The most common ways to say "hello" in Arabic are:
- Formal greeting: السلام عليكم (As-salamu alaykum) which means "Peace be upon you." This is widely used by Muslims and throughout the Arabic-speaking world and typically receives the response وعليكم السلام (Wa alaykum as-salam) meaning "And upon you be peace."
- Less formal greetings:
- مرحبا (Marhaban) means "Hello" and is a simple, non-religious greeting suitable in many contexts.
- أهلاً (Ahlan) means "Hi" and is slightly less formal but still polite.
These greetings carry cultural and sometimes religious significance and vary depending on the level of formality and the speaker's relationship with the listener.
