لحظة من فضلك.

When to use

Use this phrase to politely ask for a brief pause. It is useful when you need a moment to find something, think, or complete a task.

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Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). This is a formal and polite request. In everyday speech, dialectal variations like 'shway' or 'daqiqa' (a minute) are common.

How it works

A simple noun followed by a polite request phrase.

• لَحْظَة (lahza): Noun meaning 'a moment' or 'an instant'.
• مِنْ فَضْلِكَ (min fadlika): 'Please' (literally 'from your grace'), with the suffix '-ka' for a male.

Gender Agreement

The phrase 'من فضلك' changes based on who you are speaking to. Use the suffix '-ka' (من فضلكَ, min fadlika) when addressing a male, and '-ki' (من فضلكِ, min fadliki) when addressing a female.

Pronunciation Nuances

The 'h' (ح) in 'lahza' is a voiceless pharyngeal fricative, produced deep in the throat. The 'dh' (ظ) is an emphatic, voiced dental fricative.

Notes

Buys time at counters or in chats. Polite and safe with strangers.