بِخَيْر
bi-ḵayr
To say I'm fine in Arabic, use بِخَيْر (bi-ḵayr) or the full sentence أَنَا بِخَيْر (ʔanā bi-ḵayr). If unsure, use بِخَيْر.
Meaning: response (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| بِخَيْر | bi-ḵayr |
| أَنَا بِخَيْر | ʔanā bi-ḵayr |
بِخَيْر is the standard way to answer the question how are you.
What does it mean word for word?
بِخَيْر joins the preposition bi-, in or with and khayr, goodness or well-being, so it literally means in goodness.
Is it said differently in some regions?
A colloquial Egyptian expression is أنا زي الفل, literally I'm like a jasmine flower.
How does it change in a sentence?
أَنَا (ana), I, is optional and is added for emphasis or clarity.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as bi-ḵayr. The ḵ is a rough sound at the back of the throat, like the ch in the Scottish word loch.
When do people say it?
It is polite to ask back. Say بِخَيْر، وَأَنْتَ؟ to a man or بِخَيْر، وَأَنْتِ؟ to a woman, both meaning fine and you.
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, it is common to respond to 'how are you' with الحَمْدُ لله (al-ḥamdu lillāh), meaning 'praise be to God', even if the person is not actually feeling 'fine'.
- In some Levantine dialects, a person might respond to 'how are you' by saying مَاشِي الحَال (māshī al-ḥāl), which literally means 'the situation is walking'.
- In many Arabic dialects, people often avoid saying بِخَيْر alone and instead use تَمَام (tamām), which originally meant 'complete' or 'perfect'.
Examples in context
- أنا بِخَيْر، شُكْراً.ana bikhayr, shukran.I'm fine, thank you.
- كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟ – أَنَا بِخَيْر.kayfa haluka? – ana bikhayr.How are you? – I'm fine.
- هَلْ أَنْتِ بِخَيْر؟ – نَعَمْ، أَنَا بِخَيْر.hal anti bikhayr? – na'am, ana bikhayr.Are you okay? – Yes, I'm fine.
Example conversation
Omar meets Maryam at a cafe.
- عمر Omarكَيْفَ حَالُكِ يَا مَرْيَم؟kayfa haluki ya Maryam?How are you, Maryam?
- مريم Maryamأَنَا بِخَيْر، وَأَنْتَ يَا عُمَر؟ana bikhayr, wa anta ya Omar?I'm fine, and you, Omar?
- عمر Omarأَنَا بِخَيْر أَيْضاً.ana bikhayr aydan.I'm fine too.
- مريم Maryamهَذَا جَيِّدٌ جِدّاً.hadha jayyid jiddan.That is very good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I'm fine” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
