Arabic Greetings and Responses: How to Say Hello and Reply

The most common Arabic greeting is السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُم (as-salaamu ʿalaykum, “peace be upon you”), and the standard reply is وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلام (wa ʿalaykum as-salaam, “and upon you peace”). For a lighter, everyday hello, say مَرْحَبًا (marhaban), which you can answer with مَرْحَبًا (marhaban) or أَهْلًا (ahlan). In Arabic, most greetings come in matched pairs, so knowing the reply matters as much as the greeting itself.

This guide covers the essential greetings and their responses in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), the shared form understood from Morocco to the Gulf. Each entry comes with its Arabic script, transliteration, and meaning, so you can both start a conversation and answer one back naturally.

How do you say hello in Arabic?

You say hello in Arabic with السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُم (as-salaamu ʿalaykum) or the simpler مَرْحَبًا (marhaban). The first is the classic Islamic greeting used everywhere and at any time of day; the second is a neutral, friendly “hello” that suits almost any situation.

Returning a greeting is important in Arabic culture — leaving السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُم unanswered is considered impolite. If someone greets you with it, the reply وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلام is almost automatic.

What are the time-of-day greetings in Arabic?

Arabic has separate greetings for morning and evening, and each has its own traditional reply built on the word for “light.” صَباحُ الخَيْر (SabaaH al-khayr, “good morning”) is answered with صَباحُ النُّور (SabaaH an-nuur, “a morning of light”).

The reply to “good night,” تُصْبِحُ عَلى خَيْر (tuSbiH ʿalaa khayr), is وَأَنْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِه (wa anta min ahlih, “and you too”). The pattern is easy to remember: the greeting offers “goodness” or “light,” and the reply hands it right back.

How do you ask “how are you” in Arabic?

You ask “how are you” in Arabic with كَيْفَ حالُك؟ (kayfa Haaluk?). The ending changes with gender: say كَيْفَ حالُكَ؟ (kayfa Haaluka?) to a man and كَيْفَ حالُكِ؟ (kayfa Haaluki?) to a woman. The most common answer is بِخَيْر، شُكْرًا (bikhayr, shukran, “fine, thank you”).

Many speakers reply الحَمْدُ لِله (al-Hamdu lillah) whatever their mood, since it doubles as a polite, all-purpose “I’m well.” A natural exchange bounces the question back: answer بِخَيْر، شُكْرًا, then add وَأَنْتَ؟ (wa anta?) to a man or وَأَنْتِ؟ (wa anti?) to a woman.

How do you say thank you and you’re welcome?

You say thank you in Arabic with شُكْرًا (shukran), and the reply is عَفْوًا (ʿafwan, “you’re welcome”). These two words appear in nearly every conversation, so they are worth memorizing early alongside your greetings.

How do you say goodbye in Arabic?

You say goodbye in Arabic with مَعَ السَّلامَة (maʿa as-salaama, “go with safety”). Another common choice is إِلى اللِّقاء (ilaa al-liqaaʾ, “until we meet”), which is closer to “see you later.”

Do men and women use different Arabic greetings?

Men and women use the same greeting words, but the endings change depending on who you are speaking to, not on who is speaking. Address a man with the ending -a (كَيْفَ حالُكَ؟, kayfa Haaluka?) and a woman with -i (كَيْفَ حالُكِ؟, kayfa Haaluki?). Fixed greetings like السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُم and مَرْحَبًا never change, which makes them a safe default while you learn the gendered endings.

What does a full Arabic greeting exchange look like?

A short greeting exchange in Arabic strings these pieces together in a predictable order: a hello, a time-of-day greeting, and a “how are you.” Here is a natural example between two people meeting in the morning:

• A: السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُم (as-salaamu ʿalaykum)
• B: وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلام، صَباحُ الخَيْر (wa ʿalaykum as-salaam, SabaaH al-khayr)
• A: صَباحُ النُّور، كَيْفَ حالُك؟ (SabaaH an-nuur, kayfa Haaluk?)
• B: بِخَيْر، الحَمْدُ لِله، وَأَنْتَ؟ (bikhayr, al-Hamdu lillah, wa anta?)

Because the replies are so predictable, a few short exchanges like this cover the opening minute of almost any conversation. If you want to keep going after the greetings, build out your core vocabulary with the 50 most common Arabic words for beginners, and for a trip abroad, pair these with our 30 essential Arabic phrases for travelers.

How do you make Arabic greetings stick?

You make greetings stick by hearing them spoken and reviewing them in matched pairs — greeting and reply together — until the response comes automatically. Reading a table once is not enough; the words settle in when you meet them again just before you would forget them.

That is exactly how Kalam Daily works: a new word every day, native-speaker audio so you learn each greeting by ear, and spaced repetition that schedules your reviews for you. Start with السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُم and its reply this week, add the time-of-day greetings next, and you will be trading hellos in Arabic before you know it. Curious what to learn after that? Our Arabic learning path maps out the rest.