Maybe you’re planning to visit an Arabic-speaking country soon. Or perhaps you have great friendships with Arab people and want to say thank you in their own language when they do you a favor. If that’s the case, you’ve clicked on the right article!
Here, you’ll learn several basic ways to say thank you in Arabic. And the cherry on the top? You’ll also learn how to respond when someone thanks you, and even phrases from different Arabic dialects. Let’s begin!
How To Say Thank You In Arabic
In Arabic-speaking countries, people value being grateful to one another. That’s why you should always express gratitude by saying thank you in Arabic. But there are a lot of phrases to do so, since this is one of the oldest and richest languages in the world!
Here are the five most commonly used Arabic greetings to say thank you:
1. Thank You – Shukran (شكرا)
One of the most common ways to say “thank you” in Arabic is “شكراً,” which is pronounced as “shukran.” This phrase is suitable for formal and informal situations and is widely understood by the Arab world.
2. Thank You So Much – Shukran Gazīlan (شكرا جزيلا)
This one isn’t very different from the previous phrase, but it expresses more gratitude. It essentially means “thank you so much” in Arabic. You can use this in an informal setting with your Arab friends.
3. That’s Very Kind Of You – Dah Karam Mennak (ده كرم منك)
You can use this phrase to show your gratitude when someone does a favor or something thoughtful for you. It can be translated as “that’s very kind of you” in English.
4. Thanks For Your Kind Words – Shukran ʿAlā Lalāmak El-Latif (شكرا على كلامك اللطيف)
Someone paid you a compliment and made you feel good? That is kind of them, so express your gratitude!
5. Thank You For Coming Today – Shukran ʾEnnak Gīt El-Nahārdah (شكرا إنك جيت النهاردة)
This welcoming phrase should be part of your arsenal if you’re conducting formal meetings with Arabic speakers. If you’re hosting a party, this is also a good phrase to use when you greet your guests.
How To Respond To ‘Thank You’ In Arabic
Now that we have learned how to say thank you in Arabic, this blog post wouldn’t be complete if you didn’t learn how to respond.
Here are the most common ways to respond when someone thanks you in the Arabic language.
1. You Are Welcome – ‘Ala Al-rahb Wa As-sa’ah (على الرحب والسعة)
When someone thanks you in Arabic, you can respond with على الرحب والسعة, which means “you’re welcome” or “with pleasure.” It’s a polite and friendly way to acknowledge their thanks.
2. Don’t Mention It – Afwan (عفواً)
Another common response to expressions of gratitude is عفواً which means “excuse me” or “don’t mention it.” It’s a gracious way to downplay your help and show humility.
3. No Thanks Are Necessary – La Shukr Ala Wajib (لا شكر على واجب)
This phrase translates to “no thanks are necessary.” It’s a way to convey that helping was your duty, and the person need not feel indebted to you.
Thank You In Different Arabic Dialects
Arabic is a language with a long history, and hence it spread across many regions and countries. As a result, there are different Arabic dialects, such as Egyptian Arabic and Levantine Arabic, for example.
Therefore, people from Arabic-speaking countries can say thank you in different ways. Here is a list of phrases that mean thank you in other Arabic dialects.
- Shukran – شكراً – Standard Arabic (Used widely)
- Shukran – شكرًا – Egyptian Arabic
- Mersi – ميرسي – Lebanese Arabic
- Mersi – مرسي – Moroccan Arabic
- Shukran – شكراً – Gulf Arabic (Used in the Gulf countries)
- Sotba – ستبقى – Algerian Arabic
- Rabbi ykhallik – ربي يخليك – Tunisian Arabic
- Barak Allah fik – بارك الله فيك – Sudanese Arabic
- Allah ykhallik – الله يخليك – Jordanian Arabic
- Shukran jazilan – شكراً جزيلاً – Modern Standard Arabic (Formal)
- Yi’tik al-‘afiya – يعطيك العافية – Levantine Arabic (Syrian, Jordanian, Palestinian)
- Shukran katheeran – شكرًا كثيرًا – Iraqi Arabic
- Shukran jazilan – شكراً جزيلاً – Libyan Arabic
- Yislamu – يسلمو – Palestinian Arabic
- Allah ykhallikum – الله يخليكم – Palestinian Arabic
- Yidek al-‘afiya – يديك العافية – Yemeni Arabic
- Shukran jazilan – شكراً جزيلاً – Kuwaiti Arabic
Wrapping Up
Learning how to say thank you in Arabic and how to respond to it is one of the first milestones in your learning journey. When you say Shukran gazilen, Arab people will appreciate your efforts to speak their native language.
If you want to learn more than just basic greetings in this language, try using the Ling app! More info is below!
Start Learning Arabic With Ling!
If you want to learn Arabic and are looking for the best language-learning app to improve your skills, you should try the Ling app!
The Ling app is a language learning app offering more than 60 language courses from beginner to advanced level. It contains various interactive exercises and quizzes that will help you practice the Arabic script and learn new Arabic words in context. Last but not least, it has an AI chatbot to speak with and practice your pronunciation, so you can be confident when conversing with native speakers. Thanks to Ling, you can improve all your Arabic language skills with just one app!
So, don’t wait any longer and download the Ling app from the App Store or Play Store and start learning Arabic at home!
Also, don’t miss Ling’s Arabic blog! We share articles covering topics related to this language and culture!
