Greeting

Marhaba, the Arabic equivalent of "hello," is the appropriate way to greet someone politely. In some areas, people also say "Peace be upon you" or "As Salamu Aleykom," to which the response is "Wa Aleykom." Salam. Peace be upon you as well, as Salam. Since French customs have a significant influence on manners and etiquette, it is also fairly common to hear friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and even complete strangers utilize French greeting expressions such as bonjour and bonsoir. To emphasize warmth and friendliness, locals frequently translate foreign terms into Arabic, such as Bonjour-eyn/Bonsoir-eyn, which means double Bonjour/Bonsoir. Since the Lebanese are multilingual, they even alternate between Lebanese Arabic, French, and English, which is where the well-known greeting Hi, Kifak, ça va?, which means Hi, how are you, good?

The correct greetings, such as Sabah el Kheyr for good morning, to which the response is Sabah el noor, and Masa el Kheyr for good evening, to which the response is Masa el noor, are highly appreciated by Arabic speakers when Westerners wish to create a good first impression. That is one of the list Lebanon Culture, Customs and Etiquette.