Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| كويس | kwayyes | to a man or masculine noun |
| كويسة | kwayyesa | to a woman or feminine noun |
كويس covers 'good', 'fine' and 'okay', used to describe health, quality or how something went, such as الامتحان عدى كويس, 'the exam went well'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is uniquely Egyptian, with no equivalent root shared directly with Standard Arabic جيد.
Which one should you use?
Egyptians say كويس for nearly everything positive in daily life, reserving جيد for formal writing or official contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
كويس is used in all everyday speech, from a doctor asking how you feel to a friend asking about your day.
Is it said differently in some regions?
It is standard and used the same way across Egypt.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word agrees with gender, كويس for masculine and كويسة for feminine, and the plural is كويسين (kwayyiseen).
How do you pronounce it?
Said 'KWAY-yes', with the stress on the first syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Using جيد in casual speech sounds like a school textbook rather than natural Egyptian conversation.
Did you know?
- كويس has entered common use in some neighbouring dialects too, carried by the wide reach of Egyptian cinema and television.
Examples in context
- إزيك؟ كويس الحمد لله.izzayak? kwayyes el-hamdu lillah.How are you? Good, thank God.
- البنت دي كويسة جدا في الرياضيات.el-bint di kwayyesa giddan fi el-reyadeyyat.This girl is very good at math.
- الأكل كان كويس في المطعم.el-akl kaan kwayyes fi el-mat'am.The food was good at the restaurant.
Example conversation
Ihab checks on his sick friend Belal over the phone.
- Ihabعامل إيه، أحسن؟amel eih, ahsan?How are you doing, better?
- Belalالحمد لله، كويس شوية شوية.el-hamdu lillah, kwayyes shwaya shwaya.Thank God, a little bit better.
- Ihabالدكتور قال إيه؟el-doctor al eih?What did the doctor say?
- Belalقال كل حاجة كويسة، بس عايز راحة.al kol haga kwayyesa, bas ayez raha.He said everything is fine, I just need rest.
