Ways to say it
| Iraqi Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| أهلا وسهلا | ahlan wa sahlan | |
| تفضل | tfaddal | please, come in |
| الدار دارك | id-dar darak | the house is your house |
To invite someone in or offer them a seat, Iraqis say تفضل (tfaddal) to a man or تفضلي (tfaddali) to a woman. The warm hospitality phrase الدار دارك (id-dar darak), 'the house is your house', tells a guest to feel completely at home.
What does it mean word for word?
أهلا comes from the word for family, and سهلا means 'easy', so the phrase wishes the visit to feel like easy, familiar ground. الدار دارك repeats the word for 'house' to hand it over verbally to the guest.
Which one should you use?
أهلا وسهلا is the direct equivalent of 'welcome' at the door. تفضل is an action word inviting someone to sit, eat or enter. الدار دارك is a deeper hospitality phrase for a guest staying a while.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
All three are warm and appropriate at any level, since Iraqi hospitality customs apply to both close friends and respected guests.
Is it said differently in some regions?
الدار دارك is a widely loved Iraqi hospitality phrase, and close variants exist across the Gulf and the Levant with the same spirit of handing over the home.
How does it change in a sentence?
تفضل changes for gender and number: تفضل to a man, تفضلي to a woman, تفضلوا to a group.
How do you pronounce it?
The ض in تفضل is a heavy, emphatic d, pronounced with the tongue pressed wider against the roof of the mouth.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Saying only أهلا وسهلا without following up with تفضل can feel incomplete, since Iraqi hosts usually pair the greeting with an invitation to sit or eat.
When do people say it?
Guests in Iraq are rarely allowed to leave without being offered tea or food at least once, and refusing outright can be seen as impolite, so a gentle first refusal is often expected before accepting.
Did you know?
- الدار دارك is considered one of the warmest things an Iraqi host can say, handing ownership of the home itself over to the guest in words.
- Refusing a host's first offer of tea or food in Iraq is a common social step, and hosts usually insist a second or third time before a guest accepts.
Examples in context
- أهلا وسهلا، تفضلوا اقعدوا.ahlan wa sahlan, tfaddalu ig'adu.Welcome, please sit down.
- الدار دارك، لا تتكلف.id-dar darak, la titkallaf.The house is your house, don't go to any trouble.
- تفضل يا خوية، الباب مفتوح لك دايماً.tfaddal ya khuya, il-bab maftuh lak dayman.Welcome, bro, the door is always open for you.
Example conversation
Hassan welcomes his old friend Karim to his new house in Mosul.
- Hassanأهلا وسهلا يا كريم، تفضل.ahlan wa sahlan ya Karim, tfaddal.Welcome, Karim, come in.
- Karimالله يبارك فيك، بيت حلو.Allah ybarik feek, beit hilu.God bless you, nice house.
- Hassanالدار دارك، اقعد وياي.id-dar darak, ig'ad wyay.The house is your house, sit with me.
- Karimمتشكر، الله يخليك.mitshakkir, Allah ykhallik.Thank you, bless you.
