Lesson 2: All Ways to Say "Hello" in Arabic
There are numerous ways to say "hello" in Levantine Arabic, learn them all here:
Mar7aba مَرحَبا
Mar7abteen مَرحبَتين
Ahlan أَهلاً
Ahleen أَهلين
Mar7aba مَرحَبا is an all-day greeting and while mar7abteen مَرحَبتين (two mar7abas) is its traditional repply. Nowadays, however, it’s more common to hear Ahlan أَهلاً or ahleen أَهلين as a repply. Note in North Africa it means “welcome”.
Ahlan أَهلاً is the most common greeting in the Levant, and while ahleen أَهلين is the natural, polite response, it can also be used independently as an opening greeting. Note that Ahlan أَهلاً could also be used to mean “you’re welcome” in the Levant.
Hala / yaa hala
هلا / يا هلا
Salaam سَلام
Alsalaamu 3aleikum
السَلامُ عَلَيكُم
Alsalaamu 3aleikum wra7matu Allah wbarakaatuh
السَلامُ عَلَيكُم وَرَحمَةُ اللَّه وَبَرَكاتُه
Hala هلا and yaa hala يا هلا are variants of Ahlan أَهلاً and while you may hear them more in rural areas, they are also a very common way of greeting people. Both can also mean “welcome” and “you’re welcome”.
In Levantine Arabic, سَلام (salaam - peace) is a short and casual way of greeting Muslims and you can simply reply with سَلام (salaam) back. However, the fuller Islamic greeting is السَلامُ عَلَيكُم (alsalaamu 3aleikom - peace be upon you), whose standard reply is وعَلَيكُم السَلام (w3aleikom alsalaam - and upon you be peace). A more extended and formal version is السَلامُ عَلَيكُم وَرَحمَةُ اللَّه وَبَرَكاتُه (alsalaamu 3aleikom wra7matuh Allah wbarakaatuh - peace be upon you, and the mercy of God and His blessings), whose standard reply would be وعَلَيكُم السَلام وَرَحمَةُ اللَّه وَبَرَكاتُه (w3aleikom alsalaam wra7matuh Allah wbarakaatuh - and upon you be the peace and the mercy of God and His blessings).
⚠️ A FUNDAMENTAL RULE OF ISLAMIC AND ARABIC SOCIAL ETIQUETTE ⚠️
While all greetings like Marhaba and Ahlan are flexible in how to be replied to, السَلامُ عَلَيكُم (Peace be upon you) is viewed as a divine prayer and a contract of safety, and thus must always be corresponded with وعَلَيكُم السَلام (And peace be upon you). In other words, if someone offers you peace, it is considered unpolite to reply with something unrelated that doesn't return that peace!
Want to practice what you’ve just learned? Try using this self-guided booklet! It's packed with exercises to practice on your own and deeper explanations of what you just learned above!