?מה שלומך
ma shlomkha?masculine, singular
How are you is said in Hebrew as ?מה שלומך (ma shlomkha?).
The phrase is used as a greeting to ask someone about their well-being. While ?מה שלומך is a standard way to ask, you might also hear the informal מה קורה? which translates to 'what's happening?' or the informal איך את נמצאת? used to ask a girl how she has been.
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally means 'What is your well-being?' It is composed of מה, meaning 'what' and שלומך, which combines the noun שלום (peace/well-being) with a possessive suffix meaning 'your'.
Which one should you use?
The phrase ?מה שלומך is the more standard way to ask the question, whereas ?מה קורה (ma kore?) is a more informal way to say 'what's happening?' or 'how's it going?'
How does it change in a sentence?
The form ?מה שלומך is used when speaking to a single male. To address a group of people, use ?מה שלומכם (ma shlomkhem?).
How do you pronounce it?
ma shlomkha?
Did you know?
- The word שלום comes from a root meaning 'whole' or 'complete', implying that asking 'how are you' is actually asking if the person is 'whole'.
- The word מה is a cognate shared across several Central Semitic languages, including Aramaic, Arabic and Ugaritic.
- In very traditional or religious contexts, a response to ?מה שלומך might include a reference to God, as well-being is often viewed as a gift from the divine.
Example sentences for Hebrew are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how are you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries מה, CC BY-SA 4.0.
