شلونك؟
shlōnak?everyday, Najd, to a man
In Saudi Arabia, especially in Najd and the central region, people ask شلونك؟ (shlōnak?) or وش علومك؟ (wesh ʿulūmak?), "what is your news?" The formal question is كيف حالك؟ (kayf ḥālak?).
Meaning: greeting asking about someone's well-being (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| شلونك؟ | shlōnak? | everyday, Najd, to a man |
| كيف حالك؟ | kayf ḥālak? | neutral, formal |
| وش علومك؟ | wesh ʿulūmak? | casual, Najd, to a man |
The standard answer is الحمد لله (al-ḥamdu lillāh), often followed by طيب (ṭayyib), "well", and then the question back to the other person.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Speech varies a lot across the kingdom. كيف حالك؟ (kayf ḥālak?) is understood and used everywhere, including the Hejaz in the west.
How does it change in a sentence?
A woman is asked شلونك (shlōnich) or كيف حالك (kayf ḥālik), and وش علومك becomes وش علومچ (wesh ʿulūmich) in many Najdi accents.
Did you know?
- وش علومك (wesh ʿulūmak) literally asks "what are your pieces of news?", and وش (wesh) is the Najdi word for "what".
Examples in context
- هلا والله، شلونك؟hala wallāh, shlōnak?Hello, how are you?
- وش علومك يا شيخ؟wesh ʿulūmak yā shaykh?How are you, my friend?
- الحمد لله طيبal-ḥamdu lillāh ṭayyibPraise God, I am well.
Example conversation
Bandar meets his colleague Ahmed at a petrol station in Riyadh.
- Bandarهلا أحمد، شلونك؟hala Aḥmad, shlōnak?Hello Ahmed, how are you?
- Ahmedالحمد لله، وش علومك أنت؟al-ḥamdu lillāh, wesh ʿulūmak inta?Praise God, and how are you?
- Bandarطيب، الله يسلمكṭayyib, Allāh yesallimakWell, God keep you.
