Arabic greetings hold a longer moment before the question — exchange them slowly, leave room. Arabic hospitality runs on tea, on patience, and on a few right hand / left hand distinctions worth knowing. Arabic idioms borrow from the desert, the sea, and patience — small images you can hear anywhere on the street. Arabic slang travels by neighborhood — a Levantine phrase sounds different in Cairo from how it sounds in Casablanca.
Greetings
Arabic greetings hold a longer moment before the question — exchange them slowly, leave room.
أهلاً وسهلاً! كيف حالك؟
Welcome! How are you?
أهلاً وسهلاً (ahlan wa sahlan) is the warm "welcome" — almost always paired with the next "how are you?" line as one ritual greeting.
Audio: أهلاً وسهلاً. كيف حالك؟ الحمد لله، بخير. تشرفنا.
تشرفنا.
Honored to meet you.
Said in reply — the equivalent of Enchanté in French or Mucho gusto in Spanish. Polite across the Arab world.
Audio: أهلاً وسهلاً. كيف حالك؟ الحمد لله، بخير. تشرفنا.
Etiquette
Arabic hospitality runs on tea, on patience, and on a few right hand / left hand distinctions worth knowing.
بالهنا والشفا.
With pleasure and healing — enjoy your meal.
Said to anyone cooking or eating near you, the way Spanish has ¡Buen provecho!. Universal across the Levant, Egypt, and the Gulf.
Audio: بالهنا والشفا. لو سمحت. شكراً جزيلاً. العفو.
لو سمحت.
If you please — please.
The polite request opener — use it for orders, requests, even when asking someone to step aside. يرجى formal exists but is mostly written.
Audio: بالهنا والشفا. لو سمحت. شكراً جزيلاً. العفو.
Common idioms
Arabic idioms borrow from the desert, the sea, and patience — small images you can hear anywhere on the street.
الصبر مفتاح الفرج.
Patience is the key to relief.
A comfort phrase offered during delays and difficulties — equivalent to "this too shall pass" framed for waiting.
Audio: الصبر مفتاح الفرج. اللي على رأسه بطحة يحسس عليها. ضرب الحديد وهو حامي.
ضرب الحديد وهو حامي.
Strike the iron while it is hot.
Arabic shares this proverb with English — used when a deal, idea, or conversation is hot and ripe. Use sparingly; outside Gulf states the metaphor may land oddly.
Audio: الصبر مفتاح الفرج. اللي على رأسه بطحة يحسس عليها. ضرب الحديد وهو حامي.
Regional slang
Arabic slang travels by neighborhood — a Levantine phrase sounds different in Cairo from how it sounds in Casablanca.
يلّا! (yalla)
Let’s go! come on!
Spoken across the Arab world — Levantine, Egyptian, and Gulf dialects share it. Mandatory at airports, taxi windows, and any call to hurry.
Audio: يلّا! إن شاء الله. wallah, sah!
والله (wallah)
By God — I swear, honestly.
A punctuating intensifier at the start or end of any sentence — Lebanese wallah is its own register, heard on TV news as well as kitchen tables.
Arabic greetings hold a longer moment before the question — exchange them slowly, leave room.
Listen to a native clip
TRANSCRIPTأهلاً وسهلاً. كيف حالك؟ الحمد لله، بخير. تشرفنا.
أهلاً وسهلاً! كيف حالك؟
Welcome! How are you?
— أهلاً وسهلاً (ahlan wa sahlan) is the warm "welcome" — almost always paired with the next "how are you?" line as one ritual greeting.
تشرفنا.
Honored to meet you.
— Said in reply — the equivalent of Enchanté in French or Mucho gusto in Spanish. Polite across the Arab world.
Etiquette
Arabic hospitality runs on tea, on patience, and on a few right hand / left hand distinctions worth knowing.
Listen to a native clip
TRANSCRIPTبالهنا والشفا. لو سمحت. شكراً جزيلاً. العفو.
بالهنا والشفا.
With pleasure and healing — enjoy your meal.
— Said to anyone cooking or eating near you, the way Spanish has ¡Buen provecho!. Universal across the Levant, Egypt, and the Gulf.
لو سمحت.
If you please — please.
— The polite request opener — use it for orders, requests, even when asking someone to step aside. يرجى formal exists but is mostly written.
Common idioms
Arabic idioms borrow from the desert, the sea, and patience — small images you can hear anywhere on the street.
Listen to a native clip
TRANSCRIPTالصبر مفتاح الفرج. اللي على رأسه بطحة يحسس عليها. ضرب الحديد وهو حامي.
الصبر مفتاح الفرج.
Patience is the key to relief.
— A comfort phrase offered during delays and difficulties — equivalent to "this too shall pass" framed for waiting.
ضرب الحديد وهو حامي.
Strike the iron while it is hot.
— Arabic shares this proverb with English — used when a deal, idea, or conversation is hot and ripe. Use sparingly; outside Gulf states the metaphor may land oddly.
Regional slang
Arabic slang travels by neighborhood — a Levantine phrase sounds different in Cairo from how it sounds in Casablanca.
Listen to a native clip
TRANSCRIPTيلّا! إن شاء الله. wallah, sah!
يلّا! (yalla)
Let’s go! come on!
— Spoken across the Arab world — Levantine, Egyptian, and Gulf dialects share it. Mandatory at airports, taxi windows, and any call to hurry.
والله (wallah)
By God — I swear, honestly.
— A punctuating intensifier at the start or end of any sentence — Lebanese wallah is its own register, heard on TV news as well as kitchen tables.
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