متى نلتقي؟

You can drop this phrase at the end of a conversation. It works perfectly in person or over text. Usually, you say it after you both agree that meeting up is a good idea. You don't need fancy grammar here. Just say the two words with a rising question tone. It is short, punchy, and gets straight to the point.

Use it with your friends when planning a weekend outing. Use it with a colleague to grab a quick lunch. It is perfect for texting that one friend who always says "we should see each other." It works well at a restaurant, in the office, or even at the gym. If you want to see someone, this is the phrase you need.

Avoid using this with high-ranking officials or people you don't know at all. It is a bit too casual for a first-time business meeting with a CEO. In those cases, you might want a more formal structure. Also, don't use it if you aren't actually free. People might take it as a serious commitment to make a plan right then!

In many Arabic-speaking cultures, social life is incredibly important. Time can be quite fluid and flexible. Asking نتقابل امتى؟ is often the start of a friendly negotiation. You might hear "Inshallah" (God willing) as part of the answer. This doesn't always mean "maybe." It often just means "hopefully at this time."

In Modern Standard Arabic, you would say متى نلتقي؟ (Mata naltaqi?). In the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan), you might hear أيمتى رح نتقابل؟ (Eimta rah nit'abel?). In Egypt, this specific version نتقابل امتى؟ is the king of the streets. You might also hear هنشوف بعض امتى؟ which means "When will we see each other?"