Ways to say it
| Tunisian Arabic | Romanization |
|---|---|
| عسلامة | aslema |
| أهلا | ahla |
عسلامة is a greeting specific to Tunisia, heard everywhere from the street to the workplace. أهلا (ahla) is also common and closer to what is heard elsewhere in the Arab world.
What does it mean word for word?
عسلامة developed from an older phrase built around سلامة, 'safety' or 'wellbeing', shortened over time into a single greeting word.
Which one should you use?
عسلامة marks a speaker as distinctly Tunisian. أهلا is more neutral and understood the same way across North Africa and the Middle East.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both greetings fit casual and polite situations alike.
Is it said differently in some regions?
عسلامة is specific to Tunisia and is rarely used the same way in Morocco or Algeria, even though those dialects are otherwise close to Tunisian Arabic.
How does it change in a sentence?
Neither word changes with the person greeted.
How do you pronounce it?
عسلامة is said quickly as one word, close to 'aslema', with the stress falling toward the end.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Visitors sometimes assume عسلامة is used everywhere in North Africa, but Moroccan and Algerian speakers mostly do not use it as a greeting.
When do people say it?
عسلامة is often pointed to as one of the words that makes Tunisian Arabic sound distinct even to other Maghrebi Arabic speakers.
Did you know?
- عسلامة grew out of an older phrase built on سلامة, 'safety', and is now simply a casual everyday hello in Tunisia.
- Unlike many other Tunisian words, عسلامة is not shared the same way with Moroccan or Algerian Arabic, making it a distinctly Tunisian greeting.
Examples in context
- عسلامة، كيفاش الحال؟aslema, kifash el-hal?Hello, how are things?
- أهلا، مرحبا بيك.ahla, marhba bik.Hi, welcome.
- عسلامة بيكم جميعا.aslema bikom jmi3an.Hello to all of you.
Example conversation
Hichem greets his cousin Imen as she arrives at the family house.
- Hichemعسلامة امان، كيفاش الطريق؟aslema Imen, kifash et-tariq?Hello Imen, how was the road?
- Imenعسلامة، طويلة شوية بس لا باس.aslema, twila shwaya bess labes.Hello, a bit long but fine.
- Hichemأدخلي استريحي.odkhli stirahi.Come in and rest.
- Imenيعيشك، محتاجة قهوة الآن.yaishek, mehtaja gahwa taw.Thanks, I need coffee right now.
