Language barriers in Saudi Arabia

i think it is very crucial to meet each other half way by at least start learning the basics  as they also trying so much to learn English as a basic language.

Lydia73 wrote:

i think it is very crucial to meet each other half way by at least start learning the basics  as they also trying so much to learn English as a basic language.

meet each other the half way, what that means?

Meaning if they try to learn English as a language we also need to learn basic Arabic like shukran meaning thank you

Hi,
of course, you can live here with knowing the language. but there are a lot of situations you may face that you might think better you know Arabic. all Saudis don't know English.  so you will be comfortable if you know Arabic even a little. The Arabic is not so hard to learn and you have to talk with local Saudis if you want to learn quick.
I will give you a small tip. 
Talk with the Saudis those who don't know English. you will know the result quick.  use the small words first like
assalamu alikum - Peace be unto you (greeting )
Wa alikum salam - the same meaning of above for return.
kaifal hal - how are you
thayib - ok
kois - good
kaif shuqal - hows job
cam fuloos - how much ( fuloos means money)
haza - this or that
ismook - name
when - where
intha - you
jawal - moble
thani - other

Well...


I should like to say it depends on where you are living: big city or small, compound or outside?
In a compound you normally find everything you need for daily life, I for one didn't even need a car.
In the malls (of big cities) most of the signs are bilingual, so again no urgent need to know Arabic. And the staff usually comes from Phillipines, Nepal or Bangladesh... so Tagaluc or Hindi serves you better. No need to ask them anything, though, because they usually don't know the answer.

In smaller cities things are different, I should assume (without knowing) that you need to have some basic knowledge of the language. Be aware, though, that the textbooks teach you formal Arabic (called fus-ha), while the spoken language is dialect. It differs at times strongly in pronunciation and vocabulary.

One example: "See you tomorrow"
- in fusha means "a-raatuka radana"
- a saudi will say "shoofak bukra"

No resemblance whatsoever between the two.
I still recommend learning fus-ha first, because at least you can make yourself understood,
and knowing what it should be like you can memorize the local aberrations.


My two Pence
Jens

I think dear it is good thing to learn  basic words and statements in Arabic simply because if you live and work in any country it is wise thing to learn the language of your colleagues ....

There is not straight answer, it depends on many factors like: the city where you live in, the district within that city, the company for whom you’re working, the surrounding community, and your willingness to mingle with locals as well some traditional locations or venues.

I’ve encountered that people living in eastern province are more eager to speak english in comparison with jeddah or riyadh hence for expats can be more easy when living there.

Bear in mind that also there are different spoken dialects in saudi, in this case if you try and learn some standard arabic you will be understood however it will be very difficult to catch up with people talking in the street.

Bottom line is that you can do many things just by speaking english and body language. However, learning basic arabic sentences will enhance your experience in Saudi exponentially.

Basically each a "teach" and "learn" process when u r here n saudi arabia.... We have 2 major language using here d native tongue of them "arabic" and "english" dat s used by d majority of d expat

N my experience, it depends of where u work and wat kind of work u have n dealing wid d language....for me i worked n a clinic and a lot of patients r saudian national... I work n a remote area n jeddah "rehaily" so not all people speak english so i must learned der basic arabic like KEFHALIK,  SABAHALKER, SHUKRAN, AFWAN, KWAIS, MIYA2X,AIWAH,NAAM,SALAMOALAIKOM,KIDA....and d rest.....and n co worker we r speaking wid english wid our doctors accountant and d receptionist and since all of us nurses are filipina so we r speaking our own language which s TAGALOG.... And anyway some patients... Some knows english and tagalog so we r just enjoying teaching and learning out language..some saudian are eager to learn also different language...

Arabic being a national language does require prominence.English is also a certain language which will aid you a lot,if you are not that familiar with arabic.
The reason being, one cannot deny the fact that English is a globally spoken language but the nationals mostly in the urban sectors do have English as a secondary language in their schooling.However in the rural areas you might find it difficulty in communication. Also with almost 33% of an outside population the nationals have equipped themselves with some sort of basic of languages of the sub continent which are helpful vice versa.
Basics that can affect you in travel,numerals,shopping shall be known

As I know it's very difficult for anyone if he  don't know the language that spoken in the country. You must have to learn at least the basic things and language that are used in your daily life.We all have a plus point for English language but it can help us as our expectations. Specially in Arabic countries  Because in Arab Countries very few people know the English language.

Hello dear,
If you don’t know ARABIC , no problem u should know English

The official language in ksa is arabic but now a days many locals understand English its depend on the location where you are living.
It's better to learn basic about Arabic language its amazing language

most of the people come to Saudi Arabia for work. it is always good to learn a new language. if you are a family member studying or staying at home spouse then also it is good to learn. to start with learn the basics, welcome greetings, numbers and words that you would need to communicate daily. the best way to do is keep a small pocket diary and memorize 5 short words daily. write the words in your language and what does it mean.
The good thing about Saudi's is that they never make fun of you if you make a mistake in speaking Arabic. they are very helpful and encourage you. take it slowly step by step.
good luck

Im facing the same problem, i can understand some Arabic words when they speak fluent Arabic but unable to reply in Arabic.

I am working in a big project in KSA where about half the workforce is non Arabic.So i rarely need to speak purely in Arabic,rather,where i stumble,i start to talk in English,so you can say, i speak Pseudo-Arabic (Giggle).As per my experience,if you are working in some multinational, you will rarely need to communicate in pure Arabic, but for the daily life tasks,for instance,shopping,road issues,seeing doctor, you have to learn some of the commonly used words.

Language is not a problem in saudi arabia,arabic is the official language,english is the second lqnguage

hello Ms. Priscilla.

with due respect , if you ever wanna to movie Saudi Arabia as a skilled work and you working with native Saudi citizen or to deal Customer so Arabic language is very important its good for to communicate easily otherwise its depend on your visit , that what  kind of visa you apply . if its as tourist visa to traveling here so many languages and different countries people here hope you haven't any problem while to communicate .
while , many languages speaking are all around here from different nationalities some major languages  are i-e English After Native languages Arabic its spoken most by people here, Urdu , Hindi ,Pashto (Afghanistan and Pukhtoon of Pakistan) ,Tamil, Bengali  and Turkish   etc

Regards,
Mr. Khan

the official language of Saudi Arabia is Arabic but if you say the second language who speak thousand of peoples is  (Urdu).
Q: Is it possible to live in Saudi Arabia and get by without speaking the language?
Ans: yes Sure you can leave in Saudi Arabia if you know the English Language approximately around 40%

Q-How do you manage to communicate with the locals if you don't speak the native/official language fluently?
Ans: Sure no any matter to communicate with foreigners and Nationals in KSA Because every third person have knowledge about different languages.

Q: Can you share some tips about how to survive in Saudi Arabia on a daily basis without speaking the language?
its depend on your source of income but approximately if you belong form a middle class levels you should be required 20 USD per day then you survive easily in any city of Saudi Arabia.

Hello Priscilla ,

Q&A
Q:What is the official language in Saudi Arabia, and what are the other popular spoken languages? A:ARABIC IS OFFICAL LANGUAGE OF SAUDI ARABIA.BUT ENGLISH & URDU CAN HELP  YOU IF YOU DONT KNOW ARABIC. OR USE ANY TRANSLATOR APPLICATION FROM YOUR MOBILE
Q:Is it possible to live in Saudi Arabia and get by without speaking the language?
A:WITHOUT ARABIC ITS TOO HARD TO LIVE IN SAUDI ARABIA
Q:How do you manage to communicate with the locals if you don't speak the native/official language fluently?
A: ENGLISH AND URDU WILL HELP YOU YOU CAN GET ANYWHERE SOMEONE KNOW ENGLISH /URDU LANGUAGE.
Q:What are some popular and useful phrases that expats absolutely need to know?
A: REGULLAR USE FOR SHOPING , TRAVELLING, LIKE THAT
Q:Can you share some tips about how to survive in Saudi Arabia on a daily basis without speaking the language?
A: USE TRANSLATING APPLICATIONS LIKE GOOGLE TRANSLATOR ETC