مرحبا كيف حالك
marhaban kayfa haluk
The English phrase "hello how are you" is translated into Arabic as مرحبا كيف حالك (marhaban kayfa haluk).
This phrase is a common greeting used to say hello and ask about someone's well-being. If you want to say only "hello" informally, you can use أهلًا. If you wish to say "good morning" in a formal manner, use صباح الخير.
What does it mean word for word?
The part كيف حالك literally translates to "How [is] your condition/state".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes its ending based on the gender of the person you are addressing. When addressing a male, the phrase is مرحبا كيف حالك (marhaban kayfa haluka) and when addressing a female, it is مرحبا كيف حالكِ (marhaban kayfa haluki). Other ways to ask "how are you?" include the phrases كيف الحال؟ and شلونك؟.
How do you pronounce it?
marhaban kayfa haluk
When do people say it?
When someone asks how you are, a common response is بخير، شكراً (bi-khayr, shukran), which means "fine, thank you". In contexts involving the greeting السلام عليكم, the typical response is وعليكم السلام, meaning "and peace be upon you".
Did you know?
- While كيف حالك is the standard way to ask 'how are you', speakers in the Levant and Iraq often use شلونك, which is a contraction of a phrase asking 'what is your color'.
- The greeting مرحبا is rooted in the concept of space, originating from the verb meaning 'to be wide'. It essentially invites the person into a 'wide' or spacious place, implying they are among family and have plenty of room.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, asking كيف حالك is only the beginning of a long social ritual. You are often expected to ask about several aspects of life, such as family and work, before moving to the main topic.
Examples in context
- مرحبا كيف حالك؟marhaba kayfa haluka?Hello, how are you?
- مرحبا كيف حالك يا صديقي؟marhaba kayfa haluka ya sadiqi?Hello, how are you, my friend?
- مرحبا كيف حالك اليوم؟marhaba kayfa haluka al-yawm?Hello, how are you today?
Example conversation
Layla and Ahmad meet in a park.
- ليلى Laylaمرحبا كيف حالك يا أحمد؟marhaba kayfa haluka ya Ahmad?Hello, how are you, Ahmad?
- أحمد Ahmedأنا بخير، شكراً لكِ يا ليلى.ana bikhayr, shukran laki ya Layla.I am fine, thank you, Layla.
- ليلى Laylaهل أنت سعيد اليوم؟hal anta sa'id al-yawm?Are you happy today?
- أحمد Ahmedنعم، الجو جميل جداً.na'am, al-jaw jamil jiddan.Yes, the weather is very beautiful.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries حالك, كيف, مرحبا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
