مرحبا يا صاحبي
marḥaba yā ṣāḥbito a male friend, casual
To a male friend you can say مرحبا يا صاحبي (marḥaba yā ṣāḥbi). The more formal choice is مرحبا يا صديقي (marḥaba yā ṣadīʾi). هلا يا زلمي (halla yā zalame) is a friendly "hey man".
Meaning: friendly greeting to a friend (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Lebanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| مرحبا يا صاحبي | marḥaba yā ṣāḥbi | to a male friend, casual |
| مرحبا يا صديقي | marḥaba yā ṣadīʾi | neutral, to a male friend |
| هلا يا زلمي | halla yā zalame | very casual |
صاحبي (ṣāḥbi) is the relaxed, everyday word for a friend, while صديقي (ṣadīʾi) is more neutral and a little formal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
زلمة (zalame) is the Lebanese word for "man", and يا زلمي (yā zalame) is a casual call to a friend.
How does it change in a sentence?
To a female friend use صاحبتي (ṣāḥbti) or صديقتي (ṣadīʾti). Then you can say مرحبا يا صاحبتي (marḥaba yā ṣāḥbti).
Did you know?
- صاحبي (ṣāḥbi) shares its root with the word for a companion, so it fits the idea of someone who stays by your side.
Examples in context
- مرحبا يا صاحبي، شو الأخبار؟marḥaba yā ṣāḥbi, shū l-akhbār?Hello my friend, what is the news?
- مرحبا يا صاحبتيmarḥaba yā ṣāḥbtiHello my friend (to a woman).
Example conversation
Bilal sees his old friend Tarek at a gas station near Saida.
- Bilalمرحبا يا صاحبي!marḥaba yā ṣāḥbi!Hello my friend!
- Tarekهلا يا زلمي، كيفك؟halla yā zalame, kīfak?Hey man, how are you?
- Bilalمنيح، من زمان ما شفتكmnīḥ, men zamān ma shuftakGood, I have not seen you in a long time.
