مرحبا
marhabaLevantine, everyday
In Jordan the standard everyday greeting is مرحبا (marhaba). Jordanians also say أهلين (ahlayn) and هلا (hala), and a typical reply is مرحبتين (marhabtayn).
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| مرحبا | marhaba | Levantine, everyday |
| أهلين | ahlayn | Jordanian, warm |
| هلا | hala | Jordanian, casual |
Greetings come in pairs: مرحبا (marhaba) is answered by مرحبتين (marhabtayn), "two hellos", and أهلين (ahlayn) by أهلين فيك (ahlayn fik).
Is it said differently in some regions?
Jordanian speech mixes Levantine city style with Bedouin forms, so هلا والله (hala wallah) is as common as the city أهلين (ahlayn).
How does it change in a sentence?
For a woman the reply is أهلين فيكِ (ahlayn fiki). Written without vowel marks it looks the same as for a man.
Did you know?
- The reply مرحبتين (marhabtayn) is literally "two hellos", answering a greeting with a larger one.
Examples in context
- مرحبا، كيفك؟marhaba, kifakHello, how are you?
- أهلين يا زيدahlayn ya zaydHello, Zaid.
- هلا واللهhala wallahWelcome, hello.
Example conversation
Lina meets her friend Omar at a cafe in Rainbow Street, Amman.
- Linaمرحبا عمرmarhaba OmarHello Omar.
- عمر Omarمرحبتين، كيفك يا لينا؟marhabtayn, kifik ya LinaHello, how are you, Lina?
- Linaتمام، الحمد للهtamam, alhamdulillahFine, thank God.
