أهلا

Arabic

Etymology

Adverbial accusative of أَهْل (ʔahl).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔah.lan/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adverb

أَهْلًا • (ʔahlan)

1. as a kin, as a member of my kinfolk, in kindness

   حَلَلْتَ أَهْلًا وَوَطِئْتَ سَهْلًا

   ḥalalta ʔahlan wawaṭiʔta sahlan

   welcome; stay as family and tread on through in ease

   (literally, “you have untied (unpacked) as a tent-sharer (kin) and have set foot as on an easy country”)

Derived terms

• أَهْلًا وَسَهْلًا (ʔahlan wa-sahlan)

Interjection

أَهْلًا • (ʔahlan)

1. hi
2. welcome

Descendants

• → Hebrew: אהלן (áhlan)

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.

Root
ء ه ل
4 terms

Etymology

Semi-learned borrowing from Arabic أَهْلًا (ʔahlan).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔah.la/, [ˈʔah.la]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

Interjection

أهلا • (ʔahla)

1. hi

   Synonym: (informal) هلا (hala)

2. welcome

   Synonym: أهلا وسهلا (ʔahla w-sahla)

Usage notes

• Common responses are:
  • أهلين (ʔahlēn, literally “two welcomes”)
  • أهلا فيك (ʔahlan fīk(i), literally “welcome to you”)
  • يا مية أهلا وسهلا (ya mīt ʔahla w-sahla, literally “a hundred times welcome”)

See also

• مرحبا (marḥaba, “hello”)