Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| من فضلك | men fadlak | to a male |
| من فضلك | men fadlik | to a female |
| لو سمحت | law samaht | also common, to a male |
Said to a woman, it becomes men fadlik. لو سمحت (law samaht), covered on its own as 'excuse me', is just as often used to mean 'please' when asking for something directly.
What does it mean word for word?
فضل means 'favour' or 'kindness', so من فضلك literally means 'from your kindness'. لو سمحت means 'if you would allow'.
Which one should you use?
من فضلك and لو سمحت are largely interchangeable as 'please' in Egyptian Arabic, with لو سمحت slightly more common when also trying to get someone's attention first.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both are polite in any setting, from a family request to addressing a stranger.
How does it change in a sentence?
The ending changes with the gender of the person addressed: fadlak to a man, fadlik to a woman, and fadlokom to a group.
How do you pronounce it?
فضلك has a stressed first syllable, FAD-lak, with a clear d sound.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Dropping 'please' entirely is more acceptable in Egyptian Arabic than in English within close family, but with strangers or in formal requests, leaving it out can sound curt.
When do people say it?
Adding من فضلك or لو سمحت to a request in a shop or taxi is a small courtesy that Egyptians notice and appreciate, even for something as simple as directions.
Did you know?
- من فضلك and لو سمحت are used so interchangeably in Egypt that many speakers mix both in the same conversation without any difference in meaning.
- فضل, the root behind من فضلك, also means 'surplus' or 'leftover' in other contexts, both senses tracing back to the idea of extra kindness or extra of something.
Examples in context
- من فضلك، ممكن تسكت شوية؟men fadlak, mumken teskot shwaya?Please, could you be quiet for a bit?
- كوباية شاي من فضلك.kubbayet shai men fadlak.A glass of tea, please.
- من فضلك ساعديني في الشنطة.men fadlik sa'edini fish-shanta.Please help me with the bag.
Example conversation
Kareem asks a waiter named Mina for the menu at a restaurant.
- Kareemلو سمحت يا مينا، المنيو من فضلك.law samaht ya Mina, el-menu men fadlak.Excuse me, Mina, the menu please.
- Minaفورا، حاضر.fawran, hader.Right away, sure.
- Kareemوكوباية مية برده من فضلك.w kubbayet mayya barda men fadlak.And a glass of water too please.
- Minaتمام، هجيب لك كل حاجة.tamam, hageeb lak kol haga.Sure, I'll bring you everything.
