Which language to write the quote in
A quote is written in the language of the person who will approve it. If you work in Arabic and your client reads English - a company, a purchasing department, a client abroad - or the other way round, the quote changes language and nothing else.
What the quote says stays the same: the same parts in the same order. What changes is the names and the wording, set out in the two tables below.
The parts of a quote and their names
These are the names of a quote's parts as they appear on most quotes written in English, with the Arabic for each:
| In English | In Arabic |
|---|---|
| Quote, or Quotation | عرض سعر |
| Quote number | رقم العرض |
| Date | التاريخ |
| Valid until | صالح حتى |
| Prepared by | مقدَّم من |
| Prepared for | مقدَّم إلى |
| Item | البند |
| Description | الوصف |
| Unit | الوحدة |
| Quantity | الكمية |
| Unit price | سعر الوحدة |
| Amount | المبلغ |
| Subtotal | المجموع قبل الخصم والضريبة |
| Discount | الخصم |
| Tax | الضريبة |
| Total | الإجمالي |
| Deposit | العربون |
| Payment schedule | جدول الدفعات |
| Scope of work | نطاق العمل |
| Terms and conditions | الشروط والأحكام |
| Signature | التوقيع |
Ready wording for each part
These are the usual sentences on a quote. Copy them as they are and replace what is in brackets:
| In English | In Arabic |
|---|---|
| We are pleased to submit the following quote for the work described below. | يسرّنا تقديم عرض السعر التالي للأعمال المذكورة أدناه. |
| This quote is valid until [date]. | هذا العرض صالح حتى [التاريخ]. |
| Prices are in [currency] and exclude tax. | الأسعار بعملة [العملة] ولا تشمل الضريبة. |
| Work starts once a deposit of [percentage] of the total is received. | يبدأ العمل بعد استلام عربون بنسبة [النسبة] من الإجمالي. |
| The balance is due on delivery. | يُسدَّد الباقي عند التسليم. |
| The work takes [duration] from the date the deposit is received. | مدة التنفيذ [المدة] من تاريخ استلام العربون. |
| This quote includes: [what is included]. | يشمل هذا العرض: [ما يشمله]. |
| This quote does not include: [what is excluded]. | لا يشمل هذا العرض: [ما لا يشمله]. |
| Any work outside this scope is quoted separately. | أي عمل خارج هذا النطاق يُسعَّر بعرض مستقل. |
| To accept this quote, please reply to this message or sign below. | للموافقة على العرض، يُرجى الرد على هذه الرسالة أو التوقيع أدناه. |
| Please contact us with any questions about this quote. | نرحب بأي استفسار عن هذا العرض. |
Common mistakes when a quote changes language
Most mistakes come not from the language itself but from carrying a text across word for word:
- Translating word for word: the usual sentences in the table above read more clearly than a literal translation.
- Mixing up a quote and an invoice: a quote comes before the work so the client can decide; an invoice asks for payment after agreement.
- Writing the date in digits only: the order of day and month differs between countries, so write the month as a word.
- Leaving the currency out: put the currency code with every amount, above all when the client is in another country.
- Two versions that differ: if the quote goes out in two languages, the numbers and the items must match exactly.
Where Naam fits
In Naam every quote has its own language: Arabic or English. Choose English and the client page shows its headings, dates and amounts in English, left to right, and the template's texts - scope, payment steps and terms - switch to their English wording unless you have changed them. The items you typed yourself stay as you typed them.