Ways to say it
| Moroccan Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| لاباس؟ | labas? | |
| كي داير؟ | kidayer? | to a man |
| كي دايرة؟ | kidayra? | to a woman |
A more literal version, كي داير؟ (kidayer?) to a man or كي دايرة؟ (kidayra?) to a woman, asks 'how are you doing' and is just as common, especially among friends.
What does it mean word for word?
لاباس joins لا, 'no', and باس, 'harm', so it literally means 'no harm', used as both the question and the answer. كي داير uses كي, 'how', and داير, 'doing' or 'arranged'.
Which one should you use?
لاباس؟ is the quick, universal check-in. كي داير؟ feels slightly more personal, closer to asking how someone's day or situation is actually going.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both are used at every level of formality in speech, from greeting a stranger to checking on a close friend.
Is it said differently in some regions?
These forms are used across Morocco. Some regions favor لاباس almost exclusively as the automatic follow-up to any greeting.
How does it change in a sentence?
كي داير changes with the person asked: kidayer to a man, kidayra to a woman, kidayrin to a group.
How do you pronounce it?
لاباس has a long first vowel, 'laa-BAS', said as one smooth phrase.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Replying to لاباس؟ with a long explanation is unusual. The expected short answer is لاباس، الحمد لله (labas, l-hamdulillah), 'fine, thank God'.
When do people say it?
Moroccans often ask لاباس؟ several times in a row, about health, family and work, before any real conversation begins.
Did you know?
- لاباس, the everyday Moroccan 'how are you', literally means 'no harm' and doubles as both the question and the standard reply.
- Moroccans frequently repeat لاباس؟ at every stage of a greeting, treating it almost like a verbal handshake.
Examples in context
- لاباس؟ شنو خبارك؟labas? shnu khbarek?How are you? What's your news?
- كي داير اليوم؟kidayer l-yom?How are you doing today?
- لاباس عليك، الحمد لله.labas alik, l-hamdulillah.I'm well, thank God.
Example conversation
Fatima runs into her old classmate Reda in the street.
- Fatimaلاباس رضا؟ شحال هاد الوقت!labas rida? shhal had l-wa't!How are you Reda? It's been so long!
- Redaلاباس الحمد لله، وانتي كي دايرة؟labas l-hamdulillah, w inti kidayra?Fine, thank God, and how are you doing?
- Fatimaلاباس، كلشي مزيان.labas, kulshi mzyan.I'm fine, everything is good.
- Redaفرحت بيك بزاف.frhit bik bzzaf.I am so happy to see you.
