مَسَاء الْخَيْر
masāʔ al-ḵayr
مَسَاء الْخَيْر (masāʔ al-ḵayr) is the Arabic way to say good evening. Wiktionary also lists مَسَاء النُّور (masāʔ an-nūr).
Meaning: greeting said in the evening (intj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| مَسَاء الْخَيْر | masāʔ al-ḵayr |
| مَسَاء النُّور | masāʔ an-nūr |
مَسَاء الْخَيْر is a common and neutral way to say good evening.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase مَسَاء الْخَيْر literally translates to evening of goodness. The phrase مَسَاء النُّور literally translates to evening of light.
Which one should you use?
While مَسَاء الْخَيْر is the standard greeting, مَسَاء النُّور is the standard response to it.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egypt, مَسَاء الْخَيْر is the standard way to say good evening.
How do you pronounce it?
masāʔ al-ḵayr
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with مَسَاء الْخَيْر, the most natural response is مَسَاء النُّور.
Did you know?
- The root word خَيْر in مَسَاء الْخَيْر is the same root used for the word 'charity' and 'good deeds' in Arabic, linking a simple greeting to the concept of moral virtue.
- Despite being a greeting for the evening, مَسَاء الْخَيْر is rarely used as a way to say 'goodnight' when leaving a house or going to sleep.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, it is common to follow a greeting like مَسَاء الْخَيْر with a question about one's 'health' or 'conditions' rather than just saying hello and moving on.
Examples in context
- مَسَاء الْخَيْر، يَا سَيِّدِي.masā' al-khayr, yā sayyidī.Good evening, sir.
- مَسَاء الْخَيْر، كَيْفَ حَالُكِ؟masā' al-khayr, kayfa ḥāluki?Good evening, how are you?
- مَسَاء الْخَيْر لِجَمِيعِ الْحَاضِرِينَ.masā' al-khayr li-jamī' al-ḥāḍirīn.Good evening to everyone present.
Example conversation
Ziad and Layla meet at a cafe in the evening.
- زياد Ziadمَسَاء الْخَيْر، يَا لَيْلَى.masā' al-khayr, yā Laylā.Good evening, Layla.
- ليلى Laylaمَسَاء النُّور، يَا زِيَاد.masā' an-nūr, yā Ziyād.Good evening, Ziad.
- زياد Ziadهَلْ أَنْتِ بِخَيْرٍ؟hal anti bi-khayrin?Are you well?
- ليلى Laylaنَعَمْ، أَنَا بِخَيْرٍ، شُكْرًا.na'am, ana bi-khayrin, shukran.Yes, I am well, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good evening” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
