Franco Arabic Keyboard (Arabizi to Arabic)
Type in Franco Arabic (Arabizi) below — use 7 for ح, 3 for ع, 2 for ء — and our converter turns it into real Arabic script instantly. Then tap Copy and paste into WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere. Full number chart and examples are below.
Last updated: June 2026
Quick answer: Franco Arabic (also called Arabizi or the Arabic chat alphabet) writes Arabic with Latin letters and numbers, where numbers replace Arabic letters that have no Latin equivalent: 2=ء, 3=ع, 5=خ, 6=ط, 7=ح, 8=ق, 9=ص. Type franco in the tool above and it converts to Arabic — e.g. 7abibi → حبيبي.
What is Franco Arabic (Arabizi)?
Franco Arabic is Arabic written in Latin letters and numbers. It’s also known as Arabizi, Arabish, 3arabizi or the Arabic chat alphabet. It appeared in the 1990s on pagers and SMS that couldn’t display Arabic script, and it’s still everywhere on chat and social media — especially among young people in the Maghreb and the Gulf.
Why does franco use numbers?
Several Arabic letters have no Latin equivalent, so writers borrow numbers whose shape looks like the letter — 3 mirrors ع (ain) and 7 mirrors ح (haa). Franco is different from plain phonetic typing: for that, see our English to Arabic typing tool.
The Franco Arabic number code — full chart
| Franco | Arabic | Name | Example → Arabic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | ء / أ | hamza | su2al → سؤال (question) |
| 3 | ع | ain | 3ain → عين (eye) |
| 3′ / gh | غ | ghayn | 3’ali → غالي (expensive) |
| 5 / kh | خ | kha | 5aled → خالد (Khaled) |
| 6 | ط | taa | 6areeq → طريق (road) |
| 6′ | ظ | zaa | 6’arf → ظرف (envelope) |
| 7 | ح | haa | 7abibi → حبيبي (my darling) |
| 7′ | خ | kha (Gulf) | 7’obz → خبز (bread) |
| 8 | ق | qaf | 8alb → قلب (heart) |
| 9 | ص | sad | 9aba7 → صباح (morning) |
| 9′ | ض | dad | 9’aw2 → ضوء (light) |
Tricky cases: 4 is rare and non-standard (occasionally أ in the Gulf, mirroring ٤) — best avoided. 8 is usually ق but a few writers use it for غ. kha is written 5 in most regions and 7′ in the Gulf. Regular Latin letters keep their sound: b, t, s, sh/ch=ش, ou=و, ee=ي.
Common franco words & example sentences
| Franco | Arabic | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| salam | سلام | hi / peace |
| 7abibi | حبيبي | my love |
| kif 7alak | كيف حالك | how are you |
| ana 3arabi | أنا عربي | I’m Arab |
| 3lash | علاش | why (Maghreb) |
| 5alas | خلاص | enough / done |
Same word, different spellings: the word خبز (bread) can be written 5obz (most regions), 7’obz (Gulf) or khobz (with letters). Our converter accepts all of them.
How to convert franco to Arabic (step by step)
- Type your franco/Arabizi in the tool at the top — e.g. kif 7alak ya 3ammi.
- Press space after each word and it becomes Arabic script.
- Copy the Arabic and paste it into WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok or any app.
No download, no sign-up. Want the reverse (typing by sound without numbers)? Use English to Arabic typing.
Franco in the Maghreb (Darija) vs the Gulf
The number core (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) is shared everywhere, but spelling habits differ. Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) borrows from French — ch=ش, ou=و, 9=ق, and words like 3lash, labas, bzaf. The Gulf often uses 8 or g for qaf and 7′ for kha. Writing Moroccan? See our Clavier Darija; in French, the Clavier Arabe.
More about Franco Arabic (Arabizi)
Franco Arabic is documented as the Arabic chat alphabet:
- Arabic chat alphabet — Wikipedia
- For sound-based (no numbers) typing, see English to Arabic typing; for Moroccan, Clavier Darija.
- Part of the Arabic Keyboard hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is franco arabic?
Writing Arabic with Latin letters and numbers (e.g. 7abibi = حبيبي). Also called Arabizi or the Arabic chat alphabet.
What does 7 mean in franco?
The letter ح (haa), a deep “h” — e.g. 7abibi → حبيبي.
What does 3 mean?
The letter ع (ain), a throaty sound; the 3 mirrors the letter — 3ain → عين.
What do 5 and 7′ mean?
Both write خ (kha), the “ch” in “loch” — 5alas / 7’alas → خلاص.
What does 8 mean?
Usually ق (qaf) — 8alb → قلب. A few writers use it for غ.
What do 9 and 2 mean?
9 = ص (sad); 2 = the hamza ء — su2al → سؤال.
How do I convert franco to arabic?
Type it in the converter above and copy the Arabic — no download or account.
Is franco the same in Morocco and the Gulf?
No — Maghreb uses French-influenced spelling (ch, ou, 9), the Gulf uses 8/g for qaf; the number core is shared.