Ways to say it
| Syrian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| أهلا وسهلا | ahlan wa sahlan | |
| مرحبا | marhaba | |
| تكرم | tikram | you are welcome, replying to thanks or a request |
أهلا وسهلا greets someone arriving at a home, shop or event. The shorter مرحبا (marhaba) does the same job more casually. When 'welcome' instead means 'you are welcome' as a reply to thanks, Syrians say تكرم (tikram) or العفو (al-afw).
What does it mean word for word?
أهلا relates to 'family' and سهلا to 'ease', so the pair wishes someone feels at home and at ease. تكرم comes from a root meaning 'honour', roughly 'you are honoured [to ask]'.
Which one should you use?
أهلا وسهلا is the fullest, warmest welcome, often repeated at the door. مرحبا is quicker and more neutral. تكرم only answers thanks or a request, it does not greet an arriving guest.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
All of these fit both formal and informal settings. أهلا وسهلا is often said with extra warmth to an honoured guest or an elder.
Is it said differently in some regions?
أهلا وسهلا and مرحبا are used across Syria and the wider Arab world in the same way.
How does it change in a sentence?
تكرم stays the same for a man or a woman in most regions, though some speakers say تكرمي (tikrami) to a woman.
How do you pronounce it?
أهلا وسهلا is often run together quickly in speech, sounding close to 'ahlan wa sahlan' without a pause between the two words.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Answering someone's thanks with أهلا وسهلا sounds odd, since that phrase greets an arrival, not a reply to thanks. Use تكرم or العفو instead.
When do people say it?
Guests in Syria are often welcomed more than once in a single visit, first at the door with أهلا وسهلا and again once seated, sometimes with أهلا فيكم to several people at once.
Did you know?
- أهلا وسهلا joins two separate wishes, feeling at home and feeling at ease, into one greeting that is said as a guest steps through the door.
- تكرم and أهلا وسهلا look like they could both mean 'welcome' in English, but they answer two different situations and are not interchangeable.
Examples in context
- أهلا وسهلا، تفضلوا.ahlan wa sahlan, tfaddalu.Welcome, please come in.
- مرحبا، كيفك اليوم؟marhaba, kifak el-youm?Welcome, how are you today?
- تكرم، ما في داعي تشكرني.tikram, ma fi daa tishkorni.You are welcome, no need to thank me.
Example conversation
Samer welcomes his friend Lina to his family's home for the first time.
- Samerأهلا وسهلا، تفضلي.ahlan wa sahlan, tfaddali.Welcome, please come in.
- Linaيسلمو، بيتك حلو كتير.yislamo, beytak helou ktir.Thank you, your home is very nice.
- Samerتكرمي، اهلا فيكي دايما.tikrami, ahlan fiki dayman.You are welcome, you are always welcome here.
- Linaالله يبارك فيك.allah ybarek fik.Bless you.
