How to say "welcome" in Modern Standard Arabic
أَهْلاً وَسَهْلاً
ahlan wa-sahlan
- Without tashkeel
- أهلا وسهلا
- Franco / chat alphabet
- ahlan w sahlan
- Literally
- family and easy ground
When to use it
Said to someone arriving: a guest at the door, a visitor to your country, a new colleague. The old sense is "you have come to your own people and to level ground". It is the same for everyone; the shorter ahlan bika adds a pronoun that changes with the person.
Other ways to say it
to a man
أَهْلاً بِكَ
ahlan bika
welcome to you
Use to welcome one man, or to answer his welcome.
to a woman
أَهْلاً بِكِ
ahlan biki
welcome to you
The same, addressed to a woman.
to a group
أَهْلاً بِكُمْ
ahlan bikum
welcome to you all
Use for several guests or an audience.
alternative
مَرْحَباً بِكَ
mar7aban bika
welcome to you
Built on the word for hello; common in announcements and signs.
How people reply
أَهْلاً بِكَ
ahlan bika
And welcome to you.
شُكْراً لَكَ
shukran laka
Thank you.
سَعِيدٌ بِلِقَائِكَ
sa3idun biliqa'ika
Pleased to meet you.
In a sentence
أَهْلاً وَسَهْلاً بِكُمْ فِي بَيْتِنَا.
ahlan wa-sahlan bikum fi baytina.
Welcome to our home.
أَهْلاً وَسَهْلاً، تَفَضَّلْ بِالدُّخُولِ.
ahlan wa-sahlan, tafaddal bid-dukhuli.
Welcome, please come in.
أَهْلاً وَسَهْلاً بِكَ فِي الْقَاهِرَةِ.
ahlan wa-sahlan bika fi al-qahirati.
Welcome to Cairo.