Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| لا، شكرا | la, shukran | |
| متشكر | mitshakkir | polite refusal, said by a male |
| متشكرة | mitshakkira | polite refusal, said by a female |
Egyptians often drop the لا and simply say متشكر (mitshakkir) if they are a man or متشكرة (mitshakkira) if a woman, which politely signals a soft no when offered food or a favour.
What does it mean word for word?
لا means 'no' and شكرا means 'thank you'. متشكر uses the same root as شكرا in a verb form meaning 'I am thankful', which alone can carry the sense of a polite no.
Which one should you use?
لا، شكرا is direct and clear. متشكر/متشكرة alone is softer and is often used when declining without sounding blunt.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both are polite. Saying just لا with nothing added can sound curt, especially when refusing food at someone's home.
How does it change in a sentence?
متشكر changes with the speaker's gender: a man says متشكر, a woman says متشكرة.
How do you pronounce it?
In fast speech لا، شكرا often blends into something close to 'la shukran', with barely a pause between the words.
What mistakes should you avoid?
A flat لا with nothing added can come across as rude in Egypt, especially when someone is offering food. Always add شكرا or متشكر/متشكرة.
When do people say it?
Egyptian hosts often insist after a first refusal, so لا، شكرا may need to be repeated more than once, sometimes with a hand gesture over the heart to show sincerity.
Did you know?
- Because hospitality is taken seriously in Egypt, hosts often offer food more than once even after a polite refusal, expecting the guest to repeat لا، شكرا before they stop.
- متشكر alone, without a preceding لا, is one of the most common ways Egyptians soften a refusal in daily life.
Examples in context
- لا، شكرا، أنا شبعت.la, shukran, ana shibet.No, thank you, I'm full.
- متشكر، بس مش عايز دلوقتي.mitshakkir, bas mesh ayez dilwa'ti.Thank you, but I don't want any right now.
- متشكرة، تاني مرة إن شاء الله.mitshakkira, tani marra inshallah.No thank you, maybe next time.
Example conversation
Hala offers more tea to her guest Fady at her home.
- Halaتحب شاي تاني يا فادي؟tehebb shai tani ya Fady?Would you like more tea, Fady?
- Fadyلا، شكرا، أنا كفاية.la, shukran, ana kifaya.No, thank you, I've had enough.
- Halaمتأكد؟ في كمان في الكنكة.mutaakked? fi kaman fel-kanaka.Are you sure? There's more in the pot.
- Fadyمتشكر بجد، بس خلاص.mitshakkir begad, bas khalas.Thank you so much, but that's all for me.
