Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| خد بالك من نفسك | khod balak men nafsak | to a male |
| خدي بالك من نفسك | khodi balik men nafsik | to a female |
Said to a female, it becomes khodi balik men nafsik. In quick, casual farewells, Egyptians often shorten it to just خد بالك (khod balak).
What does it mean word for word?
خد بالك means 'pay attention' or 'be careful', literally 'take your attention'. من نفسك means 'of yourself', completing the full phrase.
Which one should you use?
The full خد بالك من نفسك is warmer and more complete. The short خد بالك alone is used for a quick goodbye or a general caution.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both are warm and informal, used with friends, family and coworkers alike.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb and possessive endings change with the gender of the person addressed: khod…nafsak to a man, khodi…nafsik to a woman.
How do you pronounce it?
بالك is stressed on the first syllable, BA-lak, with a clear l sound.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Shortening it to just بالك, without the verb خد, does not work on its own, the full command needs the verb to make sense.
When do people say it?
Egyptians often add خد بالك من نفسك at the end of a phone call with someone traveling or going through a hard time, as a standard, caring send-off.
Did you know?
- بال, the word for 'mind' or 'attention' inside خد بالك, also appears in مش في بالي, 'not on my mind', a common way to say you forgot something.
- Shortening the full farewell to just خد بالك is extremely common in quick goodbyes, especially over the phone.
Examples in context
- خد بالك من نفسك في السفر.khod balak men nafsak fes-safar.Take care of yourself on the trip.
- خدي بالك من نفسك، الجو برد.khodi balik men nafsik, el-gaw bard.Take care of yourself, the weather is cold.
- باي يا صاحبي، خد بالك.bye ya sahbi, khod balak.Bye, my friend, take care.
Example conversation
Hany says goodbye to his friend Omar who is traveling the next day.
- Hanyسافر امتى بالضبط؟safar emta bed-dabt?When exactly are you traveling?
- Omarبكرة الصبح إن شاء الله.bokra es-sobh inshallah.Tomorrow morning, God willing.
- Hanyخد بالك من نفسك هناك.khod balak men nafsak henak.Take care of yourself there.
- Omarمتشكر، هتصل بيك لما أوصل.mitshakkir, hattasel beek lamma awsal.Thanks, I'll call you when I arrive.
