Ways to say it
| Levantine Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| شكرا | shukran | |
| يعطيك العافية | ya'tik il-'afye | for help or work |
| متشكر | mitshakkir | I am thankful, to a man |
For someone who made an effort or did a service, speakers say يعطيك العافية (ya'tik il-'afye), 'may God give you strength'. A speaker can also describe himself as thankful with متشكر (mitshakkir).
What does it mean word for word?
شكرا comes from the Arabic root for gratitude. يعطيك العافية joins يعطيك, 'may He give you', with العافية, health and strength.
Which one should you use?
شكرا fits any small favor. يعطيك العافية is reserved for effort or work, such as thanking a mechanic or a cook, and sounds odd for something trivial.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
All of these are polite. شكرا is neutral everywhere, while يعطيك العافية can feel warmer and more personal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
شكرا is used the same way across the whole Levant. In Lebanon, the French مرسي (merci) often takes its place in casual speech, a shift that is much less common in Syria, Jordan or Palestine.
How does it change in a sentence?
يعطيك العافية changes with the listener, ya'tik to a man and ya'tiki to a woman, and متشكر becomes متشكرة (mitshakkirah) for a woman.
How do you pronounce it?
شكرا is stressed on the first syllable, 'SHUK-ran', the same across all Levantine accents.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Adding the Standard Arabic جزيلا (jazilan) after شكرا is understood but sounds bookish. In speech, people simply repeat شكرا or add كتير, 'a lot'.
When do people say it?
The reply to يعطيك العافية across the Levant is usually الله يسلمك (allah yislimak), 'may God keep you safe', continuing the exchange of blessings rather than a simple 'you're welcome'.
Did you know?
- يعطيك العافية is used the same way from Damascus to Amman to Jerusalem, one of the clearest examples of a shared Levantine blessing.
- Replying to thanks with a blessing rather than a plain 'you're welcome' is a pattern found throughout the Levant, not limited to any single country.
Examples in context
- شكرا كتير على وقتك.shukran ktir ala wa'tak.Thank you very much for your time.
- يعطيك العافية على الشغل.ya'tik il-'afye ala l-shighil.Thank you for the work.
- متشكر كتير، ما كنت لعرف أعمل هالشي لحالي.mitshakkir ktir, ma kint la'rif a'mal hal-shi la-hali.I'm very grateful, I would not have known how to do this alone.
Example conversation
Nadia thanks the plumber Abu Firas for fixing her kitchen pipe.
- Nadiaشكرا كتير، صار تمام.shukran ktir, sar tamam.Thank you so much, it's fine now.
- Abu Firasالله يسلمك، تكرمي.allah yislimik, tikrami.God keep you safe, you are welcome.
- Nadiaيعطيك العافية على السرعة.ya'tik il-'afye ala l-sur'a.Thank you for being so quick.
- Abu Firasأكيد، هاد شغلي.akid, had shighli.Of course, that is my job.
