حسناً
hasanan
The Arabic expression for "alright" is حسناً (hasanan).
حسناً is used to express agreement with a suggestion or to signal acceptance of a situation. In formal settings, it is also used to transition to a new point during a discussion.
Which one should you use?
While حسناً is the standard form, it sounds quite formal or literary and is more common in written Arabic or formal speech than in daily conversation. For more casual or spoken contexts, other terms like Mashi, Sa7 or Tamam are typically used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, Tamam is commonly used to mean "alright".
How do you pronounce it?
hasanan
Did you know?
- In some Levantine dialects, a person might say طيب (Tayyib) to mean 'alright'. This word literally means 'kind' or 'delicious', showing how words for quality are repurposed for agreement.
- In many Arabic dialects, the word for 'alright' or 'okay' is ماشي (Mashi), which literally means 'walking'. This uses the idea of a situation 'moving along' to signal agreement.
- The formal حسناً (Hasanan) is derived from the root حسن (Hasan), which is the same root used to describe 'beauty' or 'goodness'.
Examples in context
- حسناً.Alright.This example shows how to use حسناً as a standalone response.Tatoeba #371636 by saeb, translation #2897148 by megamanenm
- حسناً، سنذهب إلى المتجر الآن.hasanan, sanadhhabu ila al-matjari al-an.Alright, we will go to the store now.
- حسناً، سأفعل ذلك غداً.hasanan, sa'af'alu dhalika ghadan.Alright, I will do that tomorrow.
Example conversation
Maryam and Ahmed are discussing their plans for the afternoon.
- مريم Maryamهل نذهب إلى الحديقة الآن؟hal nadhhabu ila al-hadiqati al-an?Shall we go to the park now?
- أحمد Ahmedحسناً، هيا بنا.hasanan, hayya bina.Alright, let's go.
- مريم Maryamهل أخذت مفاتيحك يا أحمد؟hal akhadhta mafatihaka ya Ahmad?Did you take your keys, Ahmed?
- أحمد Ahmedنعم، أنا جاهز.na'am, ana jahiz.Yes, I am ready.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
