A1Unit 1 · Hello! · Lesson 3 of 100
How are you?
kīf ḥālak? · kīf ḥālik? · mnīḥ, il-ḥamdilla
Goal: Ask a man, a woman or several people how they are, and answer when they ask you.
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Dialogue
Lina meets her cousins Khalil and Rana for the first time. You will learn to ask "How are you?" and to answer it. The question changes when you speak to a man, to a woman or to several people.
Evening in the Khalil family's living room. Lina meets her cousins.
- Khalilmarḥaba, Līna! kīf ḥālik?Hello, Lina! How are you?
- Linamarḥabtēn! mnīḥa, il-ḥamdilla. w inte, kīf ḥālak?Hello! Fine, thank God. And you, how are you?
- Khalilil-ḥamdilla, mnīḥ.Fine, thank God.
- Ranaahla w sahla, Līna! kīfik?Welcome, Lina! How are you?
- Linaahlan fīki! tamām. w inti?Thank you! Fine. And you?
- Ranail-ḥamdilla, tamām.Fine, thank God.
- Khalilshu l-akhbār? kīf il-ḥāl?What's new? How are things?
- Linamabsūṭa ktīr, il-ḥamdilla!I'm very happy, thank God!
- Imm Khalilkīf ḥālkom?How are you all?
- Ranamnāḥ, il-ḥamdilla!We're fine, thank God!
New words
| Palestinian Arabic | English |
|---|---|
| kīf ḥālak | how are you (to a man)to a woman: kīf ḥālik; to several people: kīf ḥālkom |
| kīfak | how are you (to a man, casual)to a woman: kīfik; to several people: kīfkom |
| mnīḥ | good, well, finea woman says mnīḥa; several people: mnāḥ |
| il-ḥamdilla | thank God; finethe usual answer to "how are you?" |
| tamām | fine, OK, perfectnever changes |
| mabsūṭ | happy, pleased; doing wella woman: mabsūṭa; several people: mabsūṭīn |
| ktīr | very; a lotafter the word: mabsūṭ ktīr "very happy" |
| w | andw inte? "and you?" (to a man), w inti? (to a woman) |
| shu l-akhbār | what's new |
| kīf il-ḥāl | how are things |
Grammar
1. To a man, to a woman, to several people
The question changes with the person you speak to. Add -ak for a man, -ik for a woman, -kom for several people.
| Speaking to… | How are you? | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| a man | kīf ḥālak? | kīfak? |
| a woman | kīf ḥālik? | kīfik? |
| several people | kīf ḥālkom? | kīfkom? |
2. The answer changes with the speaker
Now the ending follows the person who answers. A man says mnīḥ, a woman says mnīḥa, several people say mnāḥ. In the same way: mabsūṭ, mabsūṭa, mabsūṭīn. il-ḥamdilla and tamām never change.
3. "Very" and "and you?"
ktīr comes after the word: mabsūṭa ktīr "very happy". To return the question, say w inte? to a man, w inti? to a woman.
Sound: ḥ in ḥālak is a strong, breathy h from the throat.
Practice
1Choose the right words
You ask Rana how she is.
Speaking to a woman: -ik.
You ask Khalil and Rana together how they are.
Sam (a man) is asked kīfak? He answers:
A man says mnīḥ.
Lina is asked kīf ḥālik? She answers:
Lina is a woman: mabsūṭa.
2Complete the sentence
kīf ___? = How are you? (to a man)
mnīḥa, ___. = Fine, thank God.
shu ___? = What's new?
3Match the Arabic and the English
tamām
ktīr
w
mabsūṭa
kīf il-ḥāl?
4Say it in Palestinian Arabic, then check
Ask a woman how she is, the casual way.
kīfik?
Sam answers a man: Fine, thank God. And you?
mnīḥ, il-ḥamdilla. w inte?
Lina says: I'm very happy.
mabsūṭa ktīr.
5True or false?
Lina says mnīḥa because she is a woman.
Khalil asks Lina kīf ḥālak?
To a woman he says kīf ḥālik?
Rana answers Imm Khalil's kīf ḥālkom? with mnāḥ.
Summary
- You can ask how someone is: kīf ḥālak? to a man, kīf ḥālik? to a woman, kīf ḥālkom? to several people.
- You can use the casual kīfak?, kīfik?, kīfkom?
- You can answer mnīḥ or mnīḥa, il-ḥamdilla, tamām, mabsūṭ ktīr.
- You can ask back: w inte?, w inti?, and ask shu l-akhbār?