كام هياخد وقت؟

You place this phrase at the end of a sentence. Or, you can use it entirely on its own. If you are at a repair shop, just point and ask. The verb haya'khod is the future tense of 'to take'. You don't need to conjugate it much for basic use. It stays steady whether you're asking about a car or a sandwich.

Use it whenever you are waiting. Use it at the dry cleaners or the doctor's office. It is perfect for checking travel times with an Uber driver. It works great when a friend says "I'm almost there." (We all know they might still be in bed). It helps you pin down a concrete number in a relaxed culture.

Don't use it for fixed event times. If you want to know when a movie starts, use emta (when). This phrase is for duration, not schedules. Avoid using it in extremely high-level academic writing. It is a spoken gem, not a formal thesis statement. Also, don't use it if the answer is obvious, or you'll look impatient!

In Egypt, time can be... flexible. There is a famous concept called 'Insha'Allah time'. Asking Kam haya'khod wa't? is your way of trying to get a real number. It shows you are serious about your schedule. Egyptians are helpful and will usually give you an optimistic estimate. Always add five to ten minutes to whatever they tell you!

You might hear Hayakhod wa't ad eh? which means the same thing. Some people drop the wa't and just say Hayakhod kam?. In more formal settings, you might hear Kam minal waqt sayastaqriq?. But stick to the Egyptian version for maximum 'street cred'. It sounds more natural and friendly in 90% of daily interactions.