hello
The word "مرحباً" (marhaban) is the standard and most versatile way to greet someone in Arabic. It carries the root meaning of "welcome" or "broadness," painting a mental image of opening one's space and heart to a person arriving or being encountered. While it is universally understood and grammatically correct in Modern Standard Arabic, it is often used in formal or semi-formal settings. In very casual daily life, speakers might opt for region-specific greetings like "هلا" (hala) or "أهلاً" (ahlan), though "مرحباً" remains perfectly acceptable and polite in almost any social interaction.
In conversation
Meeting a friend at a cafe
مرحباً يا صديقي!
Hello, my friend!
مرحباً بك، كيف حالك؟
Hello to you, how are you?
Using 'marhaban' with a friend is friendly and polite.
Entering a shop
مرحباً، هل يمكنني مساعدتك؟
Hello, can I help you?
مرحباً، أبحث عن كتاب.
Hello, I am looking for a book.
Commonly used by service staff to greet customers.
Examples
مرحباً!
Hello!
مرحباً بك في بيتنا.
Welcome to our house.
قالت مرحباً وهي تبتسم للجميع.
She said hello while smiling at everyone.
