How do you say hello and thank you in Egypt?
In Egypt, "hello" is said as "assalam aleykum" (religious greeting) or "ahlan wa sahlan" (more neutral), and "thank you" is said as "shukran". These Arabic expressions are understood throughout the country.
Essential Arabic greetings
« Assalam aleykum » literally means "peace be upon you" and is the most common greeting between Muslims. The expected response is « wa aleykum assalam » (and upon you be peace).
« Ahlan wa sahlan » is a more neutral formula meaning "welcome," usable with all Egyptians regardless of their religion.
Common polite expressions
- « Shukran » : thank you (very frequent)
- « Shukran gazilan » : thank you very much
- « Min fadlak » : please (masculine)
- « Min fadlik » : please (feminine)
- « Afwan » : you're welcome, my pleasure
To remember
In tourist areas, many Egyptians speak English or French, but using a few words of Arabic always creates warmer contact and shows respect for local culture.