Phrases
Aku Maku: The Uniquely Iraqi Way to Say There Is / There Isn't
أكو / ماكو
aku / maku
There is / There isn't
A word from ancient Aramaic
Unlike most Arabic dialects, Iraqi Arabic uses أكو (aku) and ماكو (maku) to express existence — meaning 'there is' and 'there isn't.' These words trace back to Aramaic, the ancient language spoken in Mesopotamia long before Arabic arrived. You won't hear them in Egyptian, Levantine, or Gulf Arabic — they're distinctly Iraqi.
Basic usage
Aku and maku are incredibly simple to use. Just place them before the thing you're talking about.
أكو چاي؟
aku chai?
Is there tea?
أي، أكو
ay, aku
Yes, there is
ماكو
maku
There isn't / There's none
أكو ناس هناك
aku nas hnak
There are people there
Aku maku as 'no problem'
One of the most common uses is ماكو مشكلة (maku mushkila) — literally 'there is no problem', used exactly like 'no worries' or 'no problem' in English. You'll hear this constantly.
ماكو مشكلة
maku mushkila
No problem / No worries
ماكو شغلة
maku shughla
Nothing to do / Nothing's going on
أكو وقت
aku waqt
There's time / We have time
Asking questions with aku
You can turn any aku statement into a question just by raising your intonation at the end — no extra words needed.
أكو مطعم قريب؟
aku mat'am garib?
Is there a restaurant nearby?
أكو أكل؟
aku akil?
Is there food?
Practice these phrases in the app
Hachi teaches you real Iraqi Arabic through interactive lessons, audio, and conversation practice.
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