Arabic phrases, for everyday life
The Arabic you need first: greetings, thanks, kind words for family, and the days and colours. Each page gives the Arabic with full vowel marks, an easy transliteration, the reply, the forms for a man, a woman or a group, and the Islamic phrase Muslims often use instead.
No phrase matches that yet. Try another word, or see our Islamic phrases.
Greetings and manners 13
Thank you شُكْرًا
The everyday Arabic for thank you is shukran (شُكْرًا).
Hello مَرْحَبًا
The plain Arabic for hello is marhaban (مَرْحَبًا), and for hi, ahlan (أَهْلًا).
Good morning صَبَاحُ الْخَيْر
Good morning in Arabic is ṣabāḥ al-khayr (صَبَاحُ الْخَيْر), "a morning of goodness", and the reply is ṣabāḥ an-nūr, "a morning of light".
How are you كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟
How are you in Arabic is kayfa ḥāluka (كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟) to a man and kayfa ḥāluki to a woman.
Sorry أَنَا آسِف
I'm sorry in Arabic is anā āsif (أَنَا آسِف) when a man says it and anā āsifa (أَنَا آسِفَة) when a woman says it.
What is your name مَا اسْمُكَ؟
What is your name in Arabic is mā-smuka? (مَا اسْمُكَ؟) to a man and mā-smuki? to a woman.
Good night تُصْبِحُ عَلَى خَيْر
Good night in Arabic is tuṣbiḥu ʿalā khayr (تُصْبِحُ عَلَى خَيْر), "may you wake to goodness", to a man, and tuṣbiḥīna ʿalā khayr to a woman.
God bless you بَارَكَ اللَّهُ فِيكَ
God bless you in Arabic is bārakallāhu fīka (بَارَكَ اللَّهُ فِيكَ) to a man and bārakallāhu fīki to a woman.
Welcome أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا
Welcome in Arabic is ahlan wa sahlan (أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا).
See you later, goodbye إِلَى اللِّقَاء
See you later in Arabic is arāka lāḥiqan (أَرَاكَ لَاحِقًا) to a man, and goodbye is maʿa s-salāma (مَعَ السَّلَامَة), "go with safety".
Congratulations مَبْرُوك
Congratulations in Arabic is mabrūk (مَبْرُوك), "blessed".
Please مِنْ فَضْلِكَ
Please in Arabic is min faḍlika (مِنْ فَضْلِكَ) to a man and min faḍliki to a woman.
Yes and no نَعَم
Yes in Arabic is naʿam (نَعَم) and no is lā (لَا).
Love and family 4
I love you أُحِبُّكَ
I love you in Arabic is uḥibbuka (أُحِبُّكَ) to a man and uḥibbuki (أُحِبُّكِ) to a woman.
My love (habibi) حَبِيبِي
My love in Arabic is ḥabībī (حَبِيبِي) to a man or boy and ḥabībatī (حَبِيبَتِي) to a woman or girl.
You are beautiful أَنْتِ جَمِيلَة
You are beautiful in Arabic is anti jamīla (أَنْتِ جَمِيلَة) to a woman or girl.
Family words أُمّ
Mother, father, brother, sister, both kinds of uncle and aunt, and how to say my mother.
Words, letters and numbers 6
Days of the week الْأَحَد
Sunday to Saturday, where each name comes from, the months and a quiz.
Colours أَحْمَر
Red, blue, green and the rest, with both forms and a quiz.
Numbers ١٢٣
Arabic numerals and number words, with a converter and a quiz.
The alphabet أ ب ت
All 28 letters with sounds, their shapes, a printable chart and kids mode.
Islamic months رَمَضَان
The 12 Hijri months and what their names mean.
Your name in Arabic اِسْم
See a name from our checked list in Arabic script, and save a name card.
Guide
Everyday Arabic, at a glance
The most useful Arabic phrases to learn first are marḥaban (hello), shukran (thank you), ʿafwan (you're welcome, excuse me), min faḍlik (please), naʿam and lā (yes and no), and maʿa s-salāma (goodbye). Muslims everywhere add as-salāmu ʿalaykum. The table gives each phrase with its usual reply. Tap a name for the forms, a listen button and the full notes.
| Phrase | Arabic | Say it | Reply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thank you | شُكْرًا | shukran | ʿafwan (you're welcome) |
| Hello | مَرْحَبًا | marḥaban | marḥaban bik (hello to you) |
| Good morning | صَبَاحُ الْخَيْر | ṣabāḥ al-khayr | ṣabāḥ an-nūr (morning of light) |
| How are you | كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟ | kayfa ḥāluka? | bi-khayr, al-ḥamdu lillāh |
| Sorry | أَنَا آسِف / آسِفَة | anā āsif / āsifa | lā baʾs (it's alright) |
| What is your name | مَا اسْمُكَ؟ | mā-smuka? | ismī ... (my name is ...) |
| Good night | تُصْبِحُ عَلَى خَيْر | tuṣbiḥu ʿalā khayr | wa anta min ahlih |
| God bless you | بَارَكَ اللَّهُ فِيكَ | bārakallāhu fīka | wa fīka bārakallāh |
| Welcome | أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا | ahlan wa sahlan | ahlan bik (welcome to you) |
| See you later, goodbye | إِلَى اللِّقَاء | ilā l-liqāʾ | maʿa s-salāma |
| Congratulations | مَبْرُوك | mabrūk | Allāhu yubārik fīk |
| Please | مِنْ فَضْلِكَ | min faḍlika | tafaḍḍal (here you are) |
| Yes and no | نَعَم / لَا | naʿam / lā | lā, shukran (no, thank you) |
| I love you | أُحِبُّكَ / أُحِبُّكِ | uḥibbuka / uḥibbuki | wa anā uḥibbuka (I love you too) |
| My love (habibi) | حَبِيبِي / حَبِيبَتِي | ḥabībī / ḥabībatī | wa anta ḥabībī (and you are my dear) |
| You are beautiful | أَنْتِ جَمِيلَة | anti jamīla | shukran, or bārakallāhu fīk |
Why the ending changes
Arabic marks who you are talking to. "You" is -ka to a man, -ki to a woman and -kum to a group: shukran laka, shukran laki, shukran lakum. Each page has a switch that shows you the right form. A few phrases, like "I'm sorry", change with the person speaking instead.
Standard Arabic and the dialects
These pages teach Modern Standard Arabic (al-fuṣḥā), the Arabic of books and the news, close to the Arabic of the Quran and understood from Morocco to Oman. At home and in the street, each region speaks its own dialect. Where a phrase sounds very different in Egypt, the Levant or the Gulf, we add a short note.
Reading the transliteration
A line over a vowel makes it long: ā as in "father", ī as in "see", ū as in "moon". Ḥ is a breathy h from the throat, kh is like the ch in Scottish "loch", ʿ is the throat sound of the letter ʿayn, and ʾ is a short catch in the breath. To learn the letters themselves, start with the Arabic alphabet.
Islamic phrases
Many Muslims who do not speak Arabic still use a few Arabic words every day: inshaAllah, mashaAllah, alhamdulillah, jazakallah khair. Each phrase page here shows the Islamic phrase that fits, and our Islamic phrases section explains each one with its source.
Listen uses your device's own computer voice for Arabic. It is a guide to the sounds, not a recording of a teacher.
Questions
Good to know
What are the most common Arabic phrases?
Marhaban (hello), shukran (thank you), afwan (you're welcome), min fadlik (please), na'am and la (yes and no), ma'a as-salama (goodbye) and as-salamu alaykum.
Is Arabic the same in every country?
Modern Standard Arabic is the same everywhere and is understood by all. Spoken dialects differ, especially Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf and North African.
Why do Arabic phrases change for a man or a woman?
Arabic marks gender and number in its endings. You is -ka to a man, -ki to a woman and -kum to a group.
How do I say a phrase correctly?
Each page has the Arabic with vowel marks, a transliteration, and a listen button that uses your device's Arabic voice. A teacher is the best guide for the throat sounds.