Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| يومك سعيد | yomak sa'eed | to a man |
| يومك سعيد | yomik sa'eed | to a woman |
This is said when parting in the morning or afternoon, similar to English, often right after a greeting exchange.
What does it mean word for word?
يومك means 'your day' and سعيد means 'happy', so the phrase literally wishes 'your day happy'.
Which one should you use?
There is no separate casual or formal version, the same phrase works everywhere, only the pronoun ending changes with gender.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase suits any relationship, from a close friend to a coworker leaving the office.
Is it said differently in some regions?
It is used throughout Egypt in the same form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The possessive ending shifts the vowel for gender, يومك sounding like 'yomak' to a man and 'yomik' to a woman, even though the spelling can look identical.
How do you pronounce it?
سعيد is said 'sa-EED', with a long stressed vowel at the end.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Pronouncing both genders exactly the same, 'yomak', when speaking to a woman is a common slip for learners, natives will hear the vowel difference.
Did you know?
- Possessive endings carrying the only trace of gender, as in يومك, are common across Egyptian Arabic and often go unnoticed in writing since the spelling stays the same.
Examples in context
- شكرا على الزيارة، يومك سعيد.shukran ala el-ziyara, yomak sa'eed.Thanks for the visit, have a nice day.
- يومك سعيد يا هانم، أشوفك بكرة.yomik sa'eed ya hanim, ashofik bokra.Have a nice day madam, I'll see you tomorrow.
- ربنا يخليك، ويومك سعيد.rabbina yikhallik, w yomak sa'eed.God keep you, and have a nice day.
Example conversation
A receptionist named Rania says goodbye to a visitor named Wael as he leaves the office.
- Waelشكرا على وقتك، مع السلامة.shukran ala wa'tik, ma'a el-salama.Thank you for your time, goodbye.
- Raniaالعفو، يومك سعيد.el-afw, yomak sa'eed.You're welcome, have a nice day.
- Waelوانتي كمان، يومك سعيد.w inti kaman, yomik sa'eed.You too, have a nice day.
- Raniaشكرا، نشوفك قريب.shukran, nashofak 'areeb.Thanks, see you soon.
