I tried to include as many useful greetings and courteous expressions as I could on this page, focusing on the expressions used in Egypt (so when I say "Colloquially people say such-and-such," I'm referring to Egypt). In some cases, I gave a standard variant and then detailed the colloquial usage below. Also, I gave everything in the masculine form, just because it's easier than including the feminine and plural forms for everything.

Do make sure to memorize the proper responses to each expression; it can be quite awkward if someone tells you something nice and you don't know what to say back! If you don't know the right response, no one will crucify you or anything, but if you do know what to say, it can make a really nice impression. Conveniently, usually the main verb in the response comes from the same root as the main word used in the first expression -- for example, "ma3a s-salāma," "salāmtak," "Humdillāh 3as-salāma" and "sallimli 3a...," which all have words from the s-l-m root. They all have the same response, "allāh ysallimak," with another s-l-m root word. So if you keep that in mind, it helps in remembering the right response.

Welcome; hello: أهلا وسهلا (ahlan wa sahlan)
Response: أهلا بيك (ahlan bīk)
You can say أهلا وسهلا when welcoming someone (ex. to your country or home). And you can also say it to mean just "hello."

Welcome; hello: مرحبا (marHaban)
Response: مرحبا بيك (marHaban bīk)
مرحبا can be used in much the same way as أهلا وسهلا, and it has a more colloquial pronunciation of "marHaba." One colloquial response is مرحبتين (marHabtein - lit. two welcomes). مرحبا is not really used in Egypt outside of tourist signs and so forth, but in other places like the Gulf and Levant, it's used frequently to say hello.

Hello: السلام عليكم (as-salāmu 3aleikum) - lit. peace be upon you
Response: وعليكم السلام (w3aleikum as-salām)
A common greeting used by Muslims. You can also add ورحمة الله وبركاته (waraHmatu llāhi wabarakātu - and God's mercy and blessings) to the end.

Good morning: صباح الخير (SabāH al-xeir)
Response: صباح النور (SabāH an-nūr)
There are more colloquial variants on صباح الخير/النور that you can use, like صباح القشطة (SabāH il-'išTa - lit. morning of cream), صباح الفل (SabāH il-full - lit. morning of jasmine), and صباح الورد (SabāH il-ward - lit. morning of rose). They're a little "baladi" (i.e. used more by the rural and lower classes), but you can still use them to add some color to your speech.

Good evening: مساء الخير (masā' al-xeir)
Response: صباح النور (masā' an-nūr)
You can also say مساء القشطة, مساء الفل, and مساء الورد here too.

How are you?: كيف حالك؟ (keif Hālak)
Response: بخير الحمد لله (bexeir al-Humdulillāh)
كيف حالك can be said in a colloquial context too, but in Egypt it's much more common to hear ازيك (izzayyak). Colloquially people don't really say "bexeir" too much; you can say كويس الحمد لله (kwayyis al-Humdulillāh) or just "al-Humdulillāh."

How are things going?: ايه أخبار؟ (eih axbār); أخبارك ايه؟ (axbārak eih); عامل/ة ايه؟ (3amil/3amla eih)
These expressions are kind of like "What's up?" as it's used in the U.S.; you don't really proceed to explain what's going on in your life (and don't say مافيش أخبار, mafīš axbār, "No news" like I did once; people will laugh at you!). People usually just say something like "al-Humdulillāh" or كويس (kwayyis, "Good") or كلو تمام (kullu tamām, "Everything's fine").

Nice to meet you: فرصة سعيدة (furSa sa3īda) - lit. happy chance
Response: أنا أسعد (ana as3ad) - lit. I am happier

Good night: تصبح على خير (tiSbaH 3ala xeir)
Response: وانت من أهله (winta min ahlo)

Goodbye: مع السلامة (ma3a s-salāma)
Response: الله يسلمك (allāh ysallimak)
Often when people are leaving they just say "Salām" or "As-salāmu 3aleikum" and those remaining say "Ma3a s-salāma."

Used when s.o. leaves on a trip:
Bon voyage: رحلة سعيدة (reHla sa3īda)
ربنا يجيبك بالسلامة (rabbina ygībak bis-salāma) - lit. May God bring you safely
ربنا يوصلك بالسلامة (rabbina yiwaSSalak bis-salāma) - lit. May God deliver you safely
تروح وتيجي بالسلامة (tirūH witīgī bis-salāma) - lit. Go and come safely
Response: الله يسلمك (allāh ysallimak)

Used to welcome s.o. arriving from a trip or greet s.o. who has just recovered from an illness:
حمد لله عالسلامة (Humdilla 3as-salāma) - lit. Thank God for (your) safety
Response: الله يسلمك (allāh ysallimak)

Welcome to Egypt: نوّرت مصر (nawwart maSr) - lit. You have lit up Egypt
Response: ده نورك كفاية (da nūrak kifāya) or مصر منوّرة بيك (maSr menawwara bīk)
You can also say "Menawwara" on its own to welcome someone anywhere.

Get well soon: سملامتك (salāmtak)
Response: الله يسلمك (allāh ysallimak)

Please: من فضلك (min faDlak)
Please: لو سمحت (law samaHt) - can also be used to get ex. a waiter's attention
Please, go ahead: اتفضل (itfaDDal) - an invitation to sit, enter a room, take something, etc.

Thank you: شكرا (šukran) or a stronger variant,
A thousand thanks: ألف شكر (alf šukr)
Another way to say "Thank you" is متشكر (mutašakkir), which also has a feminine variant متشكرة (mutašakkira) and plural variant متشكرين (mutašakkrīn). مرسي (mersi) is another colloquial alternative. To say "Thank you very much," you can say شكرا جزيلا (šukran gazīlan) or متشكر قوي (mutašakkir 'awi).

You're welcome: عفوا (3afwan)
Other ways to say "You're welcome": العفو (il-3afw) or العفو على ايه (il-3afw 3ala eih, "It was nothing").

Sorry: آسف (āsif)
Another way to say "Sorry" is متآسف (mut'asif), which follows the same pattern of variants as متشكر.

Pardon me: لا مؤآخذة (la mo'axda)
Excuse me: بعد اذنك or عن اذنك (ba3d iznak or 3an iznak)

Used to express admiration: ما شاء الله (ma ša' allāh) - lit. what God wills

Used to refer to events taking place in the future: إن شاء الله (in ša' allāh) - lit. if God wills
This is used a lot, anytime you talk about something taking place in the future. "See you tonight in ša' allāh." "I'll do it tomorrow in ša' allāh." "Can you finish the report by Thursday?" "In ša' allāh." And so on.

Used when you see s.o. with a new haircut: نعيما (na3īman)
Response: الله ينعم عليك (allāh yin3am 3aleik)

Bon appetit: بالهنا والشفا (bil-hana wiš-šifa) - lit. with pleasure and health
Response: الله يهنّيك (allāh yihannīk)

Said by a guest to the host at the end of a meal: دايما or دايما عامر (dayman or dayman 3āmir)
Response: دامت حياتك (dāmit Hayātak)

When someone sneezes:
The sneezer says: الحمد لله (il-Hamdu lillāh) - lit. Praise to God
Someone else: يرحمكم الله (yarHamkum llāh) - lit. May God have mercy on you (pl.)
The sneezer: يرحمنا ويرحمكم ويغفر لنا ولكم (yarHamna wa-yarHamkum (wa-yaġfir lana wa-lakum)) - lit. May He have mercy on us and you (and forgive us and you)
This is what Muslims in Egypt say when someone sneeezes. The ويغفر لنا ولكم part is an optional addition that some people say.

"Very gladly" responses to requests:
بكل سرور (bikull sirūr) - lit. with all pleasure
على العين والراس (3ala l-3ein wir-rās) - lit. on the eye and head
من عيني دي وعيني دي (min 3eini di w3eini di) - lit. from this eye and this eye
The last two are pretty "baladi," but still good to know.

Say hello to (s.o.) for me; give them my regards: سلّم لي عـ (sallimli 3a...)
Response: الله يسلمك (allāh ysallimak)

Good luck: حظ سعيد (HaZZ sa3īd)

Happy birthday: عيد ميلاد سعيد (3īd mīlād sa3īd)
This is how you would say "Happy birthday" literally, but people usually just use their local variant of كل عام وأنتم بخير (see below).

Used for birthdays and all kinds of holidays: كل سنة وانت طيب (kulle sana winta Tayyib) - lit. May you (and your family) be well every year.
Response: وانت طيب (winta Tayyib)
This is the Egyptian variant of the standard كل عام وأنتم بخير (kull 3ām wa-antum bexeir).

Happy Ramadan: رمضان كريم (ramaDān karīm)
Response: الله أكرم (allāhu akram)
This is the greeting used for Ramadan in Egypt, but رمضان مبارك (ramaDān mubārak) is often used in other areas.

Congratulations: مبروك (mabrūk) or a stronger variant,
A thousand congratulations: ألف مبروك (alf mabrūk)
Response: الله يبارك فيك (allāh yibārik fīk)

I wish the same for you: عقبالك (3o'bālak)
Response: no set response, but you could say الله يخليك (allāh yxallīk) - God keep you.
Can be used when someone congratulates you on any happy occassion (a wedding, new baby, promotion, etc.) to wish them the same good fortune. However, you would want to be tactful when using it; for example, if you'd just had a baby and a friend who couldn't have children congratulated you, it would be better not to say "3o'bālak" to her.

Be strong: شدّ حيلك (šidd Hailak)
Response: الشدة على الله (iš-šidda 3ala-llah)
This expression can be used as a condolence, or anytime someone is about to face a challenging event, like a test or job interview.

May his/her spirit remain in your life: البقية في حياتك (il-ba'iyya fi Hayātak)
Response: حياتك البقية (Hayātak il-ba'iyya)
Another condolence. Some people may view this as sacrilegious -- see here, for example -- so you may want to stick with شد حيلك if you want to be really safe.

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