Know your Hala from your Hiloo – Uniquely Saudi Phrases You Should Learn
Even though it’s got ‘Arabia’ right there in its name, you don’t need to speak ‘Al-Arabiya’ (Arabic) to live, work, or play in Saudi Arabia.
That’s because it’s one of the most welcoming countries in the world and you’ll do just fine with English most of the time. But, like anybody, Saudis have their own unique way of speaking that speaks to the Kingdom’s diverse cultures, long history, and rich heritage.
There are about 380 million native Arabic speakers worldwide – making it one of the top 5 most spoken languages in the world with a huge diversity of accents and dialects.
As Saudi’s a big and diverse country itself, it’s no surprise it’s got its own distinct variety of accents, dialects, and sayings too. For example, there’s the main north/south accent shift – just like in other countries, there’s the west-coast Hejazi, central and northern Nejdi, southern Jezani and Asiri, and east-coast Khaleeji and Hasawi regional accents, there’s the Bedouin accent, and there’s even differences within these regions between cities, such as between Jeddah and Makkah.
It might seem overwhelming, but just learning a few uniquely Saudi Arabic phrases is a great way to instantly connect with locals. One important thing to remember, is that Arabic is a gendered language (just like French, German, Spanish and many others), so some words will be pronounced differently when speaking to a man or a woman. But don’t worry about making mistakes – People in Saudi are going to be impressed that you know any Arabic at all!
To help, we’ve pulled together some of our favorite phrases that shout out these aspects of the Saudi character and warm culture… so, get ready to learn a lot of different ways to welcome someone, offer (and be offered!) help, and express your thanks in the Kingdom of Hospitality.
- Hi! Hello! Bonjour! Guten tag!
People are welcoming across the Kingdom, so, here are some of the uniquely Saudi ways of saying ‘hello.’
- Hala wallah! – A greeting when you’re really excited to see someone
- Hala wa g’hala / Hala bilg’hali / Hala bi-zayn – Another greeting, this time for a good friend
- Aash men shafik! – Said when you’re delighted to run into someone you haven’t seen for ages
- Wash lawnak – Asking how a friend is, a bit like ‘what’s up, bro?’
- Basharni ‘anak – To follow-up the above, you hope everything is going well!
- Asak tayab (m) / Asaki Tayba (f) – I hope you’re well
- Introductions
You’ve met your friends and now you’re meeting their friends… you’ll soon realize there’s some uniquely Saudi ways to be pleased to meet someone.
- Ish ismak? / Shismak? – What’s your name?
- Ismee [NAME] – My name is…
- Aashat alasamee – That’s a lovely name
- Aashat ayamak – A handy response when you’re meeting someone new and wishing them well
- Forsa sa’eeda / Tasharrafna – You’re saying it’s nice to meet someone (When meeting someone of the same gender, add a handshake; for the opposite gender, slight nod or touching your heart is more appropriate)
- The Kingdom of Kindness
Saudi Arabic has plenty of ways of expressing just how happy you are to help out. Here are some of the responses to “Mumkin talab?” (“Can I ask a favor”)
- Keif agdar akhdimk? – How can I be of service?
- Min a’youni! – It’s no problem!
- Abshir! – With pleasure!
- Eat food, not words
Food culture is an important part of daily Saudi life (read about some of the most popular dishes here). Never be shy about saying how much you’ve enjoyed your meal – especially a home cooked one!
- Bila’fiya – Enjoy your meal / Bon appetit!
- Iglit – Inviting everyone to have a seat, it’s time to eat!
- Alakil latheeth! – Expressing how delicious the meal was
- Tislam yadik – Saying how grateful you are for the meal – this is usually used when the person you’re thanking has cooked the food themselves)
- Allah yisalmik – A response to the above, equivalent to ‘You are most welcome!’
- Much of muchness – Some general phrases
And here are just three of our favorite uniquely Saudi phrases you can use in random situations or pretty much anytime at all.
- Laggit wajhak – Oooooh burn!
- Hiloo – Nice!
- Marrah – Much/Really/Very. For example, really nice = Marrah hiloo. (This may be the most Saudi word there is)
