"How are you" in Arabic can be said in multiple ways depending on the formality, dialect, and the gender of the person being addressed. The most common and widely understood phrase in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is:
- كيف حالك؟ (Kayfa Hālak?) — for addressing a male
- كيف حالكِ؟ (Kayfa Hālik?) — for addressing a female
For informal or dialectal variations:
- In Egyptian Arabic, "إزّيك؟" (Ezzayyak?) is used for males and "إزّيكِ؟" (Ezzayyek?) for females.
- In Levantine Arabic, "كيفك؟" (Kifak?) is used for males and "كيفكِ؟" (Kifek?) for females.
These expressions all mean "How are you?" but vary by region and formality.