On this episode of Tips for Learning Levantine Arabic, we’re going to address Levantine Arabic phrases for comfort.
After our recent episode on the many ways to express gratitude in Arabic, several listeners asked us to do something similar—this time focused on Arabic expressions used to convey sympathy and encouragement. That’s what this episode is all about.
I’m really excited to share this with you because it can be a game changer—especially if you’ve ever found yourself at a loss for words when you want to express sympathy to your Arabic-speaking friends who are going through difficult circumstances.
In this episode, we offer more than 65 different phrases that Arabic speakers use when someone is facing hard times. Some of these expressions provide comfort, while others offer encouragement—reminding someone to stay strong and keep going.
Yes, 65 is a lot. But don’t worry about the number. This isn’t meant to be exhaustive, but it is comprehensive. You can come back to this episode as many times as you want.
I should say from the start: if you’re brand new to Arabic, this might be an episode to come back to later. I’m aiming this one at learners who already have a few thousand words under their belt. If you’re at an intermediate level, this will be especially helpful, because I won’t be translating every word—I’ll focus more on the general meaning and emotional tone behind each phrase.
If you’re an advanced Arabic learner, you may already use some of these expressions. That’s great. But I’m willing to bet there are quite a few you haven’t come across or wouldn’t naturally think to use.
You’ll find a list of these phrases below so you can review them, and even ask a language coach or Arabic-speaking friend to record the ones you want to learn first. Start with a handful, get comfortable with them, and then come back to this episode and build from there. We are intentionally not offering translations in the below list. Part of the way you’ll get these phrases to stick and also use them in appropriate ways is by discussing the meaning in Arabic, not in translation.
It’s not easy to know what to say when someone is hurting.
Even in our own language and culture, it can be difficult. Not everything we say actually lands the way we hope it will. Different cultures—and even different people—have their own ways of expressing comfort.
This is an added challenge when you’re working in a second language.
In second-language acquisition, there’s a concept called language transfer. This refers to how your first language shapes the way you form thoughts in a second language. It’s often the only framework you have, so naturally, you rely on it when trying to figure out what to say in Arabic.
Most of the time, this happens unconsciously—and sometimes, it works in your favor.
When it does, that’s called positive transfer. Your instincts line up well with how things are said in Arabic, and you land on a phrase that feels natural. That’s a win.
But sometimes, it works against you.
That’s what’s known as negative transfer. This happens when what you would normally say in your own language or culture doesn’t translate well—either linguistically or culturally—into Arabic.
A simple example is what happens when someone sneezes.
If you don’t speak Arabic, your instinct might be to say “Bless you” or “God bless you.” But if you translate that directly into Arabic, you might get a confused look. Instead, Arabic speakers typically say something like صحة (health), or another culturally appropriate response.
These are small moments, but they highlight a bigger point: direct translation often doesn’t work.
When you’re new to Arabic, it’s completely natural to rely on your first language. But if you want to really connect with people, it’s important to learn what Arabic speakers actually say in situations where people are suffering or struggling.
These are their words—the ones that feel meaningful and comforting to them.
Even if some expressions don’t make immediate sense to you, they carry emotional weight in the culture. And that’s what matters.
If you want someone to feel that you’re truly there for them, you need to meet them on their terms. That means learning the phrases that communicate care and empathy in their cultural context—not just translating what you would say back home.
That’s how real connection happens.
Some language acquisition experts point out that while first-language influence is often helpful, it becomes more complicated when the cultural distance between languages is greater. And in those cases, figuring out what to say can be especially challenging.
I’ve seen this firsthand. Not knowing how to comfort someone in Arabic can create real anxiety. You want to say something—but you’re not sure what’s appropriate, or what will actually help.
That’s what we’re addressing here.
We’ll start with some expressions that may feel familiar—phrases that are easier to relate to because they align more closely with what you might say in your own culture.
Then we’ll move into more culturally specific expressions—phrases that are very common in Levantine Arabic, but probably wouldn’t occur to you on your own.
And that’s really the heart of this episode. I’m working to give you a framework, but the actual Arabic phrases as recorded by our language coaches are what’s key.
You shouldn’t expect these expressions—the ones you’d never come up with even if you had a thousand years—to be easy to learn. They’re not intuitive. They’re insider language.
And becoming an insider takes work.
It means going beyond what feels natural to you. It requires paying attention, practicing intentionally, and gradually internalizing not just the words, but the meaning behind them.
As you listen, you’ll probably notice that some expressions feel easier to connect with than others.
Some will stick right away. Others may feel unfamiliar, or even a bit uncomfortable to say. And some might just not feel like “you” at all.
That’s okay.
Start with the ones that feel most natural—the ones that make sense to you and that you can imagine yourself actually using. Try to get comfortable with those first.
Then, if you’re committed to growing, begin adding more.
Over time, you’ll build a broader range of expressions that you can draw on when someone is going through a difficult time.
If you’re someone who wants to learn all of them, that’s great. But be realistic about what it takes.
This kind of language doesn’t become automatic just from hearing it once. It requires repetition—saying the phrases out loud, again and again, until they become second nature.
That’s especially true because these expressions aren’t rooted in your first language. They don’t come instinctively. You’re building new pathways.
This is the real challenge.
As language learners, we often assume that if we just learn enough words, we’ll be able to say whatever we need to say in any situation.
But that’s not how it works—especially when culture plays such a big role.
When you’re coming from a very different cultural background, it can be difficult—sometimes impossible—to predict what should be said based only on your own instincts.
So the next time you feel frustrated trying to learn Arabic—especially in these kinds of situations—remember what’s happening.
Sometimes, your instincts will help you. That’s positive transfer.
But other times, they’ll lead you in the wrong direction. That’s negative transfer.
And when that happens, the best thing you can do is simple: ask.
Ask your Arabic-speaking friends, “What do you say when this happens?”
That question alone can take you a long way.
Remember, what you’re doing isn’t easy. But learning how to comfort someone in another language is a significant step in building genuine relationships of trust.
Your words—especially in those moments—have power.
Under the two tabs below, you’ll find all the Arabic phrases that were used in this episode. We have separated them into two general categories based on how learners tend to perceive the difficulty of the concepts and the vocabulary used. We have not translated these as they are best defined by Arabic concepts, not English ones.
Pick a few of these phrases to go over with your language coach until you are comfortable with what they mean and when to use them. Then come back to this page and work through a few more.
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