أنا بخير
ana bikhayr
In Arabic, أنا بخير (ana bikhayr) is the phrase for "I am well".
أنا بخير is a response used to say that you are in good health or feeling fine when someone asks how you are.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of أنا (I), بـ (with/in) and خير (goodness/well-being).
How does it change in a sentence?
In many contexts, you can omit the أنا and simply say بخير to mean "I am well".
How do you pronounce it?
ana bikhayr
Did you know?
- While أنا بخير is standard, in many Arabic dialects, people prefer to respond with الحمد لله (Al-hamdulillah), which means 'Praise be to God', even if they are just feeling 'okay'.
- The word أنا (I) shares a distant ancestral root with the Coptic word ⲁⲛⲟⲕ (anok) from ancient Egyptian.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, it is common to respond بخير (well) even when feeling poorly to avoid bothering others or to show resilience.
Examples in context
- أنا تمام، شكراً! (Ana tamām, shukran!)I'm fine, thank you!
- أنا بخير، شكراً لكم. (Ana bikhair, shukran lakum.)I am well, thank you.
- الحمد لله، أنا بخير اليوم.al-hamdu lillah, ana bikhayr al-yawm.Praise be to God, I am well today.
- أنا بخير جداً.ana bikhayr jiddan.I am very well.
Example conversation
Sarah meets Omar in a cafe and asks how he is doing.
- سارة Saraكيف حالك يا عمر؟kayfa haluka ya Omar?How are you, Omar?
- عمر Omarأنا بخير، وأنتِ يا سارة؟ana bikhayr, wa anti ya Sarah?I am well, and you, Sarah?
- سارة Saraأنا أيضاً بخير.ana aydan bikhayr.I am also well.
- عمر Omarهذا جيد جداً.hadha jayyid jiddan.That is very good.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries أنا, بخير, CC BY-SA 4.0.
