أنا بخير
ana bekhair
To say I am good in Arabic, say أنا بخير (ana bekhair), the standard reply when someone asks how you are.
أنا بخير is the standard, polite answer to the question how are you? It talks about your well-being or health.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is made of أنا, I and بخير, in goodness or well. بخير combines the preposition meaning in or with and خير, goodness.
Which one should you use?
أنا بخير refers to your state of well-being. It is different from describing yourself as good at something, which is about quality or ability.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic people say أنا كويس in casual speech. A woman says أنا كويسة.
How does it change in a sentence?
أنا بخير does not change for men or women, so anyone can use it as it is.
How do you pronounce it?
It is read ana bekhair.
When do people say it?
It is very common to follow أنا بخير with الحمد لله, praise be to God, to express gratitude for your well-being.
Did you know?
- The word for 'I' أنا is so foundational that it is shared with Coptic, the final stage of the ancient Egyptian language, as ⲁⲛⲟⲕ.
- While أنا بخير is universal, the Egyptian casual alternative أنا كويس comes from a word used to describe something 'well-cooked' or 'ripe'.
- The word خير inside the phrase for 'good' is also the root for the word 'charity' in Arabic, as giving is seen as the ultimate 'good'.
Examples in context
- أنا بخير، شكرًا لك. وأنت؟I am good, thank you. And you?
- أنا تمام، الحمد لله.I am good, thanks to God.
- أنا بخير، شكراً.ana bi-khayr, shukran.I am good, thank you.
- الحمد لله، أنا بخير.al-hamdu lillah, ana bi-khayr.Praise be to God, I am good.
Example conversation
Two friends meet at a coffee shop.
- سارة Saraكيف حالك يا أحمد؟kayfa haluka ya Ahmed?How are you, Ahmed?
- أحمد Ahmedأنا بخير، وأنتِ يا سارة؟ana bi-khayr, wa anti ya Sarah?I am good, and you, Sarah?
- سارة Saraأنا بخير أيضاً.ana bi-khayr aydan.I am good too.
- أحمد Ahmedهذا رائع.hadha ra'i'.That is wonderful.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries أنا, بخير, CC BY-SA 4.0.
