Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا | ʔahlan wa-sahlan | ||
| مَرْحَبًا | marḥaban | ||
| أَهْلًا بِكُمْ | ʔahlan bikum | ||
| أَهْلًا بِكَ | ʔahlan bika | addressee masculine | |
| أَهْلًا بِكِ | ʔahlan biki | addressee feminine | |
| مرحبا | marḥba | /mar.ħa.ban/ /mar.ħa.baː/ |
Moroccan Arabic |
| أهلا | ʔahlan | /ʔah.lan/ | Moroccan Arabic |
These phrases are used to greet someone upon their arrival.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا literally translates to 'family and ease', implying the guest is among family and will find things easy.
Which one should you use?
أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا is often perceived as more formal or traditional than the simpler مَرْحَبًا. مَرْحَبًا is a very common, versatile greeting that can function both as 'welcome' and as a general 'hello'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Moroccan Arabic, the shortened forms مرحبا and أهلا are commonly used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Depending on who you are addressing, you may use different forms: أَهْلًا بِكَ is used when welcoming a single male, أَهْلًا بِكِ is used when welcoming a single female and أَهْلًا بِكُمْ is used when welcoming a group of people.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔahlan wa-sahlan
Did you know?
- Arabic has a concept of 'hospitality' so deeply ingrained that guests are often referred to as 'guests of God' ضيف الله, making the act of welcoming a religious duty.
- The word مَرْحَبًا comes from the root meaning 'spaciousness' or 'vastness', metaphorically inviting a guest into a wide, comfortable space.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, a 'welcome' is not just a word but a ritual involving the offer of coffee or tea, where refusing the first drink can be seen as a slight to the host's hospitality.
Examples in context
- مرحباً بك في تتويبا.Welcome to Tatoeba!This sentence uses مرحبا.Tatoeba #416666 by saeb, translation #1205289 by bart
- مرحبا بك في الجزائر.Welcome to Algeria.Tatoeba #7870640 by Amastan, translation #7811654 by Amastan
- مرحبا بكم في مستنقع شراك.Welcome back to Shrek's swamp.Tatoeba #11636268 by dididodo, translation #11241056 by Amastan
- أَهْلاً وَسَهْلاً في بَيْتِنَاWelcome to our home
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yusuf is welcoming Sarah to his house for a visit.
- يوسف Youssefأَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا يَا سارة.ahlan wa sahlan ya Sarah.Welcome, Sarah.
- سارة Saraشُكْرًا لَكَ يَا يوسف.shukran laka ya Yusuf.Thank you, Yusuf.
- يوسف Youssefتَفَضَّلِي بِالدُّخُولِ.tafaddali bid-dukhul.Please, come in.
- سارة Saraشُكْرًا جَزِيلًا.shukran jazilan.Thank you very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “welcome” translations and entries مرحبا, أهلا, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
