When I showed up at my host family’s house in Jordan after a year of studying Arabic at university (think, Al-Kitaab Arabic), I didn’t know any common household vocabulary. My host family tried to ask if I’d been given a key to the apartment, but I didn’t even understand the word for key (مفتاح), let alone their other instructions about food or laundry. In case any of you find yourselves in a similar situation or are just looking to gain some useful vocabulary, we’ve put together a list of basic Levantine Arabic household vocabulary. Listen for these items and verbs and add more to the list next time you’re watching an Arabic film or show or talking about home life with a friend or colleague.

For more kitchen and cooking vocabulary, try making kanafeh with Chef Omar.