التذكرة بكام؟

You don't need to worry about complex grammar here. Just say the word for ticket, Et-tazkara, and follow it with the question be kam. If you want to be extra polite, you can add law samaht (if you please) at the beginning or end. It is like a verbal shortcut. You are pointing at the service you want and asking for the price tag. It is very common to drop the 'the' and just say tazkara be kam? if you are in a rush.

Use this anytime there is a booth or a counter involved. It is perfect for the metro, the local bus, or a long-distance train. It is also the right choice for the cinema, a football match, or an art gallery. If you are texting a friend to see if you can afford to go to a concert together, this is the phrase to send. It is a functional, everyday tool for your linguistic belt.

Do not use this for physical objects like a kilo of tomatoes or a new pair of shoes. For those, you would just say be kam da? (How much is this?). Using tazkara for a sandwich will definitely get you some funny looks! Also, if you are in a very formal government office or writing a formal email to an airline, you might want to use the more classical kam thaman al-tadhkira?, but for 99% of your daily life, the standard version is king.

In many Arabic-speaking cities, public transport is the lifeblood of the streets. You will hear this phrase shouted over the noise of traffic or whispered at a ticket window. While bargaining is a sport in the souks (markets), ticket prices are usually fixed. However, asking the price is still a way of starting the interaction. It shows you are savvy and know how the system works. In some places, the price might even change depending on the time of day or the type of seat, so always ask!

In Modern Standard Arabic, you might hear kam al-tadhkira?. In some Gulf dialects, they might say be kam el-tathkira?. In Egypt, the 'dh' sound in tadhkira almost always turns into a 'z' sound, making it tazkara. You might also hear people just say be kam? while pointing at the ticket sign, which is the ultimate 'lazy' but effective way to communicate.