وماذا عنك؟
wa madha 'anka?
In Arabic, "what about you?" is translated as وماذا عنك؟ (wa madha 'anka?).
This phrase is used to ask for another person's opinion or situation after you have shared your own.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of wa (and), madha (what), an (about) and the suffix -ka (you, masculine).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Gulf region, including countries such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, the shorter phrase وإنت؟ is commonly used to mean "And you?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The suffix at the end of the phrase changes depending on who you are addressing. To address a female, the masculine suffix -ka is replaced with the feminine suffix -ki to form وماذا عنكِ؟. To address a group of people, the suffix -kum is used instead to form وماذا عنكم؟.
How do you pronounce it?
wa madha 'anka?
Did you know?
- While وماذا عنك؟ is grammatically perfect, using it in a casual street conversation in Cairo or Beirut might make you sound like a character in a formal historical drama or a news anchor.
- The root of the word أنت (you) is shared across almost all Semitic languages, including Hebrew, making the basic structure of 'and you?' recognizable across these ancient tongues.
- The phrase وإنت؟ is often accompanied by a slight tilt of the head or a hand gesture toward the listener to emphasize the shift in focus.
Examples in context
- أنا بخير، وماذا عنك؟Ana bikhayr, wa madha 'anka?I am fine, and what about you?
- أحب القهوة، وماذا عنك؟Uhibbu al-qahwa, wa madha 'anka?I love coffee, and what about you?
- أريد الذهاب الآن، وماذا عنك؟Uridu al-dhahab al-an, wa madha 'anka?I want to go now, and what about you?
Example conversation
Nour and Ahmed are discussing their weekend plans.
- نور Nourسأذهب إلى السينما غداً، وماذا عنك؟Sa-adhhab ila al-sinima ghadan, wa madha 'annaka?I will go to the cinema tomorrow, and what about you?
- أحمد Ahmedسأبقى في المنزل لأرتاح.Sa-abqa fi al-manzil li-artah.I will stay at home to rest.
- نور Nourهذا جيد، أنت تحتاج إلى الراحة.Hadha jayyid, anta tahtaj ila al-raha.That is good, you need the rest.
- أحمد Ahmedشكراً يا نور.Shukran ya Nour.Thank you, Nour.
