Hello and goodbye bookend almost every conversation you have. It makes sense, then, that it should be one of the first things you would want to learn in Arabic, or whichever language you’re learning, is how to properly say hi and bye. Even if you don’t plan to become entirely fluent in Arabic, knowing these terms is a useful way to show respect or familiarity with others.
This might sound like a simple task: it’s just two words, right? But as you’re very used to in your native language, how you say hello can change based on the context you’re in. You can’t randomly choose between “Hello,” “Good evening” and “Wassup?” Even if you were to narrow it down to just good morning in Arabic, you’d have more than one option. Here, then, we’ll give you a guide to a few options that should fit most contexts. It’s also worth noting that many Arabic hellos and goodbyes are religious — As-salamu alaykum, for example, means “Peace be upon you” — so we’ll include their non-religious counterparts.
How To Say Hello In Arabic
Starting at the very beginning, you can break Arabic hellos into two broad categories: formal and informal. When you’re in a new place or around people you don’t know, it probably makes sense to lean more toward the formal side of things. Arabic culture in general tends toward more formality than most modern English-speaking cultures. Mirroring the person you’re speaking to is probably your best option to figure out the formality of your interaction.
Formal Greetings
السلام عليكم (As-salamu alaykum) — Peace be upon you. As mentioned, this phrase has a slightly religious connotation, and is widely used by Muslim Arabic speakers around the world, as its origins are rooted in the teachings of Prophet Muhammad.
وعليكم السلام (Wa alaykum as-salam) — And upon you be peace. This is a standard response to As-salamu alaykum, which is evident in how it basically flips the phrase.
أهلاً بك (Ahlan bik to a man, Ahlan biki to a woman) — Welcome. This is a formal way to welcome someone, so is slightly different from the other greetings in this section. It also is one of the phrases that changes depending on the gender of the person you’re speaking to.
Less Formal Greetings
مرحبا (Marhaban) — Hello. This is a simple, non-religious greeting that works in a broad range of conversations.
أهلاً (Ahlan) — Hi. A slightly shorter version. Both this and Marhaban are more “neutral” than “informal.”
كيف حالك؟ (Kayfa halak? to a man, Kayfa halik? to a woman) — How are you?
ما الأخبار؟ (Ma al-akhbar?) — What’s up? This also means “How are you?” but is slightly more informal.
Time-Specific Arabic Greetings
When you’re greeting someone, it’s more common to make allusion to the time by saying good morning, afternoon or evening (“good night” in both English and Arabic is more of a conversation-ender).
صباح الخير (Sabah al-khayr) — Good morning.
صباح النور (Sabah an-noor) — Good morning. This is used as a response to Sabah al-khayr, which literally means “morning light.”
صباحو (Sabaho) — Morning. This is a shorter, less formal way to say “good morning” to someone that’s the same as the way you might cheerfully exclude the “good” and simply say “morning!”
مساء الخير (Masa’ al-khayr) — Good afternoon/evening. There’s no split between afternoon and evening in Arabic greetings.
مساء النور (Masa’ an-noor) — Good afternoon/evening. You can see how this response mirrors the morning response, with this phrase meaning “morning light.”
تصبح على خير (Tusbih ala khayr to a man, Tusbiheen ala khayr to a woman) — Good night. As mentioned, this would not be used as a greeting, but makes sense when saying goodbye.
How To Say Goodbye In Arabic
Saying farewell in Arabic is similar to hello, though it’s slightly easier to guess how formal you should be at the end of a conversation. Here are a few options you can use, but similar to “hello” there are dozens of ways to bid someone farewell in Arabic.
Formal Farewells
في أمان الله (Fi aman Allah) — Farewell. This phrase literally means “In God’s protection,” and is a religious way to wish someone care and safety.
إلى اللقاء (Illa liqaa) — Until we meet again. More literally, this means “until the meeting,” and so would be said to someone you expect to see again.
وداعًا (Wada’an) — Goodbye. You would use this in situations where you don’t expect to see the other person ever again, and so is most common in formal conversations with strangers.
Informal Farewells
أراك لاحقاً (Araka lahiqan to a man, Araki lahiqan to a woman) — See you later.
أراك قريباً (Araka qariban to a man, Araki qariban to a woman) — See you soon.
اعتن بنفسك (I’tani binafsik to a man, I’tani binafsiki to a woman) — Take care.
منشوفكن بخير (Mnshoufkon bi kheir) — See you. Probably the least formal of this group, it more literally is translated as “see you in good shape,” and is something you’d say to friends.