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 |
The primary way to say hello is السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ, a formal greeting that means 'Peace be upon you.' It is used when entering a room or starting a conversation to show respect. مَرْحَبًا is another formal greeting that means 'Hello.' For a more informal greeting, you can use أَهْلًا, which can be translated as 'Hi' or 'Welcome.'
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ literally means 'peace be upon you'.
Which one should you use?
While السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ is a formal and religious greeting, مَرْحَبًا is a more neutral, secular 'hello.'
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ and مَرْحَبًا are formal options. In contrast, أَهْلًا is an informal way to say 'hello' or 'hi,' often used among friends or in casual settings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egypt, the form اهلاً is used. In Hijazi-Arabic, you may encounter مَرحَبا, السلام عليكم (romanized as as-salāmu ʕalēkum) and أهلًا.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word سَلَام (peace) can be used as a shortened, more casual greeting, though it is less common than the full phrase.
How do you pronounce it?
as-salāmu ʕalaykum
When do people say it?
When someone says السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ, the standard response is وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ (wa-ʿalaykumu s-salām), which means 'and upon you be peace.'
Did you know?
- The root of مَرْحَبًا comes from the word for 'spacious' or 'wide', suggesting that the guest is entering a place where there is plenty of room for them.
- The greeting أَهْلًا is etymologically linked to the word for 'family' or 'kin', effectively suggesting that the person you are meeting is like 'one of the family'.
- In many Arabic cultures, a greeting is not considered complete without a series of follow-up questions about one's health, family and well-being, which are often treated as ritual rather than requests for information.
Examples in context
- السلام عليكم!Hello!This example shows how to use the greeting السلام عليكم.Tatoeba #13174773 by atitarev, translation #373330 by CK
- السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا أَخِي.as-salāmu ʿalaykum yā akhī.Peace be upon you, my brother.
- قَالَتْ لِي: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ.qālat lī: as-salāmu ʿalaykum.She said to me: peace be upon you.
Example conversation
Omar meets Nour at a community center.
- عمر Omarالسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا نُورُ.as-salāmu ʿalaykum yā nūru.Peace be upon you, Nour.
- نور Nourوَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ يَا عُمَرُ.wa ʿalaykumu s-salāmu yā ʿumaru.And peace be upon you, Omar.
- عمر Omarكَيْفَ حَالُكِ الْيَوْمَ؟kayfa ḥāluki l-yawm?How are you today?
- نور Nourأَنَا بِخَيْرٍ، شُكْرًا.anā bikhayrin, shukran.I am 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.
