Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| مَرْحَبًا | marḥaban | ||
| سَلَام | salām | ||
| أَهْلًا | ʔahlan | ||
| أهلاً | Egyptian Arabic | ||
| قوة | guwa | /quw.wa/ | Gulf Arabic |
| مَرْحَبَا | marḥaba | Hijazi Arabic | |
| السلام | s-salām | Moroccan Arabic |
مَرْحَبًا is the standard way to say hi or hello. أَهْلًا (ʔahlan) is a very common, friendly and informal hi, heard in everyday speech across the Arab world.
What does it mean word for word?
مَرْحَبًا literally means welcome. سَلَام literally means peace.
Which one should you use?
مَرْحَبًا is the standard hi. سَلَام is often used as a more casual or shorthand greeting. السلام عليكم, peace be upon you, is a more formal greeting.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
أَهْلًا is very common, friendly and informal. مَرْحَبًا and السلام عليكم are suitable for formal situations too.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Gulf, مرحباً is used a lot in both formal and informal situations and قوة (guwa) is a colloquial Gulf greeting. مَرْحَبَا (marḥaba) is a common variation in western Saudi Arabia. In Moroccan Arabic people say السلام (s-salām). In Egyptian Arabic أهلاً is the everyday hi.
How does it change in a sentence?
مَرْحَبًا does not change for the person you greet.
How do you pronounce it?
It is read marḥaban, with a breathy h from deep in the throat. Many speakers drop the final n and say marḥaba.
When do people say it?
If someone says أَهْلًا to you, a common reply to a man is أَهْلًا بِكَ, welcome to you. People often follow hi with a question about how you are, such as شلونك in the Gulf.
Did you know?
- The word قوة ('guwa'), used as a common greeting in the Gulf, is actually a shortened wish for the other person to have 'strength'.
- Because أَهْلًا ('ʔahlan') is etymologically linked to the word for 'family', using it implies that the person you are greeting is being welcomed as a member of your own household.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, a greeting like مَرْحَبًا is not just a quick 'hi' but the start of a ritualized exchange of pleasantries that can last several minutes.
Examples in context
- أهلاً ، هل تعمل هنا؟Hi! Do you work here?أهلاً here is a casual hi before asking if the person works there.Tatoeba #384030 by saeb, translation #54608 by Zifre
- أهلاً بيل ، كيف الأحوال؟Hi, Bill. How are you?أهلاً comes before the name Bill, followed by how are you?Tatoeba #394990 by saeb, translation #30313 by Zifre
- أهلاً كيف حالك؟Hi! How are you?أهلاً is followed by كيف حالك؟, how are you?Tatoeba #375543 by saeb, translation #30316 by Zifre
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Omar and Nour meet on a street in the afternoon.
- عمر Omarمَرْحَبًا يا نور!marhaban ya Nur!Hi, Nour!
- نور Nourمَرْحَبًا يا عمر.marhaban ya Omar.Hi, Omar.
- عمر Omarكيف حالكِ اليوم؟kayfa haluki al-yawm?How are you today?
- نور Nourأنا بخير، شكرًا.ana bikhayr, shukran.I am fine, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries قوة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
