# Welcome Back



## walkerw8

Greetings, 

I have introduced myself in someother thread a couple days ago, am learning the Arabic in the good ol' United States of America, am at a most basic level; and my Iraqi friend, Taha (Kurdish) is returning to the university after being away for the summer, and I would like to know a proper way ( or the most appropriate way?) to greet him, in Arabic, with an equivalent of "Welcome back, Taha". 

I am sorry if this has been discussed on here before, I did a quick search on this site and the best I could come up with is "Welcome Home" 

Welcome Home

But as he is not returning home, that is not the message I wish to convey. 

I am guessing it will be "Ahlan wa salhan...something" but that is just my basic understanding of things. 

I can read and write the Arabic script just fine, so I'd like to see that too please.

Shukran!


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## Riccaboni

I cannot write or read arabic script, but I had many People from Syria as friends at one time and they would use the word 
"Marhaba" to say welcome back or welcome.Hope that helps.


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## Whodunit

Riccaboni said:


> I cannot write or read arabic script, but I had many People from Syria as friends at one time and they would use the word
> "Marhaba" to say welcome back or welcome.Hope that helps.


 
Mar7aba (*مرحبا*) means "Welcome!" and "Hello!," but I can't think of a proper translation for "welcome back." I don't think "ahlan wa sahlan 3audan" (*أهلا وسهلا عودا*) would work. It looks too literal.


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## walkerw8

Thanks to the both of you. I didn't expect it would be literal translation, but more of an expression in Arabic that is roughly equivalent to the English phrase. Maybe one of the native speakers will pop in here and help us out!


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## zooz

The literal translation would be: *أهلاً بعودتِك* or *مرحباً بعودتِك* which sound agreeable to me.

Another version of 'welcome back' in MSA could be: *عوداً حميداً*.

As to the arrival of someone who's been out of town, we say:*حمداً للهِ على سلامَتِك*.

So, *أهلاً بعودتِكَ يا طه*.


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## cherine

I'd say "7amdella 3a's-salaama" حمد الله ع السلامة *  It's an expression we always say to people returning from travel.
But I'm not sure if it's used in the same way by Iraqis or the other Arabic speakers. Though I'm sure it would be understood.

* I wrote ع instead of على because this is how it's pronounced. But it's not correct to write it this way in a formal context.


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## zooz

cherine said:


> * I wrote ع instead of على because this is how it's pronounced.



That is true in certain dialects. In MSA, it won't be pronounced in this way; It's always *على*.


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## walkerw8

Thank you, zooz and cherine, friends from the other side of the world! It really is amazing that I can get pointers on the Arabic language from native speakers in Syria and Egypt.  

I think I will go with: 
*أهلاً بعودتِكَ يا طه*

only because he is not returning from traveling, per se, just that he is a student at the university who went home for the summer and is now coming back for the fall semester. Although I do appreciate the phrase given for that too. 

One further question though, if you will, just for my understanding: 

why the use of: 


*يا * (yaa)?

What does that indicate? 

Shurkan!


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## elroy

The discussion on يا has been moved here.


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## walkerw8

Thank you all. Taha has returned and most appreciated my welcome. I think between my class, Taha, and you all here, especially essa3, I should have a good run at becoming very proficient in the Arabic language, Inshallah.


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## jetman

I would also like to know how to say, "Welcome back!" to a coworker (originally from Sudan) who has been home with an injury.  He is coming back to work next week.  Would it also be *عودا حميدا* ?

Thank you.


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## cherine

Yes, this is correct. Or without the final alef : عود حميد .
Also, حمد الله على السلامة works fine in this context.


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## jetman

*!******ﺷﻛ**ﺭ**ﻥ **ﺷ**ﺭ**ﻳ**ﻥ*******
(I hope I wrote that correctly)


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## cherine

I see four squares, 2 nuun ن and two raa2 ر  
If that was a shukran, than it's like this شكرًا ; if not, you'll need to retry writing it.


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## jetman

It shows up on my screen as shiin-kaaf-raa-nuun shiin-raa-yaa-nuun.  Did I at least spell your name right?

Thank you for your help!  I have just begun to learn Arabic.  It is quite a challenge!


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## elroy

jetman said:


> It shows up on my screen as shiin-kaaf-raa-nuun shiin-raa-yaa-nuun. Did I at least spell your name right?


 Almost.  There's another yaa between the shiin and the raa. 

Good luck with Arabic!


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## cherine

jetman said:


> It shows up on my screen as shiin-kaaf-raa-nuun shiin-raa-yaa-nuun. Did I at least spell your name right?


That's cute  Thank you. 
I think it's a difference in encoding.

Small correction: Shukran is written with alef at the end, not nuun. شكرًا 
And, as Elroy said, my name has two yaa2 شيرين

Thanks again 



> Thank you for your help! I have just begun to learn Arabic. It is quite a challenge!


Best wishes for your learning. Don't hesitate to come to us with any questions you may have, we all love to help


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## Hananz

Hamdellah ala el salameh - thank god for your safe return, used by both Muslim and Christian Arabs in all dialects. Hope that helps.


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