استمر
To say 'keep it up' in Arabic, you use استمر.
The phrase is used to express the idea of maintaining or continuing a positive streak. You can use استمر في هذا العمل الجيد to specifically say 'keep up this good work'.
Meaning: maintain or continue a positive streak (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The imperative form changes depending on who you are addressing: use استمري when addressing a female and استمروا when addressing a group of people.
Did you know?
- If you are encouraging someone in a sports context in certain regions, you might hear عاش, which literally means 'he lived', used to mean 'bravo' or 'keep doing that'.
- Arabic has a distinct grammatical category called the 'dual' form. If you were telling exactly two people to 'keep it up', you would use استمرا instead of the singular or plural forms.
- The concept of 'keeping it up' can also be expressed by saying شد حيلك, which literally means 'strengthen your strength', used to encourage someone to maintain their effort or persevere through difficulty.
Examples in context
- عمل رائع، استمر!Amal ra'i', istamir!Great work, keep it up!
- أنت تبلي بلاءً حسناً، استمر في هذا.Anta tubli bala'an hasanan, istamir fi hadha.You are doing great, keep it up.
- هذا المشروع ناجح جداً، استمر.Hadha al-mashrou' najih jiddan, istamir.This project is very successful, keep it up.
Example conversation
A colleague is praising another colleague's performance at work.
- ليلى Laylaنتائجك في العمل مذهلة يا زياد.Nata'ijuka fi al-amal mudhila ya Ziyad.Your results at work are amazing, Ziyad.
- زياد Ziadشكراً لكِ يا ليلى، أنا أبذل قصارى جهدي.Shukran laki ya Layla, ana abdhulu qusara jahdi.Thank you, Layla, I am doing my best.
- ليلى Laylaأنت رائع، استمر!Anta ra'i', istamir!You are wonderful, keep it up!
- زياد Ziadسأفعل ذلك بالتأكيد.Sa'af'alu dhalika bi-ta'kid.I will definitely do that.
