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### How are you?

After the greeting comes the question **{{item:1112157}}** — *how are you?* (literally *how is your state?*). The standard answer is **{{item:1112159}}**, *fine* or *well*, very often followed by **{{item:1112162}}**, *praise be to God*. Arabic speakers of every background use الحمد لله this way, the way English speakers say *thank God* or simply *thanks*.

{{item:1112163}}

If things are only so-so, say **{{item:1112165}}** — *not bad, it's all right*.

{{item:1112166}}

### Meeting someone

When you are introduced, say **{{item:1112168}}** — *pleased to meet you* (literally *we are honoured*). The form is the same whoever says it and to whomever it is said.

{{item:1112170}}

### Saying goodbye

| formula | when |
|---|---|
| مع السلامة | the everyday *goodbye* (literally *with safety*) |
| إلى اللقاء | *see you* — you expect to meet again |
| وداعا | *farewell* — a longer or final parting |
| تصبح على خير | *good night*, said when someone goes to sleep |

{{item:1112175}}

Like *good night* in English, **{{item:1112180}}** is only a leave-taking, never a greeting. It is addressed to a man; to a woman it becomes *تصبحين على خير*.

How are you? and goodbye (كيف حالك، مع السلامة)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

interrogative

noun

numeral

particle

prefix

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

The definite article and locatives (الـ)

Basic noun gender (ة)

Sun and moon letters

Singular subject pronouns (أنا، أنت، هو، هي)

Indefinite nouns and nominal sentences (ـٌ)

Demonstrative pronouns for 'this' (هذا / هذه)

Separate prepositions (في، من، إلى، على)

Attributive adjectives

Predicative adjectives

Yes/No questions (هل، أ)

Basic questions (من، ما، أين)

Singular possessive pronouns (ـي، ـك، ـه، ـها)

Plural subject pronouns (نحن، أنتم، هم)

Plural possessive pronouns (ـنا، ـكم، ـهم)

Noun possession

Attached prepositions (بـ، لـ، كـ)

Pronouns with prepositions

Having and possessing (عند، لـ، مع)

Regular plural nouns (ـون، ـين، ـات)

Broken plurals

Dual nouns (ـان / ـين)

Plural and distant demonstratives (هؤلاء، ذلك، تلك)

Non-human plural agreement

Present tense singular verbs

Verbal sentences (VSO)

Present tense plural verbs

Topicalized sentences (SVO)

The indefinite accusative case (ـاً)

Verb object pronouns (-ني، -ك، -ه)

Present tense negation (لا)

Question words with verbs (متى، كيف...)

Adverbs of time and place

The future tense (سـ / سوف)

Intentions and desires (أن)

Negating states and possession (ليس)

Past tense singular suffixes

Past tense plural suffixes

Negating past events (ما)

Singular commands

Numbers 1 to 10

Number agreement for 1 and 2 (واحد، اثنان)

Asking how many (كم)

Numbers 3 to 10 (ثلاثة إلى عشرة)

Ordinal numbers 1 to 10 (الأول، الثاني)

Basic conjunctions (فـ، أو، لكن)

Ordering at a café (واحد، اثنان)

Food and drink with conjunctions (و، ف، أو، لكن)

There is and there are (هناك / ليس هناك)

Direct address (يا)

Giving reasons (لأنّ)

Relative pronouns (الذي / التي)

Quantifiers (كل / بعض)

The past tense of 'to be' (كان)

Past possession

Numbers 11 to 19 and tens to 80

Telling time (الساعة)

This book vs this is a book (هذا الكتاب، هذا كتاب)

Greetings (مرحبا، السلام عليكم)

Nationalities (مصري، مصرية)

Roots and patterns (كتب، كتاب، مكتب)

Politeness (من فضلك، آسف)

Complex possession chains

Colors and traits (أفعل / فعلاء)

Plural colors and traits (فُعْل)

Comparative adjectives (أفعل من)

Superlative adjectives (أفعل)

Adverbs of manner (ـاً)

The nominative case (ـُ)

The genitive case (ـِ)

The accusative case (ـَ)

Dual noun cases (ـان / ـين)

Masculine plurals and 'the best of' (أفضل النجارين)

Emphasizing sentences (إنّ)

Connecting clauses (أنّ)

Reporting speech (قال إنّ)

Expressing contrast (لكنّ)

Comparison and probability (كأنّ, لعلّ)

Distant plural pointing (أولئك)

Plural relative pronouns (الذين, اللواتي)

Past habits (كان + present)

Ongoing actions (ما زال)

Masculine plurals online (مبرمجون، مؤثرون)

Perfective past (قد)

Probability (قد)

The subjunctive mood (أن)

Expressing purpose (لـ)

Question	Answer
how are you?	كيف حالكkayfa hâluka
Hello, how are you?	مرحبا، كيف حالك؟marhaban, kayfa hâluka
fine / well	بخيرbikhayrin
How are you? I am fine.	كيف حالك؟ أنا بخير.kayfa hâluka? ana bikhayr.
Are you well now?	هل أنت بخير الآن؟hal anta bikhayrin al-ân?
praise be to God (thank God)	الحمد للهal-hamdu lillâh
I am fine, thank God.	أنا بخير، الحمد لله.ana bikhayrin, alhamdu lillâh
We are fine, thank God.	نحن بخير، الحمد لله.naḥnu bikhayrin, alḥamdu lillâh
not bad / it's all right	لا بأسlâ ba's
How are you? Not bad.	كيف حالك؟ لا بأس.kayfa hâluka? lâ ba'sa.
Not bad, I am busy now.	لا بأس، أنا مشغول الآن.lâ ba'sa, ana mashghûlun al-âna.
pleased to meet you	تشرفناtasharrafnâ
I am a new student. Pleased to meet you!	أنا طالب جديد. تشرفنا!ana tâlibun jadîdun. tasharrafnâ!
This is my sister. Pleased to meet you!	هذه أختي. تشرفنا!hâdhihi ukhtî. tasharrafnâ!
Pleased to meet you! Where are you from?	تشرفنا! من أين أنت؟tasharrafnâ! min ayna anta?
goodbye	مع السلامةma'a s-salâmah
I am in the office now. Goodbye!	أنا في المكتب الآن. مع السلامة!ana fee al-maktabi al-âna. ma'a as-salâmah!
see you later	إلى اللقاءilâ l-liqâ'
Goodbye! — See you later!	مع السلامة! — إلى اللقاء!ma'a as-salâmah! — ilâ al-liqâ'!
See you at school!	إلى اللقاء في المدرسة!ilâ l-liqâ' fi l-madrasah!
farewell	وداعاwadâ'an
Farewell! You are a good friend.	وداعا! أنت صديق جيد.wadâ'an! anta sadîqun jayyidun.
She is sad. Farewell!	هي حزينة. وداعا!hiya hazîna. wadâ'an!
good night	تصبح على خيرtusbih 'alâ khayrin
Good night! I am tired.	تصبح على خير! أنا متعب.tusbih 'alâ khayr! ana mut'ab.
I am at home now. Good night!	أنا في البيت الآن. تصبح على خير!ana fî al-bayti al-âna. tusbih 'alâ khayr!
pleased to meet you (honoured to know you)	تشرفت بمعرفتكtasharraftu bimarifatik
Pleased to meet you. — Me too.	تشرفت بمعرفتك. — وأنا أيضا.tasharraftu bima'rifatik. — wa ana aydan.
I am happy, pleased to meet you.	أنا سعيد، تشرفت بمعرفتك.'anâ saîdun, tasharraftu bimarifatika

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