مرحبا

Arabic

Arabic phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

Root
ر ح ب‎ (r-ḥ-b)

Etymology

Related to the verb رَحِبَ‎ (raḥiba, “to be wide”). (The verb رَحَّبَ‎ (raḥḥaba, “to make welcome, to receive graciously”) is derived from this term.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mar.ħa.ban/, (pausa) /mar.ħa.baː/

Interjection

مَرْحَبًا • (marḥaban)

1. hello, welcome

Descendants

• Maltese: merħba
• Moroccan Arabic: مرحبا‎ (marḥba)
• → Afar: marcabá
• → Northern Kurdish: merheba
• → Ottoman Turkish: مرحبا‎
  • Turkish: merhaba
  • → Bulgarian: мерхаба́ (merhabá), ме́рхаба (mérhaba), мараба́ (marabá)
  • → Macedonian: мерхаба (merhaba)
  • → Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: ме̏рха̄ба

    Latin script: mȅrhāba

  • Turkish: merhaba
• → Classical Persian: مرحبا‎ (marḥabâ)
  • Tajik: мерҳабо (merhabo)
  • → Hindustani:
    • Hindi: मरहबा (marhabā)
    • Urdu: مرحبا‎ (marḥabā)
  • → Bengali: মরহাবা (môrhaba)
  • → Pashto: مرحبا‎ (marḥabā)
  • → Punjabi:
    • Gurmukhi script: ਮਰਹਬਾ (marhabā)
    • Shahmukhi script: مرحبا‎ (marḥabā)
• → Swahili: marahaba
• → Zazaki: merheba

Moroccan Arabic

Moroccan Arabic phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

Etymology

From Arabic مَرْحَبًا‎ (marḥaban).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /marħba/

Interjection

مرحبا • (marḥba)

1. welcome

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

From Arabic مَرْحَبًا‎ (marḥaban).

Interjection

مرحبا • (merḥaba)

1. hello

Descendants

• Turkish: merhaba
• → Bulgarian: мерхаба́ (merhabá), ме́рхаба (mérhaba), мараба́ (marabá)
• → Macedonian: мерхаба (merhaba)
• → Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic script: ме̏рха̄ба

  Latin script: mȅrhāba

South Levantine Arabic

South Levantine Arabic phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

Etymology

From Arabic مَرْحَبًا‎ (marḥaban).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mar.ħa.ba/, [ˈmɑr.ħɑ.bɑ]

• Audio (Ramallah)

  (file)

Interjection

مرحبا • (marḥaba)

1. hello

   Synonym: (informal) هلا‎ (hala)

Usage notes

• People usually respond to مرحبا (marḥaba) with its dual or plural form:
  • مرحبتين‎ (marḥabtēn, literally “two hellos”)
  • مراحب‎ (marāḥeb, literally “many hellos”)

See also

• أهلا‎ (ʔahla, “welcome”), أهلا وسهلا‎ (ʔahla w-sahla, “welcome”)