شكرا لكِ
shukran lakistandard, to a woman
To a woman, say شكرا لكِ (shukran laki) in Arabic. The plain شكرا (shukran) fits anyone, and أشكركِ (ashkuruki) is the formal "I thank you".
Meaning: expressing thanks to a woman (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| شكرا لكِ | shukran laki | standard, to a woman |
| أشكركِ | ashkuruki | formal, to a woman |
| شكرا | shukran | neutral, any listener |
The reply عفوا (ʿafwan), "you are welcome", does not change for a woman. A warmer answer is لا شكر على واجب (lā shukra ʿalā wājib), "no thanks needed for a duty".
Which one should you use?
The feminine ending is -ki in place of the masculine -ka. In everyday writing without vowel marks the two look nearly the same, so the spoken ending carries the difference.
When do people say it?
Showing thanks to a woman in Arabic often adds a blessing, for example الله يعطيكِ العافية (Allāh yaʿṭīki al-ʿāfiya), "may God give you health".
Did you know?
- The same root gives شاكر (shākir) for a man and شاكرة (shākira) for a woman, both used as first names meaning "thankful".
Examples in context
- شكرا لكِ يا سارةshukran laki yā SāraThank you, Sara.
- أشكركِ على الدعوةashkuruki ʿalā ad-daʿwaI thank you for the invitation.
- شكرا على كل شيءshukran ʿalā kull shayʾThank you for everything.
Example conversation
Ahmad thanks his colleague Mona after she shares her notes before a meeting.
- Monaهذه ملاحظاتيhādhihi mulāḥaẓātīHere are my notes.
- Ahmadشكرا لكِ يا منىshukran laki yā MunāThank you, Mona.
- Monaعفوا، بالتوفيقʿafwan, bi-t-tawfīqYou are welcome, good luck.
