Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ | as-salāmu ʕalaykum | ||
| سَلَام | salām | ||
| مَرْحَبًا | marḥaban | ||
| أَهْلًا | ʔahlan | ||
| اهلاً | ahlan | Egyptian Arabic | |
| مَرحَبا | marḥaba | Hijazi Arabic | |
| السلام عليكم | as-salāmu ʕalēkum | /as.sa.laː.mu ʕa.laj.kum/ | Hijazi Arabic |
| أهلًا | ʔahlan | Hijazi Arabic |
Arabic greetings range from religious and formal expressions to casual secular ones. السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ is an Islamic greeting that means "peace be upon you" and is appropriate for any number of people. مَرْحَبًا is a common way to say hello and can also be translated as "welcome". أَهْلًا is a casual way to say "hello" or "hi", similar to "hey" and is used among friends and family.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ literally means "Peace be upon you".
Which one should you use?
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ is a more formal and religious greeting compared to the more secular and casual مَرْحَبًا. While مَرْحَبًا is a formal way to say hello or welcome, its shorter version مَرحَبا is used in everyday conversations.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ is a formal and religious greeting. مَرْحَبًا is used in formal situations as a way to say hello or welcome. أَهْلًا is an informal way to say hello and is similar to "hey".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine, locals often use مَرحَبا and أَهْلًا. The form اهلاً is used in Egyptian Arabic, while مَرحَبا and السلام عليكم (pronounced as-salāmu ʕalēkum) and أهلًا are forms used in Hijazi Arabic.
How do you pronounce it?
as-salāmu ʕalaykum
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ, the standard response is وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ, which means "And upon you be peace".
Did you know?
- The word مَرْحَبًا shares a linguistic root with the word for 'spacious' or 'wide', implying that the guest is welcome in a space that is open and ample for them.
- In some traditional settings, the response وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ can be extended with more phrases to be more polite, as it is considered a virtue in Arabic culture to respond with something better or more than what was offered.
- The word أَهْلًا is derived from the word أَهْل meaning 'family', effectively telling the person you are greeting that they are as welcome as a member of the household.
Examples in context
- السلام عليكم!Hello!This sentence shows how to use the greeting السلام عليكم to say hello.Tatoeba #13174773 by atitarev, translation #373330 by CK
- السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا جِيرَانِي.as-salāmu ʿalaykum yā jīrānī.Hello, my neighbors.
- قُلْتُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ عِنْدَ الدُّخُولِ.qultu as-salāmu ʿalaykum ʿinda ad-dukhūl.I said hello upon entering.
Example conversation
Maryam and Youssef meet at a community event.
- مريم Maryamالسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ، يَا يُوسُفُ.as-salāmu ʿalaykum, yā Yūsuf.Hello, Youssef.
- يوسف Youssefوَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ، يَا مَرْيَمُ.wa-ʿalaykumu s-salām, yā Maryam.Hello, Maryam.
- مريم Maryamهَلْ أَنْتَ بِخَيْرٍ؟hal anta bikhayrin?Are you doing well?
- يوسف Youssefنَعَمْ، أَنَا بِخَيْرٍ شُكْرًا.naʿam, ana bikhayrin shukran.Yes, I am doing well, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries السلام عليكم, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
