How to Say How Are You in Arabic
How do you say “How are you?” in Arabic? Generally, you would say, “كيف حالك؟” (kayf halik). That said, it’s important to know that there are many regional differences in pronunciation, as well as consideration for the gender of the person you’re speaking to, and even different degrees of formality you may choose from.
The Arabic dialect that Rosetta Stone teaches in its language lessons is Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). This Arabic dialect is the broadcast standard language on Al Jazeera TV, and is the standard dialect of business, government, educational institutions and publications. Modern Standard Arabic is very similar to Egyptian Arabic and has its origins in the classical Arabic used in the Koran (Qur’an).
Most native and non-native Arabic speakers use MSA combined with a colloquial dialect that reflects factors such as region and socio-economic status, depending on the formality of the setting. A language learner who learns MSA will have a firm foundation for communication, and from there can expand his or her knowledge to include Arabic colloquial dialects.
Rosetta Stone pioneered an approach called Dynamic Immersion™. It will teach you to understand the language and how it is used, not just the words. What makes it so effective is that we prepare you to use your new language in your everyday life. So it’s not just about the features, but what you’re able to do because of them. That way, you’ll be ready to handle any situation with ease and confidence.
Learning to Read and Speak Arabic
The 28 characters of the Arabic alphabet directly correspond to the sounds they represent. There is currently no standard version of the Arabic alphabet that uses the characters used in the English alphabet (Roman characters).
In most contemporary Arabic countries today, you would often see Modern Standard Arabic written without vowels at all. But although you do not see the vowels in written words, you still pronounce them. The written Arabic, including vowels, is helpful when learning the language because seeing the vowels helps you recognize the unique sounds that factor into the pronunciation and meaning of each Arabic word.
Although it may seem challenging to simultaneously learn both a new alphabet and a new language (and especially a language that reads right-to-left), Rosetta Stone’s immersive approach to language learning will help you to simultaneously develop your listening and your reading skills, as you learn the vocabulary of the Arabic language.
Once you develop an understanding of Arabic spelling and vocabulary, you’ll be able to refine your pronunciation. To get your pronunciation right requires that you get immediate and accurate feedback on your efforts. That way, you can make any needed corrections to your pronunciation. Then you’ll want to practice until you get a feel for shaping the sounds that make up the Arabic language.
Rosetta Stone integrates our proven and patented speech-recognition engine, TruAccent, into every Arabic language lesson. TruAccent provides immediate feedback to help you match your accent with that of native Arabic speakers. TruAccent was developed by carefully scanning and closely analyzing the speech of fluent Arabic speakers, and can be of great help as you learn to understand and be understood in Arabic.
After beginning Arabic learners have acquired the Arabic basics that make up the building blocks of speaking everyday Arabic, it’ll be a natural transition to move onto learning the longer phrases that make up so much of everyday conversations. Rosetta Stone’s brief, 10-minute lessons are designed to help you do just that, moving naturally towards speaking Arabic with confidence.
Try Our Award-Winning App
Surround yourself with Arabic whenever, wherever with the Rosetta Stone app .
Download a unit and knock it out on the train or a flight. Select a 5-10 minute lesson and sneak it in while you wait in line or for your ride to show up. And explore dynamic features, like Seek and Speak, where you can point at an object in the real world and get a translation .
The best part? You don’t have to choose between app or desktop. Both come with your subscription and sync, so you can switch between devices seamlessly.
