نَهَارَك سَعِيد
nahārak saʕīd
The English phrase "good day" can be translated into Arabic as نَهَارَك سَعِيد (nahārak saʕīd). Wiktionary also lists مَسَاء اَلْخَيْر (masāʔ al-ḵayr) and مَسَاء اَلنُّور (masāʔ an-nūr).
Meaning: greeting between sunrise and sunset (intj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| نَهَارَك سَعِيد | nahārak saʕīd |
| مَسَاء اَلْخَيْر | masāʔ al-ḵayr |
| مَسَاء اَلنُّور | masāʔ an-nūr |
نَهَارَك سَعِيد is used to wish someone a nice day during the daylight hours between sunrise and sunset.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase نَهَارَك سَعِيد literally translates to "your day [be] happy".
Which one should you use?
While نَهَارَك سَعِيد refers specifically to the daylight hours, مَسَاء اَلْخَيْر is used for "good evening" or "good afternoon".
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a female, the suffix of the phrase changes from -ak to -ik, resulting in نَهَارِك سَعِيد.
How do you pronounce it?
nahārak saʕīd
When do people say it?
When greeting people in the evening, you might hear مَسَاء اَلْخَيْر. A common way to respond to greetings involving the morning or light is to use a phrase like مَسَاء اَلنُّور, which translates to "morning of light".
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, a 'good day' greeting is often accompanied by a right-hand handshake and a light touch to the chest. Touching the heart signifies that the greeting is sincere and deeply felt.
- The root of the word سَعِيد in نَهَارَك سَعِيد is linked to the idea of 'ease' and 'luck'. Wishing someone a happy day is linguistically similar to wishing them a path free of obstacles.
- In many Arabic dialects, people rarely use the literal translation نَهَارَك سَعِيد in casual conversation. Instead, they often prefer religious-rooted greetings like السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ, even when they simply mean 'hello' or 'good day'.
Examples in context
- نَهَارَك سَعِيد يَا صَدِيقِي.nahārak sa‘īd yā ṣadīqī.Good day, my friend.
Example conversation
Sarah meets Ziad in the hallway during the afternoon.
- سارة Saraنَهَارَك سَعِيد يا زياد.Naharak sa'id ya Ziyad.Good day, Ziad.
- زياد Ziadأهلاً سارة، نهارك سعيد أيضاً.Ahlan Sarah, naharuk sa'id ay-dan.Hello Sarah, good day to you too.
- سارة Saraهل أنت مشغول الآن؟Hal anta mashghul al-an?Are you busy now?
- زياد Ziadلا، أنا متفرغ تماماً.La, ana mutafar-righ tamam-an.No, I am completely free.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good day” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
