Lesson 1: Basic Greetings and Essential Words in Levantine Arabic
What better way to begin than with greetings?
Let’s dive into some essential words and phrases that will help you get started with Levantine Arabic.
How to greet
in Levantine Arabic!
SAYING HELLO
In Levantine Arabic, there are several ways to greet people.
- Mar7aba (مَرْحَبا) – Hello
- Mar7abteen (مَرْحبَتين) – While this used to be a common response to "Mar7aba," it’s not as widely used today. Instead, you can reply with:
- Ahlan (أهلاً) – Hi
- Ahleen (أهْلين) – A friendly response to "Ahlan" or "Mar7aba."
For more formal or traditional greetings, you can use:
- Alsalaam 3leikon (السلام عليكم) – Peace be upon you
- W3alekum alsalaam (وعليكم السلام) – And peace be upon you too (the reply)
ASKING "How Are You?"
How are you? in Arabic varies depending on who you're talking to:
- Keefak? (كيفَك) – How are you? (to a male)
- Keefek?(كيفِك) – How are you? (to a female)
- Shlonak? (شلونَك) – How are you? (to a male, less common but still used)
- Shlonek? (شلونِك) – How are you? (to a female)
*There's also a plural version used when speaking to a group.
RESPONDING TO "Keefak/ek?"
Now that you can ask someone how they are, here are a few ways to respond:
- Mnii7 (منيح) – Good (for a male)
- Mnii7a (منيحة) – Good (for a female)
- Bikheer al7amdellah (بخير الحمدلله) – I’m well, thank God
- Meshe al7aal (ماشي الحال) – Things are okay / going fine
Extra vocabulary
Here are some key words that will be useful as you continue learning:
- Ustaadh (أستاذ) – Teacher
- Taalib (طالب) – Student
- Madrase (مدرسة) – School
Here are also a few essential pronouns you’ll need when speaking in Arabic:
- Ana (أنا) – I / Me
- Enta (إنتَ) – You (male)
- Ente (إنتِ) – You (female)
We are learning Arabic shway shway (step by step, literally: little by little), so don’t worry if the first class felt overwhelming or if you don’t remember everything tomorrow! To make it easier for you every class will begin with a review. If you want to practice what you’ve just learned, here are a couple of questions to test your knowledge. Try answering them!