Arabic Greetings

Written by Amel B.

About this Arabic greetings activity

This activity teaches 12 everyday phrases. Learn shows each phrase with the Arabic, the English meaning, a pronunciation guide, a note on when to use it, and a button to hear it. Dialogue is a short conversation between two children, and you can tap any line to hear it or play them all in turn. Quiz gives a situation, such as meeting a teacher in the morning, and asks which phrase fits. The audio uses your device's Arabic voice, so it varies between devices. The phrases are in standard Arabic, and everyday speech differs by region.

Greetings and their replies

The full form of the Islamic greeting is longer, السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُه (“peace be upon you, and God's mercy and blessings”), and it is answered in kind. السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُم is widely used among Muslims everywhere, but not every Arabic speaker uses it. Arabic-speaking Christians and others may prefer مَرْحَبًا or other greetings.

Talking to a boy or to a girl

Phrases that address one person change slightly for a woman or girl: كَيْفَ حَالُك؟ (to a male) becomes كَيْفَ حَالُكِ؟ (to a female), and مِنْ فَضْلِك becomes مِنْ فَضْلِكِ. The activity shows the masculine forms, so tell your child to change the ending when talking to a girl or woman. In the dialogue, Ali says وَأَنْتِ؟ to Sara for the same reason.

“How are you?” around the Arab world

These are examples, not a complete list. Ask your family which version they use, and teach both.

Other polite phrases

• أَنَا بِخَيْر، الحَمْدُ لِلَّه — I'm well, thank God. This is the most common answer to “how are you?”.
• تُصْبِحُ عَلَى خَيْر — Good night (to a male). To a female it is تُصْبِحِينَ عَلَى خَيْر.
• عَفْوًا can mean “you're welcome” or “excuse me”, depending on the situation.

Mistakes to watch for

• Using صَبَاحُ الخَيْر in the afternoon or evening.
• Forgetting to answer السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُم with وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَام.
• Using the masculine ending when speaking to a girl or woman.
• Mixing up شُكْرًا (thank you) and عَفْوًا (you're welcome).

A simple learning plan

1. Session 1. Learn the greeting and its reply, and say them to each other.
2. Session 2. Add good morning, good evening and how are you.
3. Session 3. Play the Dialogue, then act it out with your own names.

Away from the screen

• Role play. Greet each other at the door as a guest and as a host.
• Morning routine. Say صَبَاحُ الخَيْر and wait for the reply.
• Phone calls. Practise greeting relatives who speak Arabic.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say hello in Arabic?

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُم is the Islamic greeting, and مَرْحَبًا is a friendly hello that many people use. Neither is the only way, and regions have their own versions.

What does “As-salamu alaykum” mean?

“Peace be upon you.” The reply is وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَام, “and upon you peace”.

How do you say good morning in Arabic?

صَبَاحُ الخَيْر (“morning of goodness”), and the reply is صَبَاحُ النُّور (“morning of light”). Good evening is مَسَاءُ الخَيْر.

How do you say thank you in Arabic?

شُكْرًا, or شُكْرًا جَزِيلًا for “thank you very much”. A common reply is عَفْوًا.

How do you say goodbye in Arabic?

مَعَ السَّلَامَة (“go in safety”), or إِلَى اللِّقَاء (“until we meet”).

How do you say please in Arabic?

مِنْ فَضْلِك, which is for a male, or مِنْ فَضْلِكِ for a female.

Are these the same in every Arabic-speaking country?

Mostly in formal and written Arabic, but everyday greetings differ by region, such as the ways of asking “how are you?” in the table above.

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