Language/Standard-arabic/Vocabulary/How-to-Say-Hello-and-Greetings
Hi Standard Arabic learners! ๐
Do you want to learn how to say โHelloโ in Standard Arabic?
Greetings are an important part of any language because they allow you to connect and communicate with others.
If youโre planning a trip to the country or are trying to learn Standard Arabic, keep reading to discover some of the most important greetings.
Letโs get started! ๐ค
Consider broadening your understanding by checking out these related lessons: Geography, Fish and Seafood, Bank & Football.
Greetings[edit | edit source]
Let's start with the simplest. You might already know how to say "hello" in Arabic, but did you know that there are different ways to say it?
Say "hi"[edit | edit source]
When Yasmine meets her friend Jamila at the Sunday market, she usually says to him:
- "Salam o alekoume" (ุงูุณูููุงู ู ุนูููููููู ู)
She could also have said to him:
- "Salam" (ุณูููุงู )
- "Sabah el hรฉre" (ุตูุจูุงูุญู ุงููุฎูููุฑู)
If a person says "salam o alekoume" or "salam", you will have to answer him or her by saying:
- "O alekoume salam" (ููุนูููููููู ู ุงูุณูููุงู ู)
Otherwise if this person told you "sabah el hรฉre" (ุตูุจูุงูุญู ุงููุฎูููุฑู), you can answer him the same words.
say his/her first name[edit | edit source]
Jamila was accompanied by a friend, Fatima. Yasmine asks him his first name:
- "Kรฉ ysmitlรจke?"
- Another way to ask it would be "kรฉ semรจke Allah?".
Fatima responds as follows:
- "Ysmitlรฉ Fatima".
Welcome[edit | edit source]
Yasmine had invited her friend Jamila for lunch. Arrived at home, Yasmine welcomes her:
- "Marhababeke"
If there was more than one person, they would have said "marhababรฉkome".
Then she asks him:
- "Ke rake daira?"
Note that she would have said "kรฉ rake daรฏre?" if she had spoken to a boy.
Jamila replies:
- "Ranรฉ labes el hamdoulilahe chokrane"
Goodbye[edit | edit source]
Then as they like to talk a lot, they talked until the evening before saying "goodbye".
By the way, "goodbye" translates to
- "Bslema"
Practice with these few marks of politeness in Arabic. These are often the most important words in a conversation.
Table: Other greetings[edit | edit source]
English | Standard Arabic | Comment |
---|---|---|
assalฤm aleikom: general greeting | ุงูุณูููุงู ู ุนูููููููู ู | Formal, academic and sometimes with a religious connotation. |
Salam Alikom | ุณูุงู ุนูููู | Used between friends or family members. It has an egyptian arabic connotation. |
salฤm: general greeting | ุณูููุงู | We can always say salฤm (it's like saying "Hi" in English). |
wa aleikom assalฤm: reply to ุงูุณูููุงู ู ุนูููููููู ู | ููุนูููููููู ู ุงูุณูููุงู ู | |
wa aleikom assalฤm wa raแธฅmatullฤhi: reply to ุงุงูุณูููุงู ู ุนูููููููู ู | ููุนูููููููู ู ุงูุณูููุงู ู ููุฑูุญูู ูุฉู ุงูููููู | |
wa aleikom assalฤm wa raแธฅmatullฤhi wa barakฤtuhu: reply to ุงูุณูููุงู ู ุนูููููููู ู | ููุนูููููููู ู ุงูุณูููุงู ู ููุฑูุญูู ูุฉู ุงูููููู ููุจูุฑูุงุชูู | |
assalฤm aleikom wa raแธฅmatullฤh: general greeting | ุงูุณูููุงู ู ุนูููููููู ู ููุฑูุญูู ูุฉู ุงูููููู | |
wa aleikom assalฤm wa raแธฅmatullฤhi: reply toุงูุณูููุงู ู ุนูููููููู ู ููุฑูุญูู ูุฉู ุงูููููู | ููุนูููููููู ู ุงูุณูููุงู ู ููุฑูุญูู ูุฉู ุงูููููู | |
wa aleikom assalฤm wa raแธฅmatullฤhi wa barakฤtuhu: reply to ุงูุณูููุงู ู ุนูููููููู ู ููุฑูุญูู ูุฉู ุงูููููู | ููุนูููููููู ู ุงูุณูููุงู ู ููุฑูุญูู ูุฉู ุงูููููู ููุจูุฑูุงุชูู | |
assalฤm aleikom wa raแธฅmatullฤh wa barakฤtuhu: general greeting (Peace be upon you) | ุงูุณูููุงู ู ุนูููููููู ู ููุฑูุญูู ูุฉู ุงูููููู ููุจูุฑูุงุชูู | |
wa aleikom assalฤm wa raแธฅmatullฤh wa barakฤtuhu: reply to ุงูุณูููุงู ู ุนูููููููู ู ููุฑูุญูู ูุฉู ุงูููููู ููุจูุฑูุงุชูู (Peace be upon you) | ููุนูููููููู ู ุงูุณูููุงู ู ููุฑูุญูู ูุฉู ุงูููููู ููุจูุฑูุงุชูู | |
wa aleikom: reply to ุณูุงู | ููุนูููููููู ู | |
marแธฅaba: general greeting | ู ูุฑูุญูุจูุงู | You can use marhaba as a friendly, casual greeting, commonly used in most Arabic countries. It can be used in both a formal and informal context. |
marแธฅaban: general greeting | ู ูุฑูุญูุจูุง | |
ahlan: informal greeting (Welcome) | ุฃููููุงู | ุงููุง has two usages:
|
แนฃabฤh al-khayr: morning greeting (good morning) | ุตูุจูุงูุญู ุงููุฎูููุฑู | |
แนฃabฤh an-nuur: reply to ุตูุจูุงูุญู ุงููุฎูููุฑู | ุตูุจูุงูุญู ุงูููุฑ | |
im แนฃabฤแธฅan: morning greeting spoken to a man in Classical Arabic | ุนูู ู ุตูุจูุงูุญูุง | |
imta แนฃabฤแธฅan: morning greeting spoken to a man in Classical Arabic | ุนูู ูุชู ุตูุจูุงูุญูุง | |
imฤซ แนฃabฤแธฅan: morning greeting spoken to a man in Classical Arabic | ุนูู ููู ุตูุจูุงูุญูุง | |
imti แนฃabฤแธฅan: morning greeting spoken to a man in Classical Arabic | ุนูู ูุชู ุตูุจูุงูุญูุง | |
masฤ al-khayr: afternoon greeting (good afternoon) | ู ูุณูุงูุกู ุงููุฎูููุฑู | |
masฤ an-nลซr: reply to ู ูุณูุงูุกู ุงููุฎูููุฑู | ู ุณุงุก ุงูููุฑ | |
im masฤ'an: evening greeting spoken to a man in Classical Arabic (Good night) | ุนูู ู ู ูุณูุงูุกู | |
imta masฤ'an: evening greeting spoken to a man in Classical Arabic | ุนูู ูุชู ู ูุณูุงูุกู | |
imฤซ masฤ'an: evening greeting spoken to a man in Classical Arabic | ุนูู ููู ู ูุณูุงูุกู | |
imti masฤ'an: evening greeting spoken to a man in Classical Arabic | ุนูู ูุชู ู ูุณูุงูุกู | |
tuแนฃbiแธฅ alฤ-khayrin: nighttime greeting spoken to a man | ุชูุตูุจูุญู ุนููููู ุฎูููุฑู | |
tuแนฃbiแธฅฤn alฤ-khayrin: nighttime greeting spoken to a woman | ุชูุตูุจูุญููููู ุนููููู ุฎูููุฑู | |
laylatan hฤni'a: nighttime greeting | ููููุฉู ููุงูููุฆูุฉู | |
kaif alhal: how are you? | ฺฉููููู ูฑููุญูุงูุ | |
alhamdulillah: reply to ฺฉููููู ูฑููุญูุงู | ุงููุญูู ูุฏู ููููููู | |
kaifa haluk: how are you? spoken to a man | ูููููู ุญูุงูููููุ | |
kaifa haluki: how are you? spoken to a woman | ูููููู ุญูุงูููููุ | |
kaifa halkum: how are you? spoken to a group | ูููููู ุญูุงูููู ุ | |
ana bikhayrin: reply to ูููููู ุญูุงููููู and ูููููู ุญูุงููููู | ุฃูููุงู ุจูุฎูููุฑู | |
ana bikhayrin shukran: reply to ูููููู ุญูุงููููู and ูููููู ุญูุงููููู | ุฃูููุงู ุจูุฎูููุฑู ุ ุดูููุฑูุง | |
shukran: thank you | ุดูููุฑูุง | |
shukran jazilan: thank you very much | ุดูููุฑูุง ุฌุฒููุง | |
ahlan wa sahlan: welcome greeting | ุฃููููุงู ููุณููููุงู | Arabs love to give visitors a warm welcome to their home or work place. Note: this is different to โyouโre welcomeโ, the phrase youโd use in response to someone thanking you |
ahlan bek: reply to ุฃููููุงู ููุณููููุงู spoken to a man | ุฃููููุงู ุจููู | |
ahlan beki: reply to ุฃููููุงู ููุณููููุงู spoken to a woman | ุฃููููุงู ุจูู | |
Hayak allaah | ุญูููุงู ุงููู | Formal way to say hello in Arabic that is used often in Gulf countries. It means may God give you a long life. |
Videos[edit | edit source]
Learn Standard Arabic: Greetings Based on times of the day[edit | edit source]
Learn Modern Standard Arabic: How to Say and Write 'Hello'[edit | edit source]
Arabic in 3 Minutes - How to Greet People in Arabic[edit | edit source]
Top 10 Modern Standard Arabic MSA (Fusha) Phrases[edit | edit source]
Sources[edit | edit source]
- https://polyglotclub.com/language/standard-arabic/question/36363
- http://users.elite.net/runner/jennifers/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhRKyWY_c-I
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WapYi3-j0xk
- https://www.arabe-gratuit.fr/cours_se_presenter.php
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