هلا
halaIraqi, casual
In Iraq people greet each other with هلا (hala) or مرحبا (marhaba). هلا بيك (hala bik) is the warm form for a man, and هلا بيچ (hala bich) for a woman.
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| هلا | hala | Iraqi, casual |
| مرحبا | marhaba | neutral |
| هلا بيك | hala bik | to a man, warm |
A friend answers هلا بيك (hala bik) or repeats هلا (hala). A common next question is شلونك؟ (shlonak), "how are you?"
Is it said differently in some regions?
Younger Iraqis also say هلو (hallo), borrowed from English, especially on the phone.
How do you pronounce it?
Iraqi Arabic turns the feminine ك (k) into a چ (ch) sound in many words, which is why a woman hears بيچ (bich).
Did you know?
- The چ (ch) letter is not in the standard Arabic alphabet, but Iraqis and Kurds write it for the sound in "church".
Examples in context
- هلا بيك يا عليhala bik ya aliHello, Ali.
- هلا، شلونك؟hala, shlonakHi, how are you?
- مرحبا بيچmarhaba bichHello (to a woman).
Example conversation
Zainab meets her neighbor Hassan on the stairs of their building in Baghdad.
- Hassanهلا زينب، شلونچ؟hala Zainab, shlonichHi Zainab, how are you?
- Zainabهلا بيك، الحمد للهhala bik, alhamdulillahHello, fine thank God.
- Hassanالله يخليچAllah ykhallichGod keep you.
