What do you say to someone during Ramadan?

The usual greetings

• Ramadan Mubarak: "Have a blessed Ramadan." The most common greeting in the West.
• Ramadan Kareem: "Have a generous Ramadan." Popular in Egypt and the Gulf.
• Happy Ramadan: perfectly fine in English, especially from colleagues or neighbours.
• As-salamu 'alaykum: the normal Muslim greeting still works all month.

Some scholars note that greetings like these are a custom rather than a sunnah, and they are allowed because they express good wishes for a blessed month. There is no special wording you must use, and no wrong answer.

Other kind things to say

• "May Allah accept your fasting" (Taqabbal Allah siyamak): a lovely wish, especially near iftar.
• "Remember me in your duas": people often ask each other for prayers in Ramadan.
• "Would you like to join us for iftar?" The Prophet ﷺ said whoever gives a fasting person food to break their fast gets the same reward as them (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 807). See What is iftar and how do I break my fast?

What to avoid

Try not to ask "Not even water?" ten times, or eat in someone's face while teasing them. Most fasting Muslims don't mind people eating around them, but jokes about it get old fast. Also avoid pressuring a Muslim who isn't fasting: they may be ill, travelling, pregnant or on their period, which is private.

If someone is rude to a fasting Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ taught the fasting person to calmly say, "I am fasting" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1904). So you will usually get patience in return, not an argument.

At the end of the month

When Ramadan finishes, the greeting changes to "Eid Mubarak" (blessed Eid). Many Muslims also say "Taqabbal Allahu minna wa minkum" (may Allah accept from us and from you), a phrase the Companions used to each other on Eid. See Should I eat before the Eid prayer?

Curious non-Muslim friends sometimes want to try a day of fasting too. See Can I fast during Ramadan if I'm not Muslim yet?