How to Say “Hello” in Arabic (Palestinian/Levantine Dialect) — 7 Real Greetings

The 7 Ways to Say Hello in Palestinian Arabic

Each greeting below shows the Arabic script, the transliteration, and audio. New to the script? Start with our Arabic alphabet trainer — every letter on this page will start making sense.

1. Marhaba (مرحبا) — the default

Use marhaba anywhere, with anyone: the taxi driver, your friend's grandmother, the falafel guy. It carries no religious weight and no slang edge. Formality: neutral — you cannot get it wrong.

2. Salam alaikum (السلام عليكم) — formal and religious

This is the greeting of mosques, formal visits, and respect — but in Palestine it is also simply everyday speech, used across communities. Use it when entering a room of people or greeting elders. Formality: formal, though never out of place.

3. Ahlan (أهلاً) — welcoming

Ahlan says “you are welcome here” as much as “hello.” Hosts use it at the door; shopkeepers use it as you walk in. It pairs naturally with ahlan wa sahlan, the famous Palestinian welcome. Formality: friendly, works almost everywhere.

4. Hala (هلا) — casual and trendy

Hala is what younger Palestinians actually say to each other — quick, warm, often doubled (هلا هلا). Use it with friends and peers, not in a job interview or with an elder you have just met. Formality: informal.

5. Kifak / Kifik (كيفك) — “how are you” as a greeting

Between friends, Palestinians frequently skip “hello” and open straight with kifak. There is a whole etiquette to asking and answering it — we cover it in how to say “how are you” in Arabic. Formality: casual, for people you already know.

6. Sabah al-khair (صباح الخير) — good morning

The standard greeting until around midday, at home and at work. The reply chain is one of the loveliest corners of the dialect — see good morning in Arabic for the full ladder. Formality: neutral, morning only.

7. Masa al-khair (مساء الخير) — good evening

From late afternoon onward, masa al-khair takes over. Use it arriving at an evening gathering or greeting neighbors after sunset. Formality: neutral, evening only.

How to Respond to “Hello” in Arabic

Arabic greetings come in pairs — each hello has an expected reply, and answering correctly matters more than which greeting you choose. The fixed pairs first: السلام عليكم (as-salamu alaykum) is always answered with وعليكم السلام (wa alaykum as-salam), and the time-of-day greetings get their mirrored replies — sabah al-noor in the morning, masa al-noor in the evening.

The rest follow one charming rule: return the greeting, upgraded. Answer marhaba with مرحبتين (marhabtain) — literally “two hellos.” Answer ahlan with أهلين (ahlein) — “double welcome.” Answer a friend's hala with هلا والله (hala wallah). Generosity is built into the grammar: whatever warmth someone offers you, you hand back more. If you only remember one reply, marhabtain covers nearly every casual situation.

Regional Variations: Palestinian vs Lebanese vs Egyptian

All Levantine speakers will understand every greeting on this page, but each country has its own defaults and flavor:

Palestinian and Lebanese greetings overlap heavily — both are Levantine — though Lebanese speech famously mixes in French (bonjour, even bonjourain, “two bonjours,” applying the Arabic doubling rule to a French word). Egyptian goes its own way: ezayyak is the default hello in Cairo but is not used in Palestine at all. For the bigger picture of how these dialects relate, see our guide to Arabic dialects.

Common Mistakes

• Greeting everyone with as-salamu alaykum in casual settings. It is never wrong, but using it with close friends can sound oddly stiff — like answering your best friend's text with “Dear Sir.” Match the register: hala for friends, marhaba for everyone else.
• Answering a greeting with the same word. Replying marhaba to marhaba is understood but flat. The natural reply escalates: marhabtain.
• Mixing up kifak and kifik. The ending changes with gender — kifak to a man, kifik to a woman. Getting it wrong is instantly noticed (and gently corrected).
• Using MSA greetings from a textbook. Nobody on a Ramallah street says كيف حالُكَ (kayfa haluka). Learn the dialect forms — they are what people actually speak.