صباح الخير
ṣabāḥ al-khayreveryday
To wish a girl good morning in Arabic, say صباح الخير (ṣabāḥ al-khayr). For something sweeter use صباح الورد (ṣabāḥ al-ward), "morning of roses". The usual reply is صباح النور (ṣabāḥ an-nūr).
Meaning: morning greeting to a woman (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| صباح الخير | ṣabāḥ al-khayr | everyday |
| صباح النور | ṣabāḥ an-nūr | reply |
| صباح الورد | ṣabāḥ al-ward | sweet, Egyptian and Levantine |
The greeting itself does not change for a woman. To make it personal, add يا حبيبتي (yā ḥabībatī), "my dear", or her name.
When do people say it?
Replies often play on the greeting. صباح النور (ṣabāḥ an-nūr) means "morning of light" and صباح الفل (ṣabāḥ al-full) means "morning of jasmine", both common in Egypt.
Did you know?
- صباح الخير (ṣabāḥ al-khayr) literally means "morning of goodness".
Examples in context
- صباح الخير يا حبيبتيṣabāḥ al-khayr yā ḥabībatīGood morning, my dear
- صباح الورد يا سلمىṣabāḥ al-ward yā SalmāGood morning, Salma
Example conversation
Ahmed greets his girlfriend Salma by phone in the morning in Cairo.
- أحمد Ahmedصباح الخير يا سلمى.Ṣabāḥ al-khayr yā Salmā.Good morning, Salma.
- Salmaصباح النور يا أحمد.Ṣabāḥ an-nūr yā Aḥmad.Good morning, Ahmed.
- أحمد Ahmedنمتِ كويس؟Nimti kwayyis?Did you sleep well?
