محل
maḥalleveryday, Egyptian
In Egyptian Arabic a store or shop is محل (maḥall). The plural is محلات (maḥallāt). It is also called دكان (dukkān) and سوبر ماركت (sūbar markit).
Meaning: store, shop (noun)
Ways to say it
| Egyptian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| محل | maḥall | everyday, Egyptian |
| دكان | dukkān | small shop |
| سوبر ماركت | sūbar markit | supermarket |
You can use محل (maḥall) for any shop, such as محل ملابس (maḥall malābis), a clothing store. A small neighborhood shop is often called دكان (dukkān).
Which one should you use?
For a large grocery store Egyptians borrow the English سوبر ماركت (sūbar markit). The Standard Arabic word متجر (matgar) is mostly used for online shops and in writing.
Did you know?
- The word محل (maḥall) originally means "place", and Egyptians use it for a shop as well as for a place of work.
Examples in context
- رايح المحل.rāyiḥ el-maḥall.I am going to the store.
- المحل ده بيفتح الساعة عشرة.el-maḥall da biyiftaḥ es-sāʿa ʿashara.This store opens at ten o'clock.
- فيه دكان قريب من هنا؟fīh dukkān ʾarīb min hena?Is there a small shop near here?
Example conversation
Reem asks a passer-by for directions in Heliopolis.
- Reemلو سمحت، فيه محل أدوات مكتبية هنا؟law samaḥt, fīh maḥall adawāt maktabiyya hena?Excuse me, is there a stationery store here?
- Passer-byأيوه، في آخر الشارع.aywa, fi ākhir esh-shāriʿ.Yes, at the end of the street.
- Reemشكرا ليك.shukran lik.Thank you.
