Ways to say it
| Palestinian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| تصبح على خير | tisbah 3ala kheir | to a man |
| تصبحي على خير | tisbahi 3ala kheir | to a woman |
To a woman, it becomes تصبحي على خير (tisbahi 3ala kheir). The reply to either is وإنت من أهله (w inta min ahlo), 'and you are one of its people'.
What does it mean word for word?
تصبح is a verb meaning 'may you wake into morning', and على خير, 'into goodness', completes the blessing for the night ahead.
Which one should you use?
The phrase only changes with the gender of the person going to sleep, through the verb ending تصبح or تصبحي.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both forms are warm and used at home with family, though they are polite enough for any setting.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase and its reply are shared across the Levant with no real regional change.
How does it change in a sentence?
تصبح is masculine, تصبحي is feminine. For a group, Palestinians say تصبحوا على خير (tisbahu 3ala kheir).
How do you pronounce it?
The stress falls on the first syllable of تصبح: 'TIS-bah'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Saying تصبح على خير to a woman instead of تصبحي على خير is a common slip for learners, since only one letter changes.
When do people say it?
The traditional reply وإنت من أهله is a small play on words, as if goodness itself has a family and you belong to it.
Did you know?
- The reply وإنت من أهله treats 'goodness' almost like a family, saying the listener already belongs to it.
- Children in Palestinian homes are often taught this exchange as one of their first full sentences.
Examples in context
- تصبح على خير يا بابا.tisbah 3ala kheir ya baba.Good night, dad.
- تصبحي على خير، نامي منيح.tisbahi 3ala kheir, nami mnih.Good night, sleep well.
- وإنت من أهله.w inta min ahlo.And the same to you.
Example conversation
Maysa says good night to her little brother Tareq before bed.
- Maysaتصبح على خير يا طارق.tisbah 3ala kheir ya Tareq.Good night, Tareq.
- Tareqوإنتي من أهله يا ميسا.w inti min ahlo ya Maysa.And the same to you, Maysa.
- Maysaنام منيح، بكرا مدرسة.nam mnih, bukra madrasa.Sleep well, there is school tomorrow.
- Tareqواخا، تصبحي على خير.wakha, tisbahi 3ala kheir.Okay, good night.
