Voice translator

English to Arabic voice translator

You speak English and the other person speaks Arabic. Open the translator, pick English for you and Arabic for them, and take turns: your English reaches them in Arabic, and what they say comes back to you in English.

Face-to-Face and Listen are free for up to 30 minutes a day. Sign in with a free Owaa account to use it.

How to use it

  1. 01

    Open it with the pair chosen

    The button above opens Face-to-Face with English for you and Arabic for the other person already selected. If you are not signed in, you are taken through sign-in and brought back.

  2. 02

    Take turns

    One person speaks at a time. Wait until the translation finishes playing before you speak, because anything said while it plays is not heard.

  3. 03

    Hear each other

    Each of you hears the other in your own language through the same device. Major pairs such as English with Chinese, Spanish or Japanese are strongest; for anything important, repeat the key detail back.

Need the other direction? Arabic to English voice translator.

Useful Arabic phrases

Common Arabic phrases and their English meaning
EnglishArabicTransliteration
Hello. (peace be upon you)السلام عليكمas-salāmu ʿalaykum
Thank you.شكرًاshukran
I don't understand.لا أفهمlā afham
Please speak slowly. (to a man)من فضلك، تكلّم ببطءmin faḍlak, takallam bi-buṭʾ
Where is the bathroom?أين الحمّام؟ayna l-ḥammām?
How much is this?بكم هذا؟bikam hādhā?
I need a doctor.أحتاج إلى طبيبaḥtāju ilā ṭabīb

Everyday phrases for reading or saying aloud. They are a reference, not a substitute for the translator in a real conversation.

Arabic: varieties and dialects

Arabic is a family of regional varieties. Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is the written language and the language of news; in daily life people speak Egyptian, Levantine (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine), Gulf, Iraqi, Maghrebi (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) and other dialects, which can differ a lot from MSA and from each other.

Most people understand MSA but many do not speak it in conversation. Owaa does not publish accuracy figures per dialect, so speak clearly, avoid slang, and repeat anything important back.

Politeness and formality in a translated conversation

  • Arabic marks gender: “you” and the verb change for a man and for a woman (takallam / takallami for “speak”). The phrase above is for a man; the translator handles this for you in conversation, but it is worth knowing why a reply may sound gendered.
  • Greetings matter. Begin with a greeting before the request, and expect a longer greeting back. Arabic is written right to left.

Common situations with Arabic speakers

At the doctor

Ask whether a female or male clinician is available if that matters to the patient, and say symptoms one at a time.

With a landlord

Confirm amounts and the due date aloud and ask for terms in writing; say numbers digit by digit.

At your child’s school

Ask staff to say the date and time slowly and to write the child’s name as it appears on school records, since Arabic names are transliterated in more than one way.

At the bank

Spell your name in English letters as it appears on your ID, since the same Arabic name can be spelled several ways.

General conversation tips only, not legal or medical advice. For anything with legal, medical or financial consequences, use a qualified human interpreter.

Call someone who speaks Arabic

Owaa also translates a real phone call both ways, to any number, with no app for the person you call. A call to Egypt, the main country for Arabic, costs $0.50 per minute. New accounts can claim 10 free minutes once.

Questions

Is the english to arabic voice translator free?
Yes, free for up to 30 minutes a day. The limit exists to prevent abuse. It needs a free Owaa account, which takes a moment to create.
Can I call someone in Egypt who speaks Arabic?
Yes. Owaa translates a real phone call both ways. A call to Egypt costs $0.50 per minute, and new accounts can claim 10 free minutes once. You can also call the hotline, +1 833 988 4455.
What is the difference between Face-to-Face and Listen for Arabic?
Face-to-Face is two-way, for two people in the same room: each speaks their own language and hears the other in theirs. Listen is one-way: it translates a talk, a broadcast or a speaker into Arabic.
Which Arabic does it cover?
Arabic speakers use many regional dialects, and the written standard (Modern Standard Arabic) differs from everyday speech. Owaa does not publish accuracy figures per dialect, so speak clearly and confirm important details.
Can it read Arabic text?
This voice translator works on speech. The Arabic on this page is shown so that you can see or show the phrases.
Why does Arabic address men and women differently?
Arabic verbs and the word for “you” have masculine and feminine forms, so a translated sentence may carry the gender of the person addressed.

Other language pairs

English to Arabic voice translator — free, real time · Owaa