Arabic Greetings
Learning a new language starts with knowing how to greet people. This class will teach you important Arabic words and phrases that are commonly used for greetings.
Essential Arabic Greetings
Start your Arabic learning journey by mastering these essential Arabic greetings:
- Peace be upon you
- السلام عليكم
- (As-salamu alaykum)
- And peace be upon you too
- و عليكم السلام
- (Wa ‘alaykum as-salam)
- Good morning
- صباح الخير
- (Sabah hul-khair)
- Good evening
- مساء الخير
- (Masaa’ ul-khair)
- Good night
- تصبح على خير
- (Tusbihu ‘ala khair)
- Hello
- مرحبا
- (Marhaban)
- Welcome
- أهلا وسهلا
- (Ahlan wa sahlan)
- How are you?
- كيف حالك؟
- (Kayfa haluka? for male / Kayfa haluki? for female)
- Praise be to God
- الحمد لله
- (Al-hamdu lillah)
- Thank you
- شكرا
- (Shukran)
- You’re welcome
- عفوا
- (Afwan)
- Nothing
- لا شيء
- (La shay’)
- Yes
- نعم
- (Na’am)
- No
- لا
- (La)
- Goodbye
- مع السلامة
- (Ma’a as-salamah)
Learn Related Vocabulary
Let’s delve deeper into greeting-related vocabulary by examining three categories: Time-Specific Greetings, Polite Expressions, and Common Responses.
Time-Specific Greetings
Certain Arabic greetings are specific to particular times of the day. Here are examples:
- Response to “Good Morning”
- صباح النور
- (Saba-hu nnoor)
- Response to “Good Evening”
- مساء النور
- (Masaa’ un-noor)
- Good Night (said when parting)
- تصبح على خير
- (Tusbeehu ‘ala khair)
- A more informal and friendly way to say “Good Morning”
- صباح الفل
- (Sabah hul-ful)
- A more informal and friendly way to say “Good Evening”
- مساء الورد
- (Masaa’ al-ward)
Polite Expressions
Polite expressions help ensure your interactions in Arabic remain respectful and considerate. Here are examples:
- Please
- من فضلك
- (Min fadlak – male / Min fadlik – female)
- Thank you very much
- شكرا جزيلا
- (Shukran jazilan)
- Excuse me / Pardon me
- عفوا
- (Afwan)
- Forgive me
- سامحني
- (Saamehni)
- Go ahead / After you
- تفضل
- (Tafaddal)
Common Responses
Knowing how to respond to common Arabic greetings is also essential. Here are examples:
- And you (in response to “How are you?”)
- وأنت
- (Wa anta)
- I’m fine, thank you
- أنا بخير، شكرا
- (Ana bekhair, shukran)
- Yes, please
- نعم، من فضلك
- (Na’am, min fadlik)
- No, thank you
- لا، شكرا
- (La, shukran)
- Welcome (response to “Hello”)
- أهلا بك
- (Ahlan bik)
Now that you have learned these useful greeting words and phrases in Arabic, practice them regularly to build your fluency. Remember, learning a new language takes time and patience, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t master all these terms immediately. Happy learning!
Tap the button below to access a comprehensive collection of Arabic greetings vocabulary with audio.
