مع أطيب التحيات
ma'a 'atyab at-tahiyyat
مع أطيب التحيات (ma'a 'atyab at-tahiyyat) is the Arabic way to say kind regards.
This phrase is used as a polite and professional closing for letters and correspondence. It is a standard way to conclude formal or semi-formal written communication.
Meaning: polite closing of a letter (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the preposition ma'a (with), the superlative adjective 'atyab (best/kindest) and the noun at-tahiyyat (the greetings).
Which one should you use?
In English, kind regards is common in many contexts, but the Arabic equivalent مع أطيب التحيات is slightly more formal and is used more frequently in written letters than in casual emails.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
مع أطيب التحيات is a standard, professional way to close formal or semi-formal correspondence. For business interactions, the variant أطيب التحايا can be used to mean warmest greetings.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase أطيب التحيات, the word atyab is the superlative form of the adjective tayyib (good/kind).
How do you pronounce it?
ma'a 'atyab at-tahiyyat
Did you know?
- The concept of 'goodness' in أطيب is linguistically tied to the idea of 'fragrance' or 'pleasantness', suggesting that your regards are meant to be as pleasant as a good scent.
- In some Arabic-speaking business cultures, replacing 'regards' with a wish for 'blessings' is a common way to shift the tone from purely professional to more warm and traditional.
- The word tayyib, from which atyab is derived, is used in spoken Arabic as a versatile filler word meaning 'okay' or 'fine' to signal agreement during a conversation.
Examples in context
- كتب "مع أطيب التحيات" في آخر الرسالة ثم وقع اسمه.At the bottom of the letter he wrote "Kind regards," then signed his name.This example shows how to use مع أطيب التحيات at the end of a letter.Tatoeba #632086 by saeb, translation #430892 by saeb
Example conversation
Ahmed is helping Maryam write a formal email.
- أحمد Ahmedهل انتهيتِ من كتابة الإيميل يا مريم؟Hal intahayti min kitabat al-email ya Maryam?Have you finished writing the email, Maryam?
- مريم Maryamنعم، لكن ماذا أكتب في النهاية؟Na'am, lakin madha aktub fi al-nihaya?Yes, but what should I write at the end?
- أحمد Ahmedاكتبي مع أطيب التحيات قبل اسمكِ.Uktubi ma'a atyab al-tahiyyat qabla ismiki.Write 'kind regards' before your name.
- مريم Maryamحسناً، سأفعل ذلك الآن.Hasanan, sa'af'alu dhalika al-an.Okay, I will do that now.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
