صَبَاح الْخَيْر
ṣabāḥ al-ḵayr
The English phrase 'good morning' is translated into Arabic as صَبَاح الْخَيْر (ṣabāḥ al-ḵayr). Wiktionary also lists صَبَاح النُّور (ṣabāḥ an-nūr).
Meaning: when seeing someone for the first time in the morning (intj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| صَبَاح الْخَيْر | ṣabāḥ al-ḵayr |
| صَبَاح النُّور | ṣabāḥ an-nūr |
This phrase is used when seeing someone for the first time in the morning.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase صَبَاح الْخَيْر literally translates to 'morning of the good'. The response صَبَاح النُّور literally translates to 'morning of the light'.
Which one should you use?
صَبَاح الْخَيْر is the standard greeting used to initiate the morning greeting. In contrast, صَبَاح النُّور is primarily used as the reply.
How do you pronounce it?
ṣabāḥ al-ḵayr
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with صَبَاح الْخَيْر, the standard and most natural response is صَبَاح النُّور.
Did you know?
- In some regions, people may extend the greeting by saying صَبَاح الْعَسَل, which means 'morning of honey', to show extra affection.
- In many Arabic dialects, you can swap the word 'good' for other nouns to create specific wishes, such as صَبَاح الْوَرْد, meaning 'morning of roses'.
- While 'good morning' in English is often a brief acknowledgment, the Arabic greeting is part of a wider culture of 'hospitality of speech' where greetings are elaborate.
Examples in context
- صَبَاح الْخَيْر جَمِيْعاً.Good morning, everybody.The sentence is useful for seeing how to use صَبَاح الْخَيْر when addressing a group.Tatoeba #399036 by kellenparker, translation #22122 by CK
- صباح الخير! كيف حالك اليوم؟Good morning! How are you today?
- صَبَاح الْخَيْر، يَا أُسْتَاذ.ṣabāḥ al-khayr, yā ustādh.Good morning, professor.
- صَبَاح الْخَيْر لِكُلِّ الْحَاضِرِين.ṣabāḥ al-khayr li-kulli al-ḥāḍirīn.Good morning to everyone present.
Example conversation
Youssef and Layla meet at a local cafe in the morning.
- يوسف Youssefصَبَاح الْخَيْر، يَا لَيْلَى.ṣabāḥ al-khayr, yā Laylā.Good morning, Layla.
- سارة Saraصَبَاح النُّور، يَا يُوسُف.ṣabāḥ an-nūr, yā Yūsuf.Good morning, Youssef.
- يوسف Youssefكَيْفَ حَالُكِ الْيَوْمَ؟kayfa ḥāluki al-yawm?How are you today?
- سارة Saraأَنَا بِخَيْر، شُكْراً.anā bi-khayr, shukran.I am fine, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good morning” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
