شكرا على الطعام
shukran 'ala al-ta'am
In Arabic, "thank you for the food" is said as شكرا على الطعام (shukran 'ala al-ta'am).
This phrase is a polite way to show gratitude to someone who has provided or prepared a meal.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase شكرا على الطعام is composed of shukran (thanks), ala (for/on) and al-ta'am (the food).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Levantine Arabic, you can use the phrase Shukran ʿala al-ghida to say thank you for the food.
How do you pronounce it?
shukran 'ala al-ta'am
When do people say it?
A more culturally natural way to thank someone for food, especially a cook, is to say salimat yadak (to a male) or salimat yadiki (to a female), which literally means "may your hands be safe/blessed". Additionally, it is extremely common to say Alhamdulillah immediately after finishing a meal to express gratitude to God for the food provided.
Did you know?
- In many Arabic cultures, if a guest finishes every scrap of food on their plate, the host may interpret this as a sign that the guest is still hungry and will offer more.
- While shukran is universal, some speakers use the phrase Saha or Sahtain when serving food to wish the eater 'health' or 'wellness'.
- The preposition ala is a linguistic relative to the Hebrew word al and the ancient Akkadian word eli.
Examples in context
- Shukran ʿala al-ghida ya ʿamThank you for the food, Uncle
- Shukran ʿalá al-taʿam, tetaThank you for the food, Grandma
- شكرا على الطعام.shukran 'ala al-ta'am.Thank you for the food.
- شكرا على الطعام اللذيذ.shukran 'ala al-ta'am al-ladhidh.Thank you for the delicious food.
- شكرا على الطعام، كان رائعا.shukran 'ala al-ta'am, kana ra'i'an.Thank you for the food, it was wonderful.
Example conversation
Nour is finishing dinner at Yusuf's house.
- نور Nourشكرا على الطعام يا يوسف.shukran 'ala al-ta'am ya yusuf.Thank you for the food, Yusuf.
- يوسف Youssefعفواً يا نور، هل أعجبكِ الطعام؟'afwan ya nour, hal a'jabaki al-ta'am?You're welcome, Nour, did you like the food?
- نور Nourنعم، كان لذيذاً جداً.na'am, kana ladhidhan jiddan.Yes, it was very delicious.
- يوسف Youssefأنا سعيد لأنكِ استمتعتِ به.ana sa'id li'annaki istamta'ti bihi.I am glad that you enjoyed it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries شكرا, على, CC BY-SA 4.0.
