Please
to a man
مِنْ فَضْلِكَ
min faḍlika
to a woman
مِنْ فَضْلِكِ
min faḍliki
to a group
مِنْ فَضْلِكُمْ
min faḍlikum
Please. Literally, from your kindness.
Please in Arabic, min fadlak and law samaht
Please in Arabic is min faḍlika (مِنْ فَضْلِكَ) to a man and min faḍliki to a woman. Law samaḥta, "if you allow", is just as common. The answer to a request is often tafaḍḍal, "here you are".
Saying it to
Other ways to say it
Please, excuse me
to a man
لَوْ سَمَحْتَ
law samaḥta
to a woman
لَوْ سَمَحْتِ
law samaḥti
to a group
لَوْ سَمَحْتُمْ
law samaḥtum
Please, or excuse me. Literally, if you allow.
Water, please
to a man
مَاءً، مِنْ فَضْلِكَ
māʾan, min faḍlika
to a woman
مَاءً، مِنْ فَضْلِكِ
māʾan, min faḍliki
to a group
مَاءً، مِنْ فَضْلِكُمْ
māʾan, min faḍlikum
Water, please.
How to reply
Here you are, go aheadReply
to a man
تَفَضَّلْ
tafaḍḍal
to a woman
تَفَضَّلِي
tafaḍḍalī
to a group
تَفَضَّلُوا
tafaḍḍalū
Here you are. Please go ahead, come in, sit down.
Thank youReply
شُكْرًا
shukran
Thank you, once you have it.
Modern Standard Arabic, with the vowel marks. Our teachers will check the Arabic and transliteration on this page before launch.
Guide
Please in Arabic, meaning and use
To say please in Arabic, say min faḍlika (مِنْ فَضْلِكَ) to a man, min faḍliki to a woman and min faḍlikum to a group. Law samaḥta (لَوْ سَمَحْتَ), "if you allow", is just as polite and also means "excuse me". Put either one before or after what you ask for: māʾan, min faḍlika, "water, please".
The forms at a glance
| Phrase | To a man | To a woman | To a group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Please | مِنْ فَضْلِكَ min faḍlika | مِنْ فَضْلِكِ min faḍliki | مِنْ فَضْلِكُمْ min faḍlikum |
| Please, excuse me | لَوْ سَمَحْتَ law samaḥta | لَوْ سَمَحْتِ law samaḥti | لَوْ سَمَحْتُمْ law samaḥtum |
| Water, please | مَاءً، مِنْ فَضْلِكَ māʾan, min faḍlika | مَاءً، مِنْ فَضْلِكِ māʾan, min faḍliki | مَاءً، مِنْ فَضْلِكُمْ māʾan, min faḍlikum |
| Here you are, go ahead | تَفَضَّلْ tafaḍḍal | تَفَضَّلِي tafaḍḍalī | تَفَضَّلُوا tafaḍḍalū |
What the words mean
Faḍl is kindness or favour, so min faḍlika is "out of your kindness". Law samaḥta is "if you would permit". Both change their ending for the person you speak to, like most of Arabic.
Here you are: tafaddal
Tafaḍḍal is one of the most useful words in Arabic. A host says it to invite you in, to sit, or to eat. A shopkeeper says it as he hands you your change. Say tafaḍḍal to a man, tafaḍḍalī to a woman and tafaḍḍalū to a group. The answer is shukran.
Gentle words in Islam
Politeness is part of good character in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ said: "A good word is charity" (Sahih al-Bukhari 2989), and he was known for speaking gently to everyone, young and old. Saying please, and thanking with jazakallahu khayran, are small acts that carry reward.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 2989, from Abu Hurayrah.
Questions
Good to know
How do you say please in Arabic?
Min fadlika (مِنْ فَضْلِكَ) to a man, min fadliki to a woman and min fadlikum to a group. Law samahta is also common.
What does tafaddal mean?
Here you are, please go ahead, or come in. To a woman it is tafaddali, and to a group tafaddalu.
How do you say excuse me in Arabic?
Law samahta (to a man) or law samahti (to a woman), or afwan.
How do you ask for water in Arabic?
Ma'an, min fadlika: water, please.