Dialogue
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Vocabulary
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Lesson Notes
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Lesson Transcript
| INTRODUCTION |
| Alisha: In each lesson of this 25 part series, you’ll master a common question for Arabic learners, and then learn how to answer it like a native. You’ll learn how these key phrases work by breaking them down into each component. Then through repetition and new vocabulary, you’ll expand your understanding of the question, its answers, and any variations. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Alisha: In this lesson, you’ll learn how to respond to the common question «»How are you?»» In Arabic this is |
| Carole: كيف حالك؟ |
| Alisha: The first word in the question is |
| Carole: كيف |
| Alisha: «»meaning how «» in English. |
| Carole: (Slow, by syllable) كيف |
| Alisha: Listen again and repeat. |
| Carole: كيف |
| {Pause} |
| Alisha: This pattern of first introducing a word at natural speed, providing the translation, breaking it down, and then giving it again at natural speed will be repeated throughout the series. Try to speak aloud as often as possible. The next word in the question is |
| Carole: حالك |
| Alisha: meaning your condition. |
| Carole: (Slow, by syllable) حالك |
| Alisha: Now repeat. |
| Carole: حالك |
| {Pause} |
| Alisha: Listen to the entire question and repeat. |
| Carole: كيف حالك؟ |
| {pause} |
| ★ Note that this is how you ask “What’s your name?” if you are asking a male person. If you are asking a female person, you would say: |
| Carole: كيف حالك؟ |
| Alisha: Please repeat. |
| Carole: كيف حالك؟ |
| {pause} |
| Alisha: (You will hear this common question again and again throughout your studies.) Master the following pattern and responses to the question How are you?? |
| Carole: أنا بخير |
| Alisha: «»I’m fine.. Again, slowly. Repeat the phrase. |
| Carole: (Slow) أنا بخير |
| {pause} |
| Alisha: Let’s break it down from the beginning. The first word: |
| Carole: أنا |
| Alisha: means I. |
| Carole: (Slow, by syllable) أنا |
| Alisha: Now repeat |
| Carole: أنا |
| {Pause} |
| Alisha: And next |
| Carole: بخير |
| Alisha: meaning (with) fine. |
| Carole: (Slow, by syllable) بخير |
| Alisha: Now repeat. |
| Carole: بخير |
| {Pause} |
| Alisha: Listen to the speaker say, I’m fine., and then repeat. |
| Carole: أنا بخير |
| {pause} |
| Alisha: To make another phrase, replace fine with alright. |
| Carole: على ما يرام |
| Alisha: alright |
| Carole: (slow) على ما يرام (regular) على ما يرام |
| Alisha: Listen to the phrase again, this time with alright |
| Carole: أنا على ما يرام |
| Alisha: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace fine. Say I’m alright. |
| {pause} |
| Carole: أنا على ما يرام |
| Alisha: To expand on the pattern, replace alright with tired. |
| Carole: متعب |
| Alisha: tired |
| Carole: (slow) متعب (regular) متعب |
| Alisha: Listen to the phrase again, this time with tired |
| Carole: أنا متعب |
| Alisha: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace alright. Say I’m tired. |
| {pause} |
| Carole: أنا متعب |
| Alisha: To expand on the pattern, replace tired with great. |
| Carole: ممتاز |
| Alisha: great |
| Carole: (slow) ممتاز (regular) ممتاز |
| Alisha: Listen to the phrase again, this time with great |
| Carole: أنا ممتاز |
| Alisha: It mostly stays the same. Simply replace tired. Say I’m great. |
| {pause} |
| Carole: أنا ممتاز |
| QUIZ |
| Alisha: Now it’s time for a quiz. Imagine you are visiting Egypt and someone asks you how you are. You are fine. Respond to the question. |
| Carole: كيف حالك؟ (five seconds) أنا بخير |
| Alisha: Now imagine you are alright Respond to the question. |
| Carole: كيف حالك؟ (five seconds) أنا على ما يرام |
| Alisha: Imagine you are tired. . Answer the speaker’s question. |
| Carole: كيف حالك؟ (five seconds) أنا متعب |
| Alisha: Imagine you’re great. Respond to the question. |
| Carole: كيف حالك؟ (five seconds) أنا ممتاز |
| Alisha: You want to ask someone how they are doing. Ask the question |
| (5 seconds) |
| Carole: كيف حالك؟ |
| {pause} |
Outro |
| Alisha: This is the end of Lesson 16 |
So you’ve mastered “hello” but what do you say next? How do you ask «How are you?» in Arabic – and how do you reply? Whether you’re feeling well, a little tired, or not so good, you’ll know how to explain after this free Rocket Arabic audio lesson.
Whether you’re traveling to an Arabic-speaking country or getting to know people closer to home, these words and phrases are essential for your Arabic language survival kit. By the end of this lesson you’ll know the formal and informal ways to ask people how they are to ensure you make a good first impression. And just in case you need to apologize… you’ll learn how to say sorry in Arabic as well!
Feeling confident with these basic Arabic words and phrases will make such a positive difference to your experiences with Arabic-speaking people. Remember, a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet!
Resources for further reading:
- Find out how to pronounce Arabic words properly
- Want to know how long it takes to learn Arabic?
Pronunciation help for asking «how are you?» in Arabic
For friends and family:
Practice Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record
Rocket Record lets you perfect your Arabic pronunciation. Just listen to the native speaker audio and then use the microphone icon to record yourself. Once you’re done, you’ll get a score out of 100 on your pronunciation and can listen to your own audio playback. (Use a headset mic for best results.) Problems? Click here!
For strangers or more senior persons:
What do you say if someone asks you one of these questions?
A common follow-up question is, “*And you?*”, “**wenta?” or more formal, “w7adretak?**”
If someone tells you that he or she is not feeling well you could say the following…
Allah yesalemak is the response of alf salama. If someone is feeling great you might want to say the following…
The above words are extremely important. From experience, I know that the most important phrase in any language is how to say you’re sorry!
Others disagree. They say that there are THREE important phrases that you absolutely must know in any language. They are:
Hmm, I can’t think of a situation in which I’d need to use all three, but I’ll leave it to your imagination! That’s it for today’s lesson.
For more on the use of Arabic questions check out these lessons…
- Asking questions in Arabic. Get the correct sentence structure and more!
- Learn the correct use of When? in Arabic.
!مع السلامة (Ma3a essalama!) Goodbye!
Amira Zaki: Rocket Arabic
Make It Stick With Rocket Reinforcement
Reinforce your learning from this lesson with the Rocket Reinforcement activities!
These examples may contain rude words based on your search.
These examples may contain colloquial words based on your search.
Suggestions
I was wondering, how are you at calculus?
أنا كُنْتُ أَتسائلُ، كيف أنت في علم الجبرِ؟
Mr Shannon, the big man, how are you?
السّيد شانون، الرجل الكبير، كيف أنت؟
Hello, my dear travellers, how are you today?
مرحباً بكم متابعينا الأعزاء، كيف حالكم اليوم؟
Not much, how are you guys?
If it is so how are you want it…
No matter who, how are you always involved…
I am regular reader, how are you everybody? This article posted at this website is in fact good.
أنا القارئ العادي، كيف حالك الجميع؟ هذه المقالة المنشورة في هذا الموقع هي خبيثة حقا.
Good day, how are you? well i’m just fine.
صباح الخير كيف حالك. أرجو أن تكون بخير.
then how are you supposed to be able to fix people?
ثم كيف هل من المفترض لتكون قادرة على إصلاح الناس؟
And how are you two doing back in the corner here?
وكيف حالك اثنين من القيام مرة أخرى في الزاوية هنا؟
You can read and add… how are you a cab driver?
يمكنك القراءة و الحسـاب كيف لك أن تكون سـائق أجرة ؟
But how are you supposed to live inside this thing?
ولكن كيف من المفترض أن تعيش داخل هذا الشيئ إنه صغير؟
Mike, how are you? Joe Turner.
So how are you showing your school spirit this weekend?
أذاً كيف ستظهر روحك للجامعة بعطلة نهاية الأسبوع ؟
so how are you adjusting to life after death row?
Mom? I am alright, how are you?
If this is all in my head, then how are you here?
إذا هذا كلّه وهم برأسي، أذا كيف وصلت لهنا؟
So how are you adjusting to life after death row?
Good morning my dear and how are you today?
ـ صباح الخير يا طفلتي الصغيرة كيف أصبحت اليوم ؟
Good morning, hello, how are you today?
Suggestions that contain how are you
Results: 8081. Exact: 8081. Elapsed time: 498 ms.
So you’ve learned to say “Hello” and a handful of other basic greetings in Arabic at least a dozen ways, but there’s more to conversation than just saying “Hi”. When you’re Arabic speaking friend says, “Hello, how are you?” in Arabic you want at the very least to be able to say, “I am good” in Arabic, and that’s what this article is all about today – how to keep the conversation going by asking and answering the Arabic equivalent to “How are you?” No matter if you’re feeling good, bad, tired, or however you’re feeling, you’ll know how to reply in both formal and informal ways with these basic Arabic words for beginners.
If you’re traveling to one of the Arabic speaking countries, you should know that conversation is an essential part of Arab culture. Indeed, Arabs are known for their hospitality and knowing how to ask about them in their native tongue will earn you much respect and appreciation. Whether it’s over coffee with old friends or meeting new ones, the words and phrases you’ll learn today will be an important part of your Arabic language toolkit.
If you want to ask someone or a group of people How are you in Arabic, use the following:
| English | Transliteration | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| How are you in Arabic | kayfa halluka (m.) kayfa halluki (f.) |
كيف حالك كيف حالكِ |
If you’re asked these questions, here’s how to respond:
| English | Transliteration | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Fine thank you in Arabic | El 7amdolela kowayes | الحمد لله كويس |
| Very well in Arabic | Kowayes awy | كويس اوي |
| As always in Arabic | kalmuʻtaad | كالمعتاد |
| A little tired in Arabic | Ta’ban shewaya | تعبان شوية |
| I’m sick in Arabic | Ana ayan | انا عيان |
| So-so in Arabic | Ya’ani | يعني |
| Not bad in Arabic | Mesh wehesh | مش وحش |
| Bad in Arabic | Wehesh | وحش |
| All good in Arabic | Kolo tamam | كله تمام |
Just as in English, a common follow-up question is “And you?”, as follows:
| English | Transliteration | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| And you in Arabic (formal) | Whadretak? | و حضرتك؟ |
| And you in Arabic (informal) | W enta? | وانت؟ |
If someone tells you that he or she is not feeling well, you can use the following:
| English | Transliteration | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Get well in Arabic | Alf salama | الف سلامة |
| God bless you in Arabic | Allah yesalemak* | الله يسلمك |
*Allah yesalemak is the response of alf salama.
If someone is feeling great you might want to say the following:
| English | Transliteration | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Nice to hear in Arabic | Kowayes | كويس |
Becoming familiar with these words and phrases when you learn to speak Arabic will lead you to be more confident, which in turn will make a positive difference in your conversations with people from the Arab world.
What’s the best way to learn Arabic? Why, of course, it’s through learning with Arabic learning apps. If you’re looking for the best app to learn Arabic with, then why not download the Kaleela Arabic learning app to your iOS or Android mobile device today? With Kaleela you can learn Arabic alphabet letters, Arabic pronunciation, and you can even learn to ask “How are you?” in Egyptian Arabic and other Arabic dialects like Levantine Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic! Of course, you’ll also learn all about Arab culture all along the way.
How are you? = كَيف الحال؟ (kayf al-ḥāl), literally “How is the situation/condition?”
How are you? = كَيف حالُكُم/حالُكَ/حالُكِ؟ (kayf ḥālukum/ḥāluka/ḥāluki), “How is your (formal-plural/masculine/feminine) condition/situation?”
A note on the verb “to be”: Arabic has one (كانَ, kāna), but doesn’t use it in the present tense except in some very rare circumstances. Instead, it is implied or worked around; implied when a definite subject is followed by an indefinite predicate (which can be either nominal or adjectival), worked around when a definite subject is followed by a definite predicate by inserting the appropriate third-person pronoun between them:
هَذا الرَجُلُ مُعَلِّمٌ. (hadhā al-rajulu muʿallimun) = “That man is a teacher.”
هَذا الرَجُلُ هُوَ المُعَلِّمُ. (hadhā al-rajulu huwa al-muʿallimu) = “That man is the teacher.”
Colloquially there are many possibilities and I can only talk about a couple of them. One is the standard كيف حالك؟ but with the colloquial possessive, which is “-ak” or “-ik” (depending on gender), rather than “-ka” or “-ki,” so it sounds like “kayf-ha-lak” rather than “kayf-ha-lu-ka.” Another variant skips “hal” (condition) altogether and just asks “How are you?” or “keefak” (to a male) and “keefik” (to a female). “Kayf” in colloquial can be simplified as “keef.” Another, used primarily in the Khalījī (Gulf) dialect, is ايش لونك؟ (īsh lūnak/lūnik but pronounced “(i)shlo-nak” or “(i)shlo-nach” depending on gender—note the unusual use of a “ch” sound here for the feminine possessive), which literally means “what is your color?”
What’s up? = ما الأمرُ؟ (mā al-amr), literally “what’s the matter?”
What’s new? = ما هِيَ الأخْبارُ؟ (mā hiya al-akhbār), “what’s the news?” (substitute أخْبارُكُم/أخْبارُكَ/أخْبارَكِ akhbārukum/akhbāruka/akhbāruki WITHOUT THE DEFINITE ARTICLE for “what’s your news?”). “Akhbār” is the plural form of khabar, which means “report,” so it’s a bunch of reports, i.e., “the news.”
(A note on plurals: all non-human plural nouns are modified as though they were feminine singular nouns, meaning they take feminine singular form verbs and adjectives and are replaced by feminine singular pronouns.)
A colloquial variant, technically in the Levant (Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories) but I heard it used frequently for the brief time I lived in the Gulf, is شو اخبارك؟ (shū akhbārak/akhbārik), meaning “what’s your news?” شو is a Levantine substitute for ما meaning “what.”
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- Arabic Vocabulary