماتفكر تغار مني لاني بطلت اشوفك اصلا
    واتمنى اني بحياتي كلها مااشوفك ولااا حتى صدفه وانتي اللي رجاء لاتبعت شي وتأكد اني مارح يوصلك مني ولا شي ولا حتى لايك‬

  17. Could someone please translate this as soon as possible? I need to know

    Da ana hb2a a7san mn I.wad shasten pepar.

  18. Hello, could someone help me please. Could you translate these:
    1) Y’a ma7roum
    2) Y’a gibtek ta zeki
    3) Ta Ramzi 7ata enti y’a gibtek aya ta5let sahreya mazelet ki bdet…..
    4) loool nn mak ta3tref

    Thanks for help!

  19. Salaam Valekum! How would I say “Your first love will always have a special place in your heart♥.Your first love will always have a special place in your heart♥.” in Morrocan Arabic?

    Chokran c; Tesbah al khyer

  20. Please translate this for me:

    Kont fi London wallah makan 3andi el wakt toujours khadam ou doka rani vacance fi alger rani m3amar wakt lol 3labiha

    Thank you very much in advance, you will be a life saver)))

  21. Hi. Can someone please help me translate this “b3d al ana shfto” please and thank you. I would really appreciate it 🙂 hugs

  22. Can someone please translate this from English into Arabish.
    “do you prefer goats or camels?”

  23. B3atni lik Rabeh ta3 m’sila. 9ali 9olilha debloquini 3andi m3aha hadra. Talayli fi Rabeh diri plusir merc What does this mean

  24. Ki siba b3athtli invitation willa just par hasard!! Desolé menjawibich directement rani fi 5idma 😡

    Can someone please translate!

    Thanks you

  25. Assf 3la ghebah taoweelah aghty 3azizia Amal… anti t3rafi ana meen ..3oumery ma nassetic , arjou ma3therah , samheeni …
    Can someone please translate this??
    Thank you…

  26. Hussein ali hekene w sr y2rle eno mane eben 3mk krmel nour w eja m3a w be7ba w 3m yshoof 7ko beheba w eno df3 4na w 2le fd7a mtl ejra w 2l 5aya eza shfne 3ndon bil 7ay 7a ydrub nour w rj3 2le hussein enta b3dk bth3ba ya hrmmm w 2le btje 3a hay l sellom krmela
    Translate pls…

  27. The numeral 2 usually is a replacement of hamza (ء) or a glottal stop, so it might also be a replacement for qaaf (ق) in some instances.

  28. Hi arabic genie this helped me a lot because I didn’t know how to use arabic with numbers because I’m Arab and I didn’t know we could use numbers thanks because now I understand thank alot 🙂

  29. hi, i have many messages written online in CHAT ARABIC.
    is there anyway you can suggest that i could translate them online?
    I tried and search EVERYWHERE…
    is there any translator or site?

  30. hi, i have the EXACT PROBLEM.
    So I just will ask EXACTLY THE SAME.
    PLEASE I HOPE U CAN HELP. ITS SO IMPORTANT TO ME.. 🙁
    I have many messages written online in CHAT ARABIC.
    is there anyway you can suggest that i could translate them online?
    I tried and search EVERYWHERE…
    is there any translator or site?

  31. Hi can someone please help me translate:

    Ahla wsahla ahla wsahla

    Bss fish teez

    Bidi afarjeek ana shu 3melet bi scotland

    Thank you 🙂

  32. could some one tell me the meaning of…neket sakretha
    9altelha kif jit mara Eli fetet ken 3andi dar kbira w taw badeltha kif enty mchit
    klemha mnayek mch mafhoum

    jabriya
    Ta7aye7 biya rabi ken bilmnaikin

    Ma3inhech fiha jemla

  33. Can someone please let me know what the following means:

    ymkin enti 3arabya sa7? ana lobneni, w 7aliyan ana fi Stuttgart bs tiji
    mn Dubai 7akini w ba3tiki l Brief inshalla

  34. Literally it’s:

    I time love you because you’re my life @ amjad

    inital grammar is weird but that’s literal

  35. hi, thank u so much fir this article. It is really helpful. I wanna ask a sentence “ana 3arfak ghar9a fl 7ozn” thank u in advance

  36. What Does:
    7amzooz 2el 3asal Mean?
    Also Tell What
    2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Mean While Chatting In Arabic.
    And Also Conditions In There.
    Them.

  37. can you translate for me please, this is lebanese

    hyk bit5tafiy walo
    walo hyk bakyti 3al kalmat bi7kyki ba3ad la hel2 maser 3aindak inat
    3amlat matal 2aym so3odi 2la2 magdi ino 7akyto akid la kaint falal w raina 3amtla ad w ba3tala masag w kaint badi ea7ki 3al mtat3am basyta herob

    5atfiy 2ad ma badak w 3amal balok da2ad la magadi w s2lto 3ain mastashfa w 3amlat ad la raina bas ma s2lat a3inak ra7 eas2al 2loin 5aly 5ayk sheaf yab3at amain mish hyk asol gara7 adad ma badak 3am mish la3abi

    mara7 tarod

    ma tarod ente 7or bas ana ma azytak la ta2zyiniabdain la tasraf hyk ma3i ana 3amlat bi asli la ea5er day2a dalyt intra la ta7ki bas la ma 5layt aza 8ayr ma 3amto

    ba3tli masri 3amal ma3rof

    ala yar7am

  38. BRRU CE W ∩771 A SLEU MELIND
    Could someone translate not sure if I’m correct order it was written in a ring. THE B IN BRRU kinda looks like a 15. Please and thanks. Found the ring and trying to find owner

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