كيف حالك
kayfa hāluk
In Arabic, "how do you do" is expressed as كيف حالك (kayfa hāluk).
Meaning: Phrase: how do you do (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "How [is] your condition/state?"
Which one should you use?
كيف حالك is the standard Modern Standard Arabic form. In contrast, regional dialects often use different words such as shlōnak or ezayyak.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Gulf Arabic, a common greeting is Shlonik? In Moroccan Arabic, the informal phrase Labas alik? is used to ask "How are you feeling?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes based on who you are addressing. To address a female, the final vowel changes from ka to ki, resulting in كيف حالكِ. To address a group of people, or to show extra respect to a single person, use the suffix -kum to form كيف حالكم.
How do you pronounce it?
kayfa hāluk
When do people say it?
A common way to respond to كيف حالك is to say بخير، شكراً, which means "fine, thank you".
Did you know?
- In the Gulf, asking Shlonik? is actually a shortened way of asking 'What is your colour?', used metaphorically to ask about one's state.
- In some traditional contexts, a greeting like كيف حالك may be accompanied by a hand placed over the heart as a gesture of sincerity and warmth.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, the response to 'how are you' is often a question back to the speaker or a reference to God, such as 'Alhamdulillah', meaning 'Praise be to God'.
Examples in context
- كيف حالك يا آنسة جون؟How do you do, Mrs. Jones?This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase كيف حالك.Tatoeba #395516 by saeb, translation #35446 by CN
- أزيك يا أحمد؟ إيه أخبارك؟How do you do, Ahmed? What's new with you?
- يا ريما، كيف الحال؟ ماذا يسعدك هذه الأيام؟Hey Rima, how do you do? What brings you joy these days?
- كيف حالك اليوم؟kayfa haluka al-yawm?How are you today?
- كيف حالك يا صديقي؟kayfa haluka ya sadiqi?How are you, my friend?
Example conversation
Mariam and Omar meet at a coffee shop.
- مريم Maryamأهلاً عمر، كيف حالك؟ahlan omar, kayfa haluka?Hello Omar, how are you?
- عمر Omarأنا بخير، شكراً لكِ يا مريم.ana bikhayr, shukran laki ya mariam.I am fine, thank you Mariam.
- مريم Maryamهل أنت مشغول الآن؟hal anta mashghul al-an?Are you busy now?
- عمر Omarلا، لست مشغولاً.la, lastu mashghulan.No, I am not busy.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
