بِخَيْر
bi-ḵayr
To say I'm fine in Arabic, use بِخَيْر (bi-ḵayr) or the full sentence أَنَا بِخَيْر (ʔanā bi-ḵayr). If unsure, use بِخَيْر.
Meaning: response (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| بِخَيْر | bi-ḵayr |
| أَنَا بِخَيْر | ʔanā bi-ḵayr |
بِخَيْر on its own is enough as an answer to how are you, without the word for I.
What does it mean word for word?
بِخَيْر literally means with goodness or in good condition. Adding أَنَا (ʔanā), the pronoun I, makes it a complete sentence.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic people say أنا كويس or مظبوط, alright. In Gulf Arabic أنا زين is common, and مبسوط, literally happy, is also used to say you are fine. In Levantine speech الحمدلله, praise be to God, is a common answer.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as bi-ḵayr. The ḵ is a rough sound at the back of the throat, like the ch in the Scottish word loch.
When do people say it?
After answering, it is polite to ask back with بِخَيْر، وَأَنْتَ؟, fine and you, to a man. To a woman, end with wa-ʔanti? instead.
Did you know?
- While مظبوط (maẓbūṭ) is used in Egypt to mean 'alright' or 'fine', its literal meaning is 'correct' or 'precise'.
- The word زين (zayn), used in Gulf Arabic to say you are fine, is derived from an ancient Semitic root that also means 'beauty' or 'ornament'.
- In some dialects, saying the full phrase أَنَا بِخَيْر (ʔanā bi-ḵayr) instead of just بِخَيْر (bi-ḵayr) can sound overly formal or emphatic, as if you are insistently protesting that you are okay.
Examples in context
- أنا بِخَيْر، شكراً.ana bikhayr, shukran.I'm fine, thank you.
- هل أنتَ بِخَيْر؟hal anta bikhayr?Are you fine?
- الحمد لله، أنا بِخَيْر.al-hamdu lillah, ana bikhayr.Thank God, I'm fine.
Example conversation
Layla and Ziyad meet at a cafe.
- ليلى Laylaكيف حالك يا زياد؟kayfa haluka ya Ziyad?How are you, Ziyad?
- زياد Ziadأنا بِخَيْر، وأنتِ؟ana bikhayr, wa anti?I'm fine, and you?
- ليلى Laylaأنا بِخَيْر أيضاً.ana bikhayr aydan.I am also fine.
- زياد Ziadهذا جيد جداً.hadha jayyid jiddan.That is very good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I'm fine” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
