How are you?
to a man
كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟
kayfa ḥāluka?
to a woman
كَيْفَ حَالُكِ؟
kayfa ḥāluki?
to a group
كَيْفَ حَالُكُمْ؟
kayfa ḥālukum?
How are you? Literally, how is your state?
How are you in Arabic, and how to answer
How are you in Arabic is kayfa ḥāluka (كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟) to a man and kayfa ḥāluki to a woman. The usual answer is bi-khayr, al-ḥamdu lillāh: "well, praise be to Allah".
Saying it to
Other ways to say it
How are things?
كَيْفَ الْحَال؟
kayfa l-ḥāl?
How are things? The same for anyone.
How to reply
Fine, praise be to AllahReply
بِخَيْر، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّه
bi-khayr, wal-ḥamdu lillāh
Well, and praise be to Allah.
I'm fine, thanksReply
أَنَا بِخَيْر، شُكْرًا
anā bi-khayr, shukran
I am well, thank you.
And you?Reply
to a man
وَأَنْتَ؟
wa anta?
to a woman
وَأَنْتِ؟
wa anti?
to a group
وَأَنْتُمْ؟
wa antum?
And you?
From the Sunnah and the Quran
In every stateHadith
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى كُلِّ حَال
al-ḥamdu lillāhi ʿalā kulli ḥāl
Praise be to Allah in every state.
Sunan Ibn Majah, from Aishah: what the Prophet ﷺ said when something he disliked happened.
Modern Standard Arabic, with the vowel marks. Our teachers will check the Arabic and transliteration on this page before launch.
Guide
How are you in Arabic, meaning and use
To ask how are you in Arabic, say kayfa ḥāluka? (كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟) to a man, kayfa ḥāluki? to a woman and kayfa ḥālukum? to a group. The easy answer is bi-khayr, al-ḥamdu lillāh, "well, praise be to Allah", and then wa anta?, "and you?".
The forms at a glance
| Phrase | To a man | To a woman | To a group |
|---|---|---|---|
| How are you? | كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟ kayfa ḥāluka? | كَيْفَ حَالُكِ؟ kayfa ḥāluki? | كَيْفَ حَالُكُمْ؟ kayfa ḥālukum? |
| And you? | وَأَنْتَ؟ wa anta? | وَأَنْتِ؟ wa anti? | وَأَنْتُمْ؟ wa antum? |
What the words mean
Kayfa means "how" and ḥāl means "state" or "condition", so you are asking "how is your state?". Kayfa l-ḥāl?, "how are things?", has no "you" ending, so it is the same for everyone and a safe choice if you are unsure.
Answers you will hear
- Bi-khayr: well, fine.
- Al-ḥamdu lillāh: praise be to Allah. Often the whole answer.
- Anā bi-khayr, shukran: I am well, thank you.
- Lā baʾs: not bad.
Why alhamdulillah?
For Arabic speakers, "how are you?" is almost always answered with alhamdulillah, on a good day or a hard one. It is not a report on your health so much as thanks to Allah for whatever He has written. When something he disliked happened, the Prophet ﷺ would say al-ḥamdu lillāhi ʿalā kulli ḥāl, "praise be to Allah in every state" (Sunan Ibn Majah, from Aishah).
In the dialects
Spoken Arabic differs from country to country. In Egypt people say izzayyak? and izzayyik?, and in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine kīfak? and kīfik?. The standard kayfa ḥāluka? is understood everywhere, and it is the form in books and the news.
- Sunan Ibn Majah, from Aishah, on al-hamdu lillahi ala kulli hal.
Questions
Good to know
How do you say how are you in Arabic?
Kayfa haluka? (كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟) to a man, kayfa haluki? to a woman and kayfa halukum? to a group.
How do you answer how are you in Arabic?
Bi-khair, alhamdulillah: well, praise be to Allah. Then ask wa anta? (and you?).
How do you say how are you to a woman in Arabic?
Kayfa haluki? (كَيْفَ حَالُكِ؟). In Egypt, izzayyik? and in the Levant, kifik?
What does kifak mean?
It is how are you (to a man) in the Levantine dialect of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. To a woman it is kifik.