Arabic Expressions

Greetings! (Islamic Greeting)

(assalaamu 3alaykum)

 السَّلامُ عَلَيكُم

Hello or hi! (used more in Egypt than in Levant)

(ahlan)

أَهلاً

Hello

(ahlan wa sahlan)

أَهلاً وسَهلاً

Hello (Levant)

(marHaban)

 مَرحَباً

Nice to meet you!

(tasharrafnaa)

تَشَرَّفنا

Good morning!

(SabaaH al-Khayr)

صَباح الْخَير

How are you?

(kayf al-Haal)

كَيْفَ الحال؟

(response to) How are you?

(al-Hamdu lillaah)

الْحَمدُ لِلّه

Please come in, go ahead (m)

(tafaDDal)

تَفَضَّل

Please come in, go ahead (f)

(tafaDDalii)

تَفَضَّلي

Please come in, go ahead (plural)

(tafaDDaluu)

تَفَضَّلي (imagine waaw at the end)

Good evening!

(masaa’ al-khayr)

مَساء الخَير

(response to) good evening!

(masaa’ al-nuur)

مساء النّور

May I be Excused

(ean ‘idhnika)

(ean ‘idhniki)

عن إذنكَ

عن إذنكِ

goodbye

(ma3a s3alaama)

مَعَ السَّلامة

(reply to) ma^ca s-salaama (masc./fem.)(allah yisallim-ak/ik)

اللّه يسَلِّمك

thank you

(shukran)

شُكراً

you’re welcome

(eafwan)

عَفواً

Let’s go

(hayyaa binaa)

(yalla - egyptian)

هَيّا بِنا or يَللا

expresses admiration/delight, expresses with sudden scare as when someone has an accident

allaah!

god willing, hopefully

in shaa’ a-llaah

in the name of god (said before or upon beg. something)

bismi-llaah

thank god, neutral response to how are you?, I had my fill after eating

al-Hamdu li-llaah

wow! when praising or admiring something or a child, or a success, sincere good without envy

maa shaa’a -llaah

There is no god but god, said upon hearing bad news

laa ilaaha illa-llah

feel better!

(salamtik/tak)

!سَلامتَـِك

(response to) salamtak/ik

(allaah yisallamik/ak)

!اللّه يِسَلِّمَـِك

never mind, don’t worry about it.

(ma3lhsh)

مَعلِهش!