Introducing yourself is one of the first things you need to do when meeting someone new. Arabic has both formal and informal ways to introduce yourself, and knowing both will help you navigate different social situations.
Introducing Yourself
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| اسمي… | ismee… | my name is… |
| أنا… | ana… | I am… |
| أنا من… | ana min… | I am from… |
| تشرفت | tasharraftu | nice to meet you (formal) |
| سعيد بلقائك | sa3eed bil-liqā’ik | happy to meet you (to a man) |
| سعيدة بلقائك | sa3eeda bil-liqā’iki | happy to meet you (to a woman) |
| كيف حالك؟ | kayfa ḥāluk? | how are you? (to a man) |
| كيف حالكِ؟ | kayfa ḥālik? | how are you? (to a woman) |
| بخير، الحمد لله | bi-khayr, al-ḥamdu lillāh | I’m fine, praise God |
| من أين أنت؟ | min ayna anta? | where are you from? (to a man) |
| من أين أنتِ؟ | min ayna anti? | where are you from? (to a woman) |
Basic Personal Information
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| أنا طالب | ana ṭālib | I am a student |
| أنا طالبة | ana ṭāliba | I am a student (f.) |
| أنا أمريكي | ana amreekee | I am American |
| أنا عربي | ana 3arabee | I am Arab |
| أدرس اللغة العربية | adrusu l-lugha l-3arabiyya | I study Arabic |
| أعمل في… | a3mil fī… | I work in… |
| عمري… سنة | 3umree… sana | I am … years old |
Common Responses
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| إسمك؟ | ismak? | what’s your name? (to a man) |
| إسمكِ؟ | ismik? | what’s your name? (to a woman) |
| تشرفت فيك | tasharraftu feek | nice to meet you (reply) |
| أهلاً وسهلاً | ahlan wa sahlan | welcome |
| يسعدني | yas3adnee | pleased to meet you |
Dialogue: Meeting Someone New
First meeting
- Aas-salāmu 3alaykum!Peace be upon you!
- Bwa 3alaykum as-salām!And upon you be peace!
- Akayfa ḥāluk?How are you?
- Bbi-khayr, al-ḥamdu lillāh. anta kayfa ḥāluk?Fine, praise God. And you?
- Aana bi-khayr aydan. mā ismak?I'm fine too. What's your name?
- Bismee Aḥmad. wa anta?My name is Ahmed. And you?
- Aismee Sāra. tasharraftu yā Aḥmad!My name is Sarah. Nice to meet you, Ahmed!
- Btasharraftu feeki yā Sāra! min ayna anti?Nice to meet you, Sarah! Where are you from?
- Aana min Amreeka. wa anta?I'm from America. And you?
- Bana min as-sa3ūdiyya.I'm from Saudi Arabia.
Writing Your Own Introduction
Here is a template you can use to introduce yourself:
| Sentence | Arabic | Your Answer |
|---|---|---|
| My name is… | اسمي… | __________ |
| I am from… | أنا من… | __________ |
| I am … years old | عمري … سنة | __________ |
| I am a student | أنا طالب/ة | __________ |
| I study Arabic | أدرس العربية | __________ |
| Nice to meet you | تشرفت | __________ |
Cultural Tips
- In formal settings, use السلام عليكم and كيف حالك؟
- In casual settings, مرحباً and شلونك؟ (shlonak?, Gulf) or إزيك؟ (izzayyak?, Egyptian) are common
- Always say الحمد لله when asked how you are, even if you are not feeling well
- تشرفت is a polite and formal way to express pleasure at meeting someone
Listen and Repeat
My name is
ismee
I am from
ana min
Nice to meet you
tasharraftu
How are you?
kayfa ḥāluk?
Fine, praise God
bi-khayr, al-ḥamdu lillāh
Practice
How do you say 'my name is' in Arabic?
hint: It literally means 'my name'
What is 'تشرفت' in English?
hint: It is a formal expression
How do you say 'I am from America' in Arabic?
hint: Use 'أنا من' + country name
Ready to learn question words? Continue to Questions.
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