Arabic -I’m doing well! -Arabic Beginner Lesson-30
When someone asks you how you’re doing, if you’re doing just fine, the typical
response is al-Hamdu li-llah (al-ham-dou lee-lah). al-Hamdu li-llah literally
means “Praise to God,” but in this context, it translates to “I’m doing
well.” Typically, after you say al-Hamdu li-llah, you follow up by saying
shukran (shouk-ran; thank you). As you expose yourself to more and more
Chapter 3: ‘as-salaamu ‘alaykum!: Greetings and Introductions 51
Arabic phrases and terms, you’ll notice that the reference to Allah is widespread.
Modern Arabic evolved from the Koran, and many everyday phrases
still contain religious references. That’s why a phrase as mundane as “I’m
doing well” takes on religious overtones.
A greeting wouldn’t be complete if both sides didn’t address each other. So
after you say al-Hamdu li-llah, shukran, you need to ask the other person
how he or she is doing:
If you’re speaking with a man, you say wa ‘anta kayf al-Haal (wa an-ta
ka-yef al-haal; And you, how are you?).
If you’re speaking with a woman, you say wa ‘anti kayf al-Haal (wa antee
ka-yef al-haal; And you, how are you?).