Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| أهلا، إزيك؟ | ahlan, izzayak? | to a man |
| أهلا، إزيك؟ | ahlan, izzayik? | to a woman |
This greeting combination opens almost any casual conversation, whether in person or on the phone.
What does it mean word for word?
أهلا means 'hello' or 'welcome', and إزيك is the Egyptian 'how are you', built from an old phrase asking about someone's condition.
Which one should you use?
The spelling of إزيك stays similar in writing, but the pronunciation shifts for gender, 'izzayak' to a man and 'izzayik' to a woman.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The combination is casual and friendly, used with anyone you are not addressing with high formality.
Is it said differently in some regions?
It is standard and immediately recognisable across Egypt.
How does it change in a sentence?
إزيك already carries the 'you' built into its ending, so no separate pronoun is needed.
How do you pronounce it?
إزيك is said 'iz-ZAY-ak', with the stress on the middle syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Answering only تمام without returning the question can feel abrupt, Egyptians usually ask back, وانت؟, 'and you?'
When do people say it?
The expected reply to إزيك؟ is الحمد لله, 'thank God', even before describing how you actually feel.
Did you know?
- إزيك traces back to older Egyptian Arabic phrases literally asking about someone's state or condition, long shortened into one everyday word.
Examples in context
- أهلا يا سمير، إزيك؟ahlan ya Samir, izzayak?Hello Samir, how are you?
- أهلا، إزيك من زمان؟ahlan, izzayik min zaman?Hello, how have you been in a long time?
- إزيك، كل حاجة تمام؟izzayak, kol haga tamam?How are you, is everything fine?
Example conversation
Two old classmates, Ehab and Nesma, run into each other on the street.
- Ehabأهلا يا نسمة، إزيك من زمان؟ahlan ya Nesma, izzayik min zaman?Hello Nesma, how have you been for so long?
- Nesmaالحمد لله، وانت عامل إيه؟el-hamdu lillah, w inta amel eih?Thank God, and how are you doing?
- Ehabتمام، لسه ساكن في نفس الحي؟tamam, lissa saken fi nafs el-hay?Fine, are you still living in the same neighbourhood?
- Nesmaأه، ماتغيرت حاجة كتير.aah, mataghayyaret haga kiteer.Yes, not much has changed.
