على الرحب والسعة.

When to use

This is a formal and polite standard Arabic (MSA) response to 'thank you'. It conveys a sense of warmth and willingness to help, essentially meaning 'you are welcome' or 'with pleasure'.

How it works

The phrase is composed of prepositional phrases. 'Ala' means 'upon' or 'on', 'ar-rahb' means 'welcome' or 'spaciousness', and 'as-sa'a' means 'ease' or 'capacity'.

• على الرحب (ʿala ar-rahb): upon welcome
• و السعة (wa as-saʿa): and ease/comfort

Pronunciation Nuances

Notice the assimilation of the definite article 'al-' with 'ar-rahb'. The 'r' is a sun letter, so the 'l' of 'al-' is dropped, and the 'r' is doubled. The 's' in 'as-sa'a' is also a sun letter, causing similar assimilation.

Dialectal Variation

This phrase is quite formal. In everyday dialectal speech, simpler responses are more common. Egyptian Arabic often uses 'afwan' (عفوا) or 'wala yihimmak' (ولا يهمك - don't worry about it). Levantine dialects might use 'afwan' or 'ma'lesh' (معلش - no problem/never mind).

Notes

Reply to thanks. Neutral polite wording.