لو سمحت
law samaḥteveryday, to a man
In Saudi Arabia the everyday word for "please" is لو سمحت (law samaḥt), literally "if you allow". The formal choice is من فضلك (min faḍlak), "from your kindness". It is also called الله يخليك (Allāh yekhallīk).
Meaning: polite request word (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| لو سمحت | law samaḥt | everyday, to a man |
| من فضلك | min faḍlak | formal |
| الله يخليك | Allāh yekhallīk | warm, Gulf |
Use لو سمحت before a request, for example when calling a waiter or asking someone to move.
Which one should you use?
الله يخليك (Allāh yekhallīk), "may God keep you for me", is a warmer plea used among friends and family.
How does it change in a sentence?
To a woman it becomes لو سمحتي (law samaḥti).
Did you know?
- أبشر (abshir), "be glad", is a very Saudi way to say "consider it done" when someone asks for something.
Examples in context
- لو سمحت، أبغى الحسابlaw samaḥt, abgha l-ḥisābPlease, I would like the bill.
- من فضلك، ممكن مساعدة؟min faḍlak, mumkin musāʿada?Please, can I get some help?
- الله يخليك، تعال معيAllāh yekhallīk, taʿāl maʿīPlease, come with me.
Example conversation
Customer Yazeed asks the waiter Hassan for the bill in a restaurant in Jeddah.
- Yazeedلو سمحت يا أخlaw samaḥt yā akhExcuse me, brother.
- Hassanأبشر، تأمرabshir, taʾmurOf course, at your service.
- Yazeedالحساب لو سمحتal-ḥisāb law samaḥtThe bill, please.
