تَشَرَّفْنَا
tašarrafnā
In Arabic, 'pleased to meet you' can be expressed as تَشَرَّفْنَا (tašarrafnā). Wiktionary also lists فُرْصَة سَعِيدَة (furṣa saʕīda).
Meaning: polite formula used when being introduced to somebody (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| تَشَرَّفْنَا | tašarrafnā |
| فُرْصَة سَعِيدَة | furṣa saʕīda |
The phrase is a polite formula used when being introduced to somebody. تَشَرَّفْنَا is commonly used in professional or formal introductions, while فُرْصَة سَعِيدَة is a very common and slightly more relaxed way to express pleasure at meeting someone.
What does it mean word for word?
The word تَشَرَّفْنَا literally means 'we were honored' or 'we have been honored'. The phrase فُرْصَة سَعِيدَة literally translates to 'happy opportunity'.
Which one should you use?
تَشَرَّفْنَا is slightly more formal and traditional than the more casual فُرْصَة سَعِيدَة.
How does it change in a sentence?
While the default form تَشَرَّفْنَا uses the 'we' conjugation, a speaker can use the singular 'I' form تَشَرَّفْتُ to say 'I am honored to meet you'.
How do you pronounce it?
tašarrafnā
Did you know?
- The root of تَشَرَّفْنَا, the letters š-r-f, also forms the word for 'balcony' (شرفة). Both terms share the idea of being 'high' or 'elevated'.
- If someone says فُرْصَة سَعِيدَة to you, a common and polite way to respond is to say أَنَا أَسْعَد which means 'I am happier'.
- While تَشَرَّفْنَا uses 'we', it is often used by a single person to show humility. By using the plural, the speaker suggests that their entire family or community is honored by the meeting.
Examples in context
- أَنَا مُتَشَرِّفٌ بِكُمْ.I'm honored to meet you.
- تَشَرَّفْتُ بِمَعْرِفَتِكَ.Pleased to meet you.
- تَشَرَّفْنَا بِالمَعْرِفَةِ.tasharrafna bil-ma'rifa.Pleased to make your acquaintance.
- تَشَرَّفْنَا، أَنَا زِيَاد.tasharrafna, ana Ziyad.Pleased to meet you, I am Ziyad.
Example conversation
Ziyad and Sarah are introduced by a mutual friend at a gathering.
- زياد Ziadمرحباً سارة، أنا زياد.marhaban Sarah, ana Ziyad.Hello Sarah, I am Ziyad.
- سارة Saraأهلاً زياد، تَشَرَّفْنَا.ahlan Ziyad, tasharrafna.Hello Ziyad, pleased to meet you.
- زياد Ziadالشرف لي يا سارة.ash-sharaf li ya Sarah.The honor is mine, Sarah.
- سارة Saraشكراً جزيلاً لك.shukran jazilan lak.Thank you very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pleased to meet you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
