How to Say Hello in Arabic
It is vital to greet others in Arabic countries. But it can seem confusing if you are new there. The way you greet others varies depending on several factors, like the time of the day, the nature of your relationship with the one you are greeting, and the age difference.
Furthermore, certain greetings may be popular in certain regions but not widely used in others. Here are some of the popular ways of saying hello in Arabic.
How Do You Say Hello in Arabic?
1. As-salāmu ʿalaykum
Peace be upon you
السلام عليكم
As-salāmu ʿalaykum is the most common formal way of saying hello in Arabic countries. It is the Islamic greeting that means “peace to be upon you”. It can be used in all the Arabic countries regardless of the dialect used there.
It is a perfect greeting to be used in business and formal meetings, and you should expect others to use it in such formal situations as well. The typical response to it is by saying وعليكم السلام “Wa Alaikum Al Salam” and the literal translation for that is “May peace be upon you too”.
2. ṣabāḥ al-khayr
Good morning
صباح الخير
This greeting is used in the morning. It can be a good greeting to use in both formal and informal situations. This one is widely used in every Arabic country with both close friends, relatives, coworkers …etc.
3. Masāʾ al-khayr
Good evening
مساء الخير
It is also used both in formal and informal situations. This greeting is used to greet the people you meet in the evenings. Masaa Al khair is the equivalent of “Good evening”.
How to Say Hi in Arabic
In English, a lot of people use Hi to greet people informally. It is mostly used with people you have close relationships with such as your friends or your family. In Arabic, there are many ways to greet others informally, and here are some examples.
1. Marḥaban
Hello / Welcome
مرحبا
This is one of the most common and simplest ways to greet others. The good thing about Marhaba is that you can use it almost anytime. It is also widely used in a lot of Arabic countries. Whether you are in the Levant, the Arabian Gulf, Egypt, or other Arabic countries it is used there.
Marhaba is a word you say to others when you meet them, or when you are a guest visiting someone. However, when someone says Marhaba to you, you can respond “Ahlan wa Sahlan” which means welcome.
2. ʿawāfī
May it bring you health / Enjoy it
عوافي
In some countries, especially in the Gulf region, people say Awafi to greet friends and family. Awafi literally translates to Healths. This means that when you are saying that, you wish others to be in good health.
You need to understand that this is not as common as Marhaba. It can be used in the Levant, The Gulf, and some regions in Egypt. In others countries it can have other meanings and may not be used to greet people.
3. yaʿṭīk al-ʿāfiyah
May God give you strength / Thanks for your effort
يعطيك العافية
This one is also similar to Awafi. It is translated to “May He give you health”, and it is the short form of “May God Give you health”. Yet, it is not a religious greeting, but it is widely used in the Levant countries like Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine.
4. Salām
Hi / Peace / Bye
سلام
The word Salam means peace, and yet it is a form of greeting in Arabic. Just like most of you would expect, this greeting is derived from the religious greeting “Al Salam Alaikum”. However, it is an informal form; therefore you cannot use it in Business.
Yet, Salam is a nice way to greet your close friends when visiting them or when you talk to them over the phone. You can respond to it by saying “Ahlan” or just saying the word Salam.
Also, you can expect to hear some people respond to it by saying “Ahlan” repeatedly. In Arabic culture, this can mean that the person is happy to see you and want to show how glad they are to see you.
How to Say Hello in Egyptian Arabic?
When greeting others in Egypt, you should know there are many ways to do so. Of course, there are many common phrases between the Egyptian dialect and other Arabic dialects. Therefore, you should not expect many dramatic changes. The main differences basically involve some changes in the way you pronounce.
So, how to say hello in Arabic in Egypt? Or how do you greet people in Egypt? Let us give you the answer.
1. Salām ʿalayku
Peace be upon you
سلام عليكم
The formal way to greet Arab people in Egypt is the Islamic greeting. While you can say “Al Salam Alaikum” like what we said before, Egyptian people have a different pronunciation for it and say ”Salamo Alaikom”. If you are the one who is greeted with that, you can simply respond by saying “Wa Alaikum El Salam”.
This is considered a formal way to greet others, but it is also used to greet friends and family, especially among Muslims.
2. ṣabāḥo abyaḍ
Have a beautiful morning
صباحو أبيض
When you see a friend or someone you know well in the morning, you can greet them and say “Sabaho Abyad”. This is equivalent to “Good Morning,” but the literal meaning is “May you have a white morning”.
Sometimes it is common for friends to just say “Sabaho” followed by the name of the person you are greeting. Or just to repeat the Word “Sabaho” twice.
When you are the one being greeted with “Sabaho” or “Sabaho Abyad”, you can respond by saying “Sabah al khair”, or “Sabah el Ful”, which means “Jasmin’s morning”.
3. izzayyak/ izzayyik
How are you?
إزيّك
Well, to clear any confusion, Izayyak (for men) and Izayyek (for women) actually mean “how are you?”. but in Egypt, they can be used to greet people. It is a common way to greet people by asking about how they are and showing that you care about them.
Now there are several ways to use it to greet people. For example, you can say “Izayyak” followed by the name of the person you are greeting like “Izayyak Ya Sami”, or you can also say “Izayyak Amel Eeh” which also means how are you but is widely used in Egypt.
4. hāy
Hi
هاي
Yes as much as it may seem weird, you can say Hi to greet people in Egypt. Just keep in mind that it is not for everyone. Saying Hi is a common thing among young people and can be followed by a sentence like “a’amel Eh” to show more interest and seem more friendly.
Common Greetings in Arabic
When you are living in an Arabic country, it is not enough to know a few phrases to greet people. You should also know the common phrases used by native speakers. This way, you will be able to understand them and respond more effectively to what they say.
Now, here are some of the common Arabic greeting phrases that are widely used in the Arabic-speaking region.
1. nahārak saʿīd
Have a nice day
نهارك سعيد
Naharak Saa’id is a slang phrase that is used informally to greet a person you meet. Naharak Saa’id means “Your day is happy” and you can look at it as if you are wishing the person you meet to have a good day.
It is best used when you meet a friend or a colleague in the morning, and it can be used as an alternative for Good Morning.
2. marāḥib
Welcome / Hello
مراحب
You know that Arabic people use the word Marhaba, and Marahib is related to it. Marahib is the plural of Marahaba, using it implies that you are welcoming the person a lot and is used to express more pleasure to meet the person.
It is also common for Arabis to use numbers with Narhaba or Marahib. For example, they may say 100 marhaba or 1000 Marhaba. It is known that Arabs are generous, and this can include generosity in greetings as well.
3. ʿa-salāmah
Hello / Welcome back / Goodbye safely
عسلامة
This is a common greeting in Tunisia and Algeria. A’salama is mainly used to greet people whom you have not seen in a while or when you greet people who just returned home.
4. nawwartnā
You’ve brightened the place / Welcome
نورتنا
This one is common when you are visiting someone. Nawartna means you brought light to us, and the host uses it to express how happy they are to have the guests in their places.
Final Word
Learning how to greet others, say welcome and goodbye in Arabic is essential if you want to have a good social life. It will help you make more friends and advance your career.
You can see and learn all these ways to say hello in Arabic on AlifBee.
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