تشرفنا
tasharrafna
The Arabic phrase for "nice to meet you" is تشرفنا (tasharrafna).
This phrase is used as a polite expression to greet someone you are meeting for the first time.
What does it mean word for word?
The expression تشرفنا literally means "we were honored" or "we have been honored".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
تشرفنا is a very common, concise and slightly more informal way to express pleasure in meeting someone. For a more formal approach, you can use سُعِدتُ بِمُقَابَلَتِكُم.
How does it change in a sentence?
While تشرفنا (we were honored) is a common fixed expression, the form تشرفت بك (I was honored by you) is a more grammatically precise way to say "I am honored to meet you".
How do you pronounce it?
tasharrafna
When do people say it?
A common polite response to تشرفنا is الشرف لنا, which means "the honor is ours".
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, saying تشرفنا is often accompanied by placing a hand over the heart as a sign of sincere respect and warmth.
- Because the word تشرفنا uses the past tense, the speaker is essentially stating that the act of meeting has already bestowed honor upon them the moment the interaction began.
- The response الشرف لنا creates a polite 'competition' of humility, where the speaker insists that the honor actually belongs to them rather than the other person.
Examples in context
- تشرفنا يا سيد أحمد.tasharrafna ya sayyid Ahmad.Nice to meet you, Mr. Ahmad.
- تشرفنا بلقائك اليوم.tasharrafna bi-liqa'ika al-yawm.It was nice to meet you today.
- أهلاً، تشرفنا.Ahlan, tasharrafna.Hello, nice to meet you.
Example conversation
Nour and Youssef are meeting for the first time at a social gathering.
- نور Nourأهلاً، أنا نور.Ahlan, ana Nour.Hello, I am Nour.
- يوسف Youssefأهلاً، أنا يوسف، تشرفنا.Ahlan, ana Youssef, tasharrafna.Hello, I am Youssef, nice to meet you.
- نور Nourالشرف لي يا يوسف.al-sharaf li ya Youssef.The pleasure is mine, Youssef.
- يوسف Youssefسعدت جداً بلقائك.Sa'idtu jiddan bi-liqa'iki.I am very happy to meet you.
