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How to say helloin Arabic

By Ahmed Gadir · 20 September 2026

Most pages that answer this question hand you one word. The honest answer has two halves, and they pull in opposite directions.

There is one greeting that works anywhere Arabic is spoken and barely changes between varieties — so you can learn it once and stop thinking about it. And there is an everyday hello that does change, and that is the part worth your attention. This page starts there.

Where the dialects actually part company

The lighter greeting is the one you will hear walking into a shop, and here the varieties genuinely split. Five of the seven reach for أهلا. Modern Standard and Levantine reach for مرحبا instead.

How to say “The everyday hello”
DialectArabicPronunciation
MSAمَرْحَبًاmarHabanThe full form, ending included
Egyptianأَهْلًاahlan
LevantineمَرْحَبَاmarHabaThe same word as MSA, with the ending dropped
Gulfأَهْلًاahlan
Iraqiأَهْلاًahlan
Sudaneseأَهْلًاahlan
Darijaأَهْلًاahlan

This is the one greeting on the page that earns a row per variety, so here they all are. Play them in order and the split is obvious in the ear.

The everyday hello, in all seven

  • مَرْحَبًاmarHabanMSA — Hello
  • أَهْلًاahlanEgyptian — Hello
  • مَرْحَبَاmarHabaLevantine — Hello
  • أَهْلًاahlanGulf — Welcome
  • أَهْلاًahlanIraqi — Welcome
  • أَهْلًاahlanSudanese — Welcome / Hello
  • أَهْلًاahlanDarija — Hello

The greeting that works anywhere

If you learn one thing on this page, learn السلام عليكم. It is not tied to a time of day or to how well you know someone, and — unlike the hello above — it is the same words in all seven courses.

So there is no seven-row table for it, because there would be nothing in the columns. What little moves is the vowel in the middle and how much of the ending survives. Three clips are enough to hear the whole of that: the full Modern Standard form, the Levantine with the ending gone, and Darija, which squeezes the article hardest.

Peace be upon you — the full spread, in three

  • السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْas-salaamu 'alaykumMSA — every ending pronounced
  • السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْas-salaam 3alaykumLevantine — the case ending goes
  • السَّلَام عَلَيْكُمs-salaam 'alaykumDarija — the article squeezed to s-

The reply is half the greeting

Arabic greetings come in pairs, and this one has a fixed answer: the two halves swap round and come back to you. Learning السلام عليكم without وعليكم السلام leaves you able to start a conversation and unable to answer one. It is as steady across the varieties as the greeting itself.

And peace be upon you — the reply

  • وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُwa 'alaykum as-salaamMSA
  • وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامwa 3alaykum as-salaamLevantine
  • وَعَلَيْكُم السَّلَامwa 'alaykum s-salaamDarija

Saying goodbye

Goodbye is the steadiest of the lot. Six of the seven say مع السلامة. Darija is the one that moves, and it moves far enough to be worth hearing.

Goodbye — the two that differ

  • مَعَ السَّلَامَةِma'a as-salaamaMSA — and five others say this too
  • مَعَ السَّلَامَةma3a as-salaameLevantine — the final vowel leans to -e
  • بْسْلَامَةbslaamaDarija — a different shape altogether
The four, side by side
ArabicPronunciationMeaning
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْas-salaamu 'alaykumPeace be upon youThe same words in all seven varieties
وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامwa 'alaykum as-salaamAnd peace be upon youThe reply — the two halves swap round
أَهْلًاahlanHello, welcomeThe one that changes — MSA and Levantine say مَرْحَبًا
مَعَ السَّلَامَةِma'a as-salaamaGoodbyeDarija says بْسْلَامَة instead

Which one should you actually use?

Check yourself

You want one greeting that works in every variety on this page. Which is it?

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