Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| كيف | kēf | /kaj.fa/ | Hijazi Arabic |
| كَيْف | kayf | ||
| ازاي | ezzāy | Egyptian Arabic | |
| كيفاش | kifāš | Moroccan Arabic | |
| شلون | šlōn | North Levantine Arabic |
كيف is the standard way to say how in Modern Standard Arabic and is used in writing, the news and everyday questions. The best known phrase with it is كيف حالك؟, how are you?
Which one should you use?
كيف is the standard word understood everywhere. Spoken dialects often use their own words, such as ازاي, شلون and كيفاش.
Is it said differently in some regions?
ازاي (ezzāy) is the most common way to say how in Egyptian Arabic. شلون (šlōn) is widely used in many dialects of the Levant and the Gulf. كيفاش (kifāš) is the usual word in Maghrebi dialects like Moroccan or Algerian. In Hijazi Arabic كيف is pronounced kēf.
How does it change in a sentence?
كَيْف is a question word. It usually comes at the start of the question, followed by a verb or a noun, as in كيف جئت إلى هنا؟, how did you come here?
How do you pronounce it?
The IPA is /kaj.fa/, two syllables, with the stress on the first. In Hijazi Arabic it sounds like kēf.
When do people say it?
When someone asks how you are, a common answer is أَنَا بِخَيْرٍ, I am fine or الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ, praise be to God.
Did you know?
- The word شلون ('šlōn') used in the Gulf and Levant is a linguistic contraction of شلون لونك, which literally asks 'what is your color'.
- In coffee-growing regions, the word كيف ('kayf') is used as a noun to describe a specific state of pleasure or mood derived from drinking coffee.
- The word كيف ('kayf') has a completely separate meaning related to 'cutting off entirely' when used as a verb.
Examples in context
- كيف لي أن أعرف؟How should I know?كيف لي أن أعرف؟ means how should I know?Tatoeba #370915 by saeb, translation #25498 by CK
- كيف جئت إلى هنا؟How did you come here?كيف starts the question how did you come here?Tatoeba #374019 by saeb, translation #37564 by CK
- كيف حالك يا توم؟How are you, Tom?كيف حالك is the everyday how are you, here said to Tom.Tatoeba #616588 by saeb, translation #37437 by CK
- 314 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Omar and Sarah are discussing how to cook a meal.
- عمر Omarكيف أسوي هذه الطبخة يا سارة؟Kayf asawwi hadha tabkha ya Sarah?How do I make this dish, Sarah?
- سارة Saraأول شيء، قطع البصل ناعم.Awwal shay, qatta' al-basal na'im.First, chop the onion finely.
- عمر Omarوكيف أطبخ اللحم؟Wa kayf atbukh al-lahm?And how do I cook the meat?
- سارة Saraحطه في القدر مع الزيت.Hutta fil-qidr ma'a az-zayt.Put it in the pot with oil.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how” translations and entries كيف, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries كيف, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
