18 Ways to Say Thank You in Arabic – Sound Like a Local

 “Kind words are worth much and cost little”.

Saying thank you is one of the first things we learn as children. When learning a new language, like Arabic, thank you is likely one of the first words you learn too. Arabs hold much importance in thanking each other and there are really SO many beautiful and colorful ways of saying thank you.

We have put together all of the most well-known ways to say thank you in popular Arabic dialects. Read more to see how you can show gratitude to everyone you encounter.

Thank you in Arabic at a Glance

Thank You in Spoken Arabic and MSA Arabic

Before we get into the “thank yous”, let’s quickly note the differences between Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and the spoken dialects of Arabic. MSA is generally understood by all Arabs and is used in more formal situations. It’s used in business letter writing, the news, and newspapers.

Whereas the day-to-day Arabic language is spoken in different dialects depending on the country. It is what you’d hear on the street and it is used in casual conversations.

In this post, we’ll first go through how to say thank you in the most common Spoken Arabic dialects and then move to ways to say thank you in Modern Standard Arabic, including all conjugations.

General Thank You in Arabic

Let’s start by learning how to say thank you in spoken Arabic. Spoken Arabic dialects and regions have their own local flavor and often will have different ways of saying thank you. Some words as you will see are universal across the Arab countries.

Read next: 10 Best Ways to Say Hello in Arabic and How to Respond

Shukran شكراً

If you have spent even just a bit of time learning Arabic, you probably already know Shukran شكراً. Shukran is easily the most common way of saying thank you in Arabic.

It is technically Modern Standard Arabic, but we have added it to the spoken Arabic section because it is used all the time in casual, conversational settings. This phrase is a nice one to know because it is used and recognized in all Arab-Speaking countries.

Don’t stop at just learning how to say thank you. Make sure you know how to respond – 7 Humble Ways to Say You’re Welcome in Arabic

Thank You in Egyptian Arabic

Alf shokr ألف شكر

Alf shokrألف شكر is a variation on Shukran شكراً. Alf ألف means one thousand and alf shokr ألف شكر simply means a thousand thanks. In addition to being used in Egypt, it’s also used in Lebanon and Syria.

Moutashekkir متشكر

Moutashekkir متشكر is used almost exclusively with the Egyptian Arabic dialect. It can be used in any situation – both casual and formal. If you’re a male, you would say moutashekkir متشكر, if you’re a female you would use moutashekkira متشكرة, and if you want to use to pronoun ‘we’, you would say متشكرين moutashekkreen.

Shukran Gazeelan شكراً جزيلاً

If you think a simple thanks isn’t quite enough, you can always say shukran gazeelan شكراً جزيلاً, which means thanks a lot.

Note: شكراً جزيلاً is from MSA, but in Modern Standard Arabic, and in other Arabic dialects, the ج is pronounced as a “j”. But in Egyptian Arabic, ج is pronounced as a “g”. So in MSA, شكراً جزيلاً is shukran jazeelan. Shukran jazeelan شكراً جزيلاً is also used in Syria and Lebanon.

Read next: 40 Basic Egyptian Arabic Phrases to Sound Local

Thank You in Levantine Arabic

Shukran kter شكراً كتير 

Shukran kter شكراً كتير is another variation of shukran. It is a casual phrase holding the same meaning as ‘thanks a lot’ or ‘thanks very much’, and it is used mostly in the regions around Lebanon and Syria.

Merci ميرسي

French speakers might recognize this western way of saying thank you. French has had a heavy influence in Lebanon with French being the second language. So the Levant has adopted merci ميرسي into their dialect. You will hear merci ميرسي in Egyptian Arabic as well.

Yisalamo يسْلمو

Yisalamo يسْلمو is a lovely way of saying thank you in Arabic. It means “may they [your hands] be protected”. It is great to use when someone gives you something or uses their hands to help you. But it is also a general way of saying thanks in most situations.

Read next: 50+ Basic Levantine Arabic Phrases and Words to Sound Local

Thank you in Gulf Arabic

Ma Qassart  ما قصَّرت

You can use ma Qassart ما قصَّرت if you want to let the person you’re thanking know that he or she did their best, or put in a lot of effort. It means literally ‘you didn’t limit your favor on me’.

Mashkoor مشكور

Mashkoor مشكور is a passive word that means ‘you are thanked’, and it serves the same meaning as above, used by people to express their gratitude in daily situations. Mashkoor مشكور is used when speaking to a male, and mashkoora مشكورة is used when speaking to a female.

Yaatik al afye  يعطيك العافية

Yaatik al afye يعطيك العافية translates to ‘May God give you health’. It is also recognized in Levantine Arabic.

Thank you in Maghrebi Arabic

Yeayishak  يعيّشك

Yeayishak يعيّشك means ‘wishing you a long life’, as a kind of prayer in thanks for the favor that someone has done for you. It is used in Tunisia.

Thank you in MSA Arabic

Let’s take a look at the Modern Standard Arabic forms of saying thank you. The list is sorted from the most to the least commonly used. Shukran شكراً is the most commonly used way of saying thank you in Arabic, including MSA, but we have omitted it from this list as we’ve already mentioned it above.

Shukran lak شكراً لك

Shukran lak شكراً لك is used to say ‘thank you’ in a formal way. The pronunciation of the word differs depending on the gender and number of the addressee. Below is a table of the way we say thank you and how it is pronounced.

Addressee	Arabic	Arabic Transliteration
Masculine singular	شكراً لكَ	Shukran laka
Feminine singular	شكراً لكِ	Shukran laki
Two males or females	شكراً لكما	Shukran lakoma
Three or more males	شكراً لكم	Shukran lakom
Three or more females	شكراً لكنَّ	Shukran lakonna

Ashkorok أشكرك

Ashkorok أشكرك means literally (I thank you), and its conjugation is presented in the table below.

Addressee	Arabic	Arabic Transliteration
Masculine singular	أشكركَ	Ashkoroka
Feminine singular	أشكركِ	Askoroki
Two males or females	أشكركما	Ashkorokoma
Three or more males	أشكركم	Ashkorokom
Three or more females	أشكركنَّ	Ashkorokonna

Shukran jazelan شكراً جزيلاً

You can use shukran jazelan شكراً جزيلاً if shukran doesn’t quite convey just how thankful you are. Adding jazelan, which means ‘a lot’ will add to this expression. So using the phrase shukran jazelan is equivalent to saying ‘thanks a lot’. It is used more in formal situations like when writing a letter or in a business setting.

Barak allah feek  بارك الله فيك

Arabs use barak allah feek بارك الله فيك as an alternative to shukran in acknowledging people for their hard. It is literally translated as ‘god bless you’. As in previous examples, the phrase differs slightly depending on who you’re speaking to. The table summarizing the ways you can say ‘god bless you’ in Arabic is shown below.

Addressee	Arabic	Arabic Transliteration
Masculine singular	بارك الله فيكَ	Barak alla feeka
Feminine singular	بارك الله فيكِ	Barak alla feeki
Two males or females	بارك الله فيكما	Barak alla feekoma
Three or more males	بارك الله فيكم	Barak alla feekom
Three or more females	بارك الله فيكنَّ	Barak alla feekonna

Jazaka Allahu Khayran  جزاك الله خيراً

Jazaka Allahu Khayran جزاك الله خيراً is used to thank people by praying for them to receive goodness for the help or service they have done for you. It is translated as ‘May God reward you with goodness’. The word جزاك is pronounced according to the addressee as presented below.

Addressee	Arabic	Arabic Transliteration
Masculine singular	جزاكَ الله خيراً	Jazaka allahu khayran
Feminine singular	جزاكِ الله خيراً	Jazaki allahu khayran
Two males or females	جزاكما الله خيراً	Jazakoma allahu khayran
Three or more males	جزاكم الله خيراً	Jazakom allahu khayran
Three or more females	جزاكُنَّ الله خيراً	Jazakonna allahu khayran

Momtanon lak  ممتنّ لك

Momtanon lak ممتنّ لك is a lovely polite expression that can be translated to ‘I’m grateful for you’.

Addressee	Arabic	Arabic Transliteration
Masculine singular	ممتن لكَ	Momtanon laka
Feminine singular	ممتن لكِ	Momtanon laki
Two males or females	ممتن لكما	Momtanon lakoma
Three or more males	ممتن لكم	Momtanon lakom
Three or more females	ممتن لكنَّ	Momtanon lakonna

Salimat Yadak سلمت يداك

If you want to thank anyone in a very polite and formal way, you can say salimat Yadak سلمت يداك, which holds the meaning of ‘God bless your hands’.

Addressee	Arabic	Arabic Transliteration
Masculine singular	سلمت يداكَ	Salimat Yadaka
Feminine singular	سلمت يداكِ	Salimat Yadaki
Two males or females	سلمت يداكما	Salimat Yadakoma
Three or more males	سلمت يداكم	Salimat Yadakom
Three or more females	سلمت يداكنَّ	Salimat Yadakonna

Conclusion

Whatever the language you are speaking, make sure it is the language of your heart. Learn to use polite expressions and to appreciate others in your daily life situations. If you are involved in Arabic occasions or you are meeting Arabic people, it is always good to have a background on the most prominent phrases they use, such as the phrases used in thanking each other which we have presented in this article. Thanks for following up!