كيفك؟
kifak?
In Arabic, 'how are you?' can be expressed as كيفك؟ (kifak?).
This phrase is a common greeting used to ask someone about their current well-being or state of mind.
What does it mean word for word?
The word كيفك؟ is composed of كيف, which literally means 'how' and the suffix -ak, which means 'your' (masculine singular).
Which one should you use?
The form kifak? is characteristic of Levantine Arabic, which is spoken in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine, rather than Modern Standard Arabic.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egypt, an informal way to say 'how are you?' is Ezzayyak? or Izayyik? when addressing females.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the greeting changes based on who you are addressing: kifak? is used when addressing a male, kifik? is used when addressing a female and kifkon? is used when addressing a group of people.
How do you pronounce it?
kifak?
When do people say it?
A common and natural response to kifak? is تمام (tamam), which means 'fine' or 'okay'.
Did you know?
- The Levantine كيفك؟ can be answered with ماشية (mashya), which literally means 'it is walking', to imply that life is moving along.
- In many Arab cultures, asking 'how are you?' is often part of a much longer, ritualized sequence of greetings involving the person's health, family, and work.
- In many Arabic dialects, the response الحمد لله (Alhamdulillah) is so common that it serves as a standard way to say 'fine', even if one is not feeling particularly religious.
Examples in context
- كيفك؟kifak?How are you?
- طمنيني، كيفك؟tammini, kifek?Tell me, how are you?
Example conversation
Youssef and Maryam meet at a cafe.
- يوسف Youssefمريم، كيفك؟Maryam, kifik?Maryam, how are you?
- مريم Maryamتمام، وأنت كيفك؟Tamam, wa anta kifak?Fine, and how are you?
- يوسف Youssefأنا بخير، شكراً لكِ.Ana bi-khair, shukran laki.I am doing well, thank you.
- مريم Maryamالحمد لله.Alhamdulillah.Thank God.
