Phrases

How to say “thank you” in Arabic — and the 4 ways to respond

Shukran will get you through any door in the Arab world. But in Palestine, gratitude is a conversation — there is a warm way to say it, a warmer way to upgrade it, and four different ways to wave it off.

The most common way to say thank you in Arabic is شكراً (shukran). In Palestinian Arabic, you can respond with العفو (al-afw) or the more casual ولو (walaw), meaning “don't mention it.”

5 ways to say thank you in Palestinian Arabic

Every Arabic learner knows شكراً (shukran). It is the single most useful word of gratitude in the language — we wrote a whole deep dive on what shukran means, where it comes from, and why it works in every country and every register. But Palestinians rarely stop there. Around a dinner table in Nablus or a service taxi in Ramallah, thanks gets layered, personalized, and blessed. Here are the five forms you will actually hear.

شكراً

shukran

Thank you — the universal default

Palestinian note: Works everywhere, with everyone. Neutral rather than warm — locals usually add something on top.

شكراً جزيلاً

shukran jazeelan

Thank you very much

Palestinian note: Grammatically MSA. Palestinians use it in formal or written settings; in the street it can sound like a textbook.

ممنونك

mamnoonak / mamnoonik

I’m grateful to you

Palestinian note: Warm and personal. Endings shift: mamnoonak to a man, mamnoonik to a woman — and a female speaker says mamnoontak / mamnoontik.

ألف شكر

alf shukr

A thousand thanks

Palestinian note: The everyday upgrade. Emphatic but completely natural — the go-to when shukran feels too thin for the favor.

يسلمو إيديك

yislamo ideik

Bless your hands (lit. may your hands stay safe)

Palestinian note: The most Palestinian thank you on this list. Said for food, repairs, coffee — anything made or handed to you. To a woman: yislamo ideiki.

Notice the pattern: the more personal the favor, the more personal the thanks. Shukran acknowledges; يسلمو إيديك (yislamo ideik) blesses the actual hands that did the work. Choosing the right one is half the fluency.

How to respond to thank you: the 4 Palestinian responses

Most phrasebooks teach you to say thanks and leave you stranded when someone thanks you. In Palestine the response is not optional — silence after a shukran reads as cold. These are the four answers locals reach for, from formal to fully casual.

عفواً

afwan

You’re welcome

Palestinian note: The standard reply across all dialects. Context matters: the same word also means “excuse me.”

العفو

al-afw

You’re welcome (lit. the pardon)

Palestinian note: The Levantine favorite — a touch warmer than afwan and what you’ll hear most in Palestinian homes.

ولو

walaw

Come on, don’t mention it

Palestinian note: One tiny word doing heavy lifting: it means your thanks was unnecessary between people this close.

ما في شي

ma fi shi

It’s nothing

Palestinian note: Casual and breezy — the Palestinian equivalent of “no worries.” Common among friends and younger speakers.

ولو (walaw) deserves a special mention. Literally it just means “even if,” but as a reply to thanks it carries a whole sentence of meaning: between us, thanks isn't even necessary. Using it correctly is one of those small moves that makes Palestinians light up at a learner.

When to use which

Register matters more than vocabulary here. The same favor thanked the wrong way can come off stiff or, worse, sarcastic. This is the cheat sheet — and it holds across most of the Levantine dialect family, with Palestinian flavor noted.

Phrase	Formality	Best for	Gender changes?
شكراً shukran	Neutral	Anyone, anywhere — shops, strangers, quick exchanges	No
شكراً جزيلاً shukran jazeelan	Formal / MSA	Official settings, emails, speeches	No
ممنونك mamnoonak	Warm	Friends, colleagues, genuine favors	Yes — for both speaker and listener
ألف شكر alf shukr	Warm, emphatic	Big favors, generous hosts	No
يسلمو إيديك yislamo ideik	Intimate, traditional	Food, handiwork, hospitality	Yes — ideik (m) / ideiki (f)

The Palestinian yislamo tradition

يسلمو إيديك (yislamo ideik) is not really a translation of “thank you” at all — it is a blessing aimed at the part of the body that did the work. Your aunt spends all day rolling waraq dawali? You bless the hands that rolled them. A mechanic fixes your car, a neighbor carries your bags, your mother pours the coffee: may those hands stay safe. There are variations for nearly every act of care — said to a woman it becomes يسلمو إيديكي (yislamo ideiki), and many Palestinians shorten the whole thing to a fond يسلمو (yislamo).

The blessing also gets a blessing back. The classic reply is الله يسلمك (Allah ysallimak — may God keep you safe), and a cook will often answer with صحتين (sahtein — double health to you). That is the real shape of Palestinian gratitude: not a word and a nod, but a small exchange of good wishes that travels back and forth across the table. Learn the chain, not just the first link.

Common mistakes

Stopping at shukran. It is never wrong, but on its own it can feel transactional. For anything beyond a shop counter, upgrade to alf shukr or yislamo ideik.
Using shukran jazeelan casually. It is MSA — at a friend's dinner table it sounds like you learned Arabic from a news anchor. Palestinians say alf shukr instead.
Ignoring gender endings. Saying mamnoonak to a woman (it should be mamnoonik) or yislamo ideik when ideiki fits. Small slip, instantly noticed, warmly corrected.
Confusing the two afwans. عفواً means “you're welcome” after thanks but “excuse me” when starting a request. Same word, opposite directions — context decides.
Not responding at all. When someone thanks you, answer. Even a quick walaw keeps the warmth in the exchange; silence reads as distance.

Frequently asked questions

What does shukran mean?

Shukran (شكراً) means thank you in Arabic. It comes from the root sh-k-r, meaning gratitude, and works in every Arabic dialect and in MSA. For the full story of the word — its root, its register, how to answer it — see our guide to what shukran means.

How do Arabs respond to thank you?

The standard response is afwan (عفواً) or al-afw (العفو), both meaning you are welcome. Palestinians also use two casual replies: walaw (ولو), meaning your thanks is not even necessary between us, and ma fi shi (ما في شي), meaning it is nothing.

What does afwan mean?

Afwan (عفواً) literally relates to pardon. After someone thanks you, it means you are welcome. Said before a request or after bumping into someone, it means excuse me. The same word covers both situations, and context makes the meaning clear to any Arabic speaker.

Is shukran formal or informal?

Shukran is neutral — appropriate in both formal and informal situations across the Arab world. It is never rude and never too stiff. In casual Palestinian settings, though, locals often prefer warmer options like alf shukr (a thousand thanks) or yislamo ideik (bless your hands).

What does yislamo ideik literally mean?

Yislamo ideik (يسلمو إيديك) literally means may your hands stay safe. Palestinians say it to thank someone for anything done with the hands — cooking, fixing, carrying, serving coffee. To a woman it becomes yislamo ideiki. The usual reply is Allah ysallimak, may God keep you safe.

How do you say you're welcome in Palestinian Arabic?

Palestinians say al-afw (العفو) in most situations, afwan (عفواً) slightly more formally, walaw (ولو) between friends to mean do not mention it, and ma fi shi (ما في شي) for a breezy it is nothing. All four are heard daily; al-afw is the safest default.

Is mamnounak different for men and women?

Yes. The ending changes with the listener: mamnoonak to a man, mamnoonik to a woman. The speaker matters too — a woman says mamnoontak or mamnoontik because the base word mamnouneh is feminine. Getting these endings right is a hallmark of natural Levantine Arabic.

Learn the thanks Palestinians actually use

Hear shukran, walaw, and yislamo ideik from native speakers — and practice the full exchange in your first free lesson.

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