In the Arab World, there are countless ways to greet someone, whether it’s through words, gestures, or even sounds. Today we are going to discover lots of Arabic greetings, many of which have way different meanings than their literal ones,😅معلش
(Mostly) Muslim ways of greeting someone Maybe you’ve already heard of السّلام عليكم
? It literally means “peace be upon you” and is perhaps the most famous way of greeting someone in Arabic. It’s also the traditional Muslim way, and is usually followed by the reply وعليكم السّلام
(literally: and peace be on you).
In colloquial speech, the greeting may be contracted further to just سَلَام
(literally: peace), which doesn’t have the same Muslim undertone. In more formal contexts, or when speaking to elders, the greeting may be expanded to the following:
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
(Literally: May the peace, blessings, and mercy of God be upon you)
And its response:
وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته
(Literally: And may the peace, blessings, and mercy of God be upon you)
Check out this video showing an Egyptian using the extended version.
In Islamic tradition, this greeting traces back to Adam, the first human. Allah instructed Adam to greet assembled angels, who responded with “Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah,” thus establishing the greeting for Adam’s progeny. Prophet Muhammad emphasized spreading peace among believers as a means to foster love and unity.
The Quran reinforces this practice, instructing believers to greet each other with peace upon entering houses. The phrase السّلام عليكم
appears seven times, emphasizing its significance. Various Quranic verses underscore the importance of peace and its rewards in the afterlife.
But the tradition of using just سلَام
as an Arabic greeting predates Islam, with its roots extending back thousands of years. Similarities exist in older Semitic languages, such as Aramaic’s “šlāmā ʿalḵōn” (ܫܠܵܡܵܐ ܥܲܠܟ݂ܘܿܢ) and Hebrew’s “shalom aleichem” (שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם shālôm ʻalêḵem).
Arab Christians rarely use السّلام عليكم
due to its Islamic religious connotations and it could elicit strange looks if used in Christian areas in Lebanon. Egyptian Christians are less stringent but usually opt for non-Islamic greetings instead.
General greetings Looking to greet someone in the name of peace, but without the Islamic connotation? Then just say سلام
. Today, سلام
is widely used by both Muslims and non-Muslims in colloquial Arabic. Check out more greetings in Standard Arabic and various dialects , including Egyptian , Levantine , Gulf , and Darija . 👇
English Standard Egyptian Levantine Gulf Darija Hello مرحبًا
مرحبا
مرحبا
مرحبا
Good morning صباح الخير
صباح الخير
صباح الخير
صباح الخير
صباح الخير
Good evening مساء الخير
مساء الخير
مسا الخير
مساء الخير
مسا الخير
A Jordanian exchanges greetings with the people about to interview her. Note:
Although أهلا
can be translated to “hello,” it cannot be used as a substitute for مرحبا
in Levantine, Gulf, and, Morroco, in these countries, أهلا
is only used in reply. For example, if you meet someone on the street, you can say مرحبا
(hello) and they can reply with أهلا
(hello), but you cannot start by saying أهلا
.
There is one situation, however, where you can begin by saying أهلا
, and that is when people visit you at your home. When you open the door for them, you can say أهلا
or أهلا وسهلا
(hello and welcome).
How to respond to greetings? The responses to each greeting are (by order):
Standard Egyptian Levantine Gulf Darija أهلًا
أهلًا
أهلًا
هلا
مرحبا
صباح النور
صباح النور
صباح النور
صباح النور
صباح النور
مساء النور
مساء النور
مسا النور
مساء النور
مسا النور
An Egyptian clip from Playaling’s real-world videos . Better off greeting people in colloquial Arabic, unless you want people looking at you a little weird and possibly laughing, or just switching to English.
Welcome people as a family! ِIn both colloquial and standard Arabic, it’s very common and popular to say:
أهلًا
Two people greet eachother
To learn more about welcoming phrases in Arabic dialects and everything related to Arab hospitality, read this article on Arab hospitality and generosity
Romantic greetings Feeling a bit romantic, super friendly, or just wanna get a little fancy? Try out one of these:
English Egyptian Levantine Gulf Darija Evening of roses مساء الورد
مسا الورد
مساء الورد
مسا الورد
Evening of jasmine مساء الفل
مسا الفل
مساء الفل
مسا الفل
Evening of jasmine and Arabian jasmine مساء الفل والياسمين
مسا الفل والياسمين
مساء الفل والياسمين
مسا الفل والياسمين
A Egyptian husband and wife greet eachother in this Egyptian TV series .It’s like saying, “Tonight is not just an evening; it’s a blossoming paradise!” I mean, why stop at ‘good’ when you can have a garden party, complete with fragrant Arabian jasmine? You may hear Egyptians in particular using these a lot, usually with a bit of humor.
For the difference between jasmine and Arabian Jasmine, click here .
So sprinkle these greetings into your day to day encounters for an extra touch of cultural charm. Cheers to being the greeting guru! 🌙🌸
Greetings tips for lovebirds If you’re feeling a bit flirtatious and want to add a touch of sweetness to your greetings, try slipping in the phrase على عيونك الحلوِين
or لَعيونك الحلوين
when addressing females, These expressions, are a charming way to elevate an ordinary greeting into a flirtatious masterpiece. In Arab culture, it’s more common for guys to flirt with girls than the other way around, making this phrase particularly popular among men aiming to impress. Whether it’s “Good morning” or “Good evening,” adding this phrase is like sprinkling a bit of romance onto your words. It’s not just a greeting anymore—it’s a subtle, playful gesture that says, I see you, and I’m making this moment just a little sweeter for you. So go ahead, give it a try, and turn your simple hellos into memorable, heartwarming exchanges! 😉
To a male:
مسا الفل والياسمين على عيونك الحلوين
(Evening of jasmine for your beautiful eyes)
مسا الورد لعيونك الحلوين
(Evening of roses for your beautiful eyes)
To a female:
مسا الفل والياسمين على عيونك الحلوين
(Evening of jasmine for your beautiful eyes)
مسا الورد لعيونك الحلوين
(Evening of roses for your beautiful eyes)
Love hack for the romantics Alright, love aficionados, here’s a move smoother than a jazz sax solo: Swap your usual good morning for the fancier صباح الخير يا كل الخير
– aka (Good morning, my all good things)
It’s like upgrading your greeting game from a tricycle to a Ferrari. Instead of the regular good morning, you’re practically serenading them with, You’re my sunshine, my coffee, my WiFi – everything good about this morning.
So, when you’re in the mood for a touch of romance, drop this line. It’s the kind of move that says, I’m smooth, I’m polite, and I just elevated our morning to VIP status. You’re welcome. 😎✨
For how to show affection in Arabic, don’t miss: Arab Love: How to Show Affection in Arabic
Nice to meet you With the vast number of greetings for people every day, what are some special phrases we can say to those we meet for the first time? Common responses are marked with (s) for singular or (pl) for plural, (m) for masculine (used when the speaker or listener is male), and (f) for feminine (used when the speaker or listener is female).
In Standard Arabic
Standard Literal meaning Common responses Literal meaning تشرّفنا
We were honored (s) الشرف لي
The honor is mine فرصة سعيدة
Happy opportunity فرصة سعيدة
Happy opportunity أهلًا
Among family (m) أهلًا بك
Among family أهلًا وسهلًا
Among family and in the dwelled land (m) أهلًا بك
(You) Among family and in the dwelled land
In Egyptian
Egyptian Literal meaning Common responses Literal meaning اتشرّفنا
We were honored الشرف ليّا
The honor is mine فرصة سعيدة
Happy opportunity فرصة سعيدة
Happy opportunity أهلًا
Among family (m) أهلًا بيك
(You) Among family
Ahmed and Mona, two Egyptians, meet for the first time . In Levantine
Levantine Literal meaning Common responses Literal meaning تشرّفنا
We were honored (s) أنا بالأكتر
Me more (m) تشرّفنا بمعرفتك
We were honored to know you (s) الشرف إلي
The honor is mine متشرفين
We are honored نحنا بالأكتر
Us more فرصة سعيدة
Happy opportunity فرصة سعيدة
Happy opportunity أهلًا
Among family (m) أهلًا فيك
Among family أهلًا وسهلًا
Among family and in the dwelled land (m) أهلًا وسهلًا فيك
Among family and in the dwelled land
In Gulf In Gulf Arabic, the second-person feminine suffix -ك is sometimes pronounced as -تش
and other times as -كي
. Both pronunciations are correct and reflect regional variations within Gulf Arabic.
Gulf Literal meaning Common responses Literal meaning اتشرّفنا
We were honored الشرف لنا
The honor is ours فرصة سعيدة
Happy opportunity فرصة سعيدة
Happy opportunity أهلًا
Among family (m) أهلًا فيك
Among family هلا
Among family (m) هلا فيك
Among family أهلين
Two أهلًا
(among family) (m) أهلين فيك
Two أهلًا
(among family) أهلًا وسهلًا
Among family and in the dwelled land (m) أهلًا وسهلًا فيك
Among family and in the dwelled land
In Darija
Darija Literal meaning Common responses Literal meaning متشرفين
We are honored الله يبارك فيك
God bless you! أهلًا
Among family شكرًا
Thank you
Long time no see In Standard Arabic
Standard Literal meaning Common responses Literal meaning لم أرك منذ مدّة
Long time no see (m) كنت مشغولًا
I was busy ما كل هذا الغياب
What about all this absence في العمل
At work (m) أين كنت؟
Where have you been? (m) كنت مشغولًا
I was busy
In Egyptian
Egyptian Literal meaning Common responses Literal meaning (m) فينك؟
Where are you? (m) مشغول
Busy (m) فينك من زمان؟
Where have you been? ظروف، معلش
Excuse me, I had circumstances إيه الغيبة دي
What is this absence مشاغل الحياة
The busyness of life
In Levantine
Levantine Literal meaning Common responses Literal meaning وين هالغيبة؟
Where is this absence? بالشغل
At work (m) وينك؟
Where are you? (m) موجود
Exist (m) وين ماعم نشوفك؟
Why haven’t we seen you? ظروف
Circumstances (m) عاش مين شافك
Alive (blessed) is the one who saw you! (m) الله يسلمك
May God keep you well & safe (m) وين أيامك؟
Where are your days? بهالدنيا
In this life (m) وين أراضيك؟
Where are your lands? هون
Here !من زمان والله
Ages ago, I swear! اي والله
Yes, I swear من زمان هالقمر ما بان
The moon hasn’t appeared in a long time! (m) تسلم
May you be well/safe (m) وشك ولا ضو القمر؟
Is that your face or the moon’s light? شكرًا
Thanks
In Gulf
Gulf Literal meaning Common responses Literal meaning (m) وينك؟
Where are you? مشغول
Busy (m) وين غايب؟
Where are you absent? في الشغل
At work (m) عاش من شافك
Alive is the one who saw you! عشت الله يسلمك
You lived may God keep you well & safe (m) والله زمان ما شفناك
Long time no see والله مشاغل الحياة
In the busyness of life, I swear
In Darija
Darija Literal meaning Common responses Literal meaning اغبرتي
You’ve disappeared غير مع الدنيا وصافي
Just with the life شحال ما شفناك
How long has it been since we saw you? كنجريو فهاد الدنيا
I’m hustling in this world غبور هادي
You have been absent for a while (m) كنت مشغول
I was busy شحال ما تلاقينا
How long has it been since we met? هانتا كتشوف مكنتش
(m) مسالي
(f) مسالي You haven’t asked about me غبورات
You have been absent غير مع الدنيا وصافي
Just with the life
How are you? The table below lists the most common phrases used to ask about someone’s well-being in various Arabic dialects. However, there are certainly other expressions that serve the same purpose. For more examples, check out this article: Ten ways to say “how are you?” in Levantine Arabic
How are you? Common responses Meaning Standard Arabic كيف الحال؟
بخير
Well, fine Levantine (m) كيفك؟
(m) منيح
well Egyptian (m) إزيك؟
(m) كويّس
well Gulf (m) كيف حالك؟
(m) كويّس
well Darija (m) كي داير؟
بخير
well
A clip about refugees in Germany.Goodbye in Arabic English Standard Egyptian Levantine Gulf Darija Peace be upon you السلام عليكم
السلام عليكم
السلام عليكم
السلام عليكم
السلام عليكم
Literally: with soundness, safety مع السلامة
مع السلامة
مع السلامة
مع السلامة
مع السلامة
Until we meet again إلى اللقاء
(m) أشوفك على خير
(m) بشوفك
(m) أشوفك بعدين
نتلاقاو من بعد
Bye-bye X باي باي
باي باي
X باي باي
Responses to these phrases are usually made by repeating the same phrase. For example, if someone says بشوفك
(see you), you reply with بشوفك
and if they say باي
“Bye,” you reply with باي
“Bye.” As for السلام عليكم
the response can either be السلام عليكم
or وعليكم السلام
When someone says مع السلامة
(goodbye), the response is typically الله يسلمَك
for males or الله يسلمِك
for females.
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