نتكلم لاحقاً
natakallam lāḥiqan
In Arabic, the phrase 'talk to you later' is نتكلم لاحقاً (natakallam lāḥiqan).
A casual way to say goodbye when you expect to speak with the person again soon.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb natakallam (we talk) and the adverb lāḥiqan (later).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form نتكلم لاحقاً is Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and sounds more formal or written than spoken dialects. If you want to be more formal, you might use إلى اللقاء فيما بعد to mean 'Until we meet again later' or سأتصل بك/بكم لاحقًا to mean 'I will contact you later'. Conversely, in informal settings, you may hear نتكلم بعدين (We'll talk later) or أشوفك في وقت ثاني (I'll see you another time).
How do you pronounce it?
natakallam lāḥiqan
Did you know?
- The root of نتكلم is ك-ل-م, which originally relates to 'wounding' or 'cutting'. This suggests that speaking is metaphorically like making a mark or an incision in the silence.
- In many Levantine dialects, the phrase for 'talk to you later' is often replaced by a religious blessing like الله معك (God be with you) during a goodbye.
- While نتكلم لاحقاً is grammatically correct, using it in a coffee shop in Cairo or Dubai might make you sound like a news anchor or a character in a dubbed cartoon.
Examples in context
- شكراً، نتكلم لاحقاً.shukran, natakallam lahiqan.Thanks, talk to you later.
- يجب أن أذهب، نتكلم لاحقاً.yajib an adhab, natakallam lahiqan.I have to go, talk to you later.
- سأقوم بالاتصال بك، نتكلم لاحقاً.sa'aqum bil-ittisal bika, natakallam lahiqan.I will call you, talk to you later.
Example conversation
Ziad is leaving the office and saying goodbye to Layla.
- ليلى Laylaهل ستذهب الآن يا زياد؟hal satadhhab al-an ya Ziad?Are you leaving now, Ziad?
- زياد Ziadنعم، نتكلم لاحقاً يا ليلى.na'am, natakallam lahiqan ya Layla.Yes, talk to you later, Layla.
- ليلى Laylaحسناً، بالتوفيق في عملك.hasanan, bil-tawfiq fi 'amalik.Okay, good luck with your work.
- زياد Ziadشكراً لكِ.shukran laki.Thank you.
