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Taxi in Cairo: what to say to the driver

How to give an address, agree on the fare and get the driver to stop where you need.

In Cairo people rarely give an address by street number. You name the district, and then you guide the driver by landmarks: a mosque, a pharmacy, the café on the corner. So "right", "left" and "here" are words you need from your very first ride.

Where to

Start with the district: khodni le plus the place. For example, khodni le Zamalek, "take me to Zamalek". If the driver asks fein bel zabt?, "where exactly?", name a landmark near your building.

The fare

If the car has a meter, ask the driver to switch it on. If there is no meter, ask the price before you get in. It saves an argument at the end of the ride.

• el 2ogra kam? — how much is the fare?
• shaghghal el 3addad law sama7t — please turn on the meter

Drivers often ask ma3ak fakka?, "do you have change?". Keep small notes on you: there may be no change for a big one.

Directions

These words are enough to get the car to your door.

• yemeen — right
• shemal — left
• 3ala tool — straight on
• hena — here
• wa22af hena — stop here

The numbers in the Latin spelling stand for sounds English doesn't have: 3 is the throaty ʿayn, 7 is a breathy h, 2 is a short catch in the throat.

When you arrive

The driver will say weselna, "we're here". If you booked through an app, the driver often calls to check where you are. One phrase does the job: ana ta7t el 3emara, "I'm downstairs, outside the building".

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