الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ
al-ḥamdu lillāhi
The English phrase "thank God" can be expressed in Arabic using الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ (al-ḥamdu lillāhi) or الشُّكْرُ لِلّٰهِ.
Meaning: exclamation of gratitude or relief (intj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ | al-ḥamdu lillāhi |
| الشُّكْرُ لِلّٰهِ | aš-šukru lillāhi |
Both forms are used as an exclamation of relief when hearing good news or as a way to express gratitude for one's current state.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ literally means "the praise is for God". The phrase الشُّكْرُ لِلّٰهِ literally means "the thanks are for God".
Which one should you use?
الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ is more common and carries a deeper sense of spiritual praise, whereas الشُّكْرُ لِلّٰهِ focuses more specifically on the act of giving thanks.
How does it change in a sentence?
الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ is a complete sentence where الْحَمْدُ (the praise) is the subject and لِلّٰهِ (to God) is the prepositional phrase indicating the recipient.
How do you pronounce it?
al-ḥamdu lillāhi
Did you know?
- The phrase الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ is used in a counterintuitive way to describe bad news, acting as a reminder to remain patient during hardship.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, saying الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ after a sneeze is the standard social requirement, similar to 'bless you' in English.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, saying الحمد لله after eating is not just a thank you, but a customary way to signal that one is full and satisfied.
Examples in context
- الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ، أَنَا بِخَيْرٍ.al-ḥamdu lillāh, ana bikhayr.Thank God, I am well.
- الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ.al-ḥamdu lillāh 'alā kulli ḥāl.Thank God in every situation.
- وَصَلْتُ بِسَلَامَةٍ، الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ.waṣaltu bisalāmah, al-ḥamdu lillāh.I arrived safely, thank God.
Example conversation
Sara and Ahmed are talking about a missing passport.
- سارة Saraأحمد، هل وجدتَ جواز سفرك؟Ahmed, hal wajadta jawaza safarik?Ahmed, did you find your passport?
- أحمد Ahmedنعم، وجدته في الحقيبة! الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ.Na'am, wajadtuhu fi al-haqiba! Al-hamdu lillah.Yes, I found it in the bag! Thank God.
- سارة Saraهذا خبر رائع حقاً.Hadha khabar ra'i' haqqan.That is really great news.
- أحمد Ahmedكنت قلقاً جداً يا سارة.Kuntu qaliqan jiddan ya Sara.I was very worried, Sara.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank God” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
