At the Table in Tunisian Arabic: phrases for eating and enjoying

Invited to a meal in Tunisia and want to join the conversation? This page gives you the key phrases for mealtime: saying the food is good, answering when someone asks if you are full, and thanking the person who cooked.

All the expressions here were recorded by our native-speaker teachers. You can use them as they are in a real conversation.

Bon appétit!

To wish someone a good meal, say Bil-chifa wel-hana w !, which means “Bon appétit!” This phrase is often followed by a question about the dish: El-kaftaji bnin? (Are the kafteji good?).

“Good” and “delicious”

Our recordings use two forms, bnin and bnina, both meaning “good” or “delicious” depending on context:

Click the button after a phrase to hear it spoken by a teacher.

Ychahi emmm! Bnin barcha. - Yum! It's very good.
El 9ahwa kanet bnina. - The coffee was delicious.
el mekla bnina barcha! - The meal is very delicious!

The word barcha strengthens the compliment: it means “very.”

I'm hungry: starting the meal

To say you are hungry or to get the conversation going before sitting down to eat:

Ena jou3ana. Chnowa nakelou? - I'm hungry. What are we eating?
Chnowa bech nakelou el youma? - What are we eating today?

“I'm full”

If someone asks you Chba3et? (Are you full?), you can answer:

Ey, chbe3t. Y3aychek. - Yes, I'm full. Thank you.

Our recordings show two close forms: Chba3et in the question and chbe3t in the answer.

Thanking someone for the meal

After eating, two ways of saying thank you appear in our recordings:

Y3aychek. - Thank you.
yislam idiik , el mekla bnina barcha! - Thank you (may your hands be healthy), the meal is very delicious!

The second phrase is addressed to the person who cooked. To ask if someone wants something to drink: W choreb? (And to drink?).

Ready-to-use phrases

Here are six phrases to remember for a meal:

Bil-chifa wel-hana w ! - Bon appétit!
Ychahi emmm! Bnin barcha. - Yum! It's very good.
Ena jou3ana. Chnowa nakelou? - I'm hungry. What are we eating?
W choreb? - And to drink?
Chba3et? - Are you full?
yislam idiik , el mekla bnina barcha! - Thank you (may your hands be healthy), the meal is very delicious!

A short exchange at the table

Here is a mini-dialogue made up of phrases recorded by our teachers:

Bil-chifa wel-hana w ! El-kaftaji bnin? - Bon appétit! Are the kafteji good?
Ychahi emmm! Bnin barcha. - Yum! It's very good.
Chba3et? - Are you full?
Ey, chbe3t. Y3aychek. - Yes, I'm full. Thank you.

FAQ

How do you say “it's delicious” in Tunisian Arabic?

The phrase Ychahi emmm! Bnin barcha. means “Yum! It's very good.” You can also use el mekla bnina barcha! (the meal is very delicious!). Both forms bnin and bnina appear in our recordings and both translate as “good” or “delicious.”

How do you thank the person who cooked in Tunisian Arabic?

Say yislam idiik , el mekla bnina barcha!, which means “may your hands be healthy, the meal is very delicious.” For a shorter thank-you, Y3aychek. works on its own.

How do you answer “are you full?” in Tunisian Arabic?

If someone asks Chba3et?, answer Ey, chbe3t. Y3aychek. to say “Yes, I'm full. Thank you.”

How do you suggest eating something in Tunisian Arabic?

You can use Chnowa bech nakelou el youma? (What are we eating today?) or Ena jou3ana. Chnowa nakelou? (I'm hungry. What are we eating?) to start the conversation before a meal.