KalamFamily in Arabic
The Arabic word for family is عائلة (ʿāʾila). In spoken Arabic it becomes العيلة (il-ʿēla) in Egypt and il-ʿēle in the Levant. Two other words are just as common: أهل (ahl), meaning your folks or kin, and أسرة (usra), the formal word for a household or immediate family.
Literally: “family”
Family across the Arab world
Arabic changes from country to country. Here's what you'll actually hear.
ʿāʾila is family in general; usra is the immediate household and sounds more formal.
Il-ʿēla is the extended family; ahli is "my folks" or "my parents."
Levantineالعيلة / أهليil-ʿēle / ahliSame words as Egypt with a Levantine -e ending. Families are also named with bēt, as in bēt Ḥaddād, "the Haddads."
Gulfالأهلil-ahalGulf speakers mostly say ahal (with an extra a) for family. ʿāʾila is understood and used too.
Darijaالعائلة / الأهلl-ʿāʾila / l-ahlMoroccan Darija. French famille is also mixed in, especially in cities.
Other ways to say family
How to respond
Thank God, they're well (answer to "how's the family?")
God keep you safe (answer to "say hi to the family"; to a woman: yisallmik)
How to say it right
The sounds English speakers find tricky, and how to get them right.
Practise with feedbackʿĀʾila starts with ع, a tight sound from the throat. If you can't make it yet, start with a short pause rather than a plain "a."
The ʾ in the middle of ʿāʾila is a glottal stop: ʿAA-i-la, with a tiny break between the two vowels.
In dialects the middle collapses: ʿāʾila becomes ʿēla (Egypt) or ʿēle (Levant), with a long "eh" sound.
Ahl ends on a breathy h followed by l. Don't drop the h; Gulf speakers add a vowel to make it easier: a-hal.
Example sentences
How's the family? Are they all well?
LevantineThe whole family is getting together at our place for Eid.
EgyptianSay hi to the family.
GulfMy family is small: my father, my mother and my sister.
Standard (MSA)Using it like a local
The everyday greeting أهلاً وسهلاً (ahlan wa sahlan) comes from ahl. It roughly means "you have come to family and to easy ground": you are among your own people here. That idea, that a guest becomes family, runs deep in Arab hospitality.
"Family" in Arabic usually means the extended family. Cousins, aunts and uncles are part of daily life, weekly lunches at a grandparent's house are common, and decisions like marriage often involve the whole family.
Asking about someone's family is part of a normal greeting. "How's the family?" (kīf il-ahl?) is polite even with people you don't know well, and the usual answer begins with il-ḥamdu lillāh.
Family: common questions
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What is the difference between ʿāʾila, usra and ahl?
عائلة (ʿāʾila) is the general word for family, often the extended family. أسرة (usra) is the immediate household and sounds formal. أهل (ahl) is warmer and means your folks or kin, often your parents specifically.
How do you say "my family" in Arabic?
In MSA say عائلتي (ʿāʾilatī) or أسرتي (usratī). In Egyptian and Levantine Arabic say عيلتي (ʿēlti), and across most dialects أهلي (ahli) means "my family" or "my parents."
Is ahlan related to the word for family?
Yes. أهلاً (ahlan) comes from أهل (ahl), family. The greeting ahlan wa sahlan welcomes someone as if they have arrived among family, which is why it feels so warm.
How do you say family in Egyptian Arabic?
Egyptians say العيلة (il-ʿēla) for the family and أهلي (ahli) for "my folks." "My family" is ʿēlti, and the extended clan is often just il-ʿēla too.
Related words & phrases
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