On the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan, we encourage you to learn some holiday greetings (in the Lebanese accent, naturally) and use them with your neighbours, friends, and family. And continue practicing them all year round! They are suitable for any festive occasion.
kill 3ām wĀinta bkér / كِلّ عام وإنْتَ بْخير
| (to a man) | kill 3ām wĀinta bḰér | كِلّ عام وإنْتَ بْخير |
| (to a woman) | kill 3ām wĀinte bḰér | كِلّ عام وإنْتِ بْخير |
| (to a group) | kill 3ām wĀintō bḰér | كِلّ عام وإنْتو بْخير |
This means “May you be well with each passing year” (literally: “Every year and you are well”). Use the group greeting if you would like to give your best wishes to someone’s family as well, as in “to you and yours.”
The appropriate response is:
| (to a man) | wĀinta Ḱér | وإنْتَ خير |
| (to a woman) | wĀinte Ḱér | وإنْتِ خير |
| (to a group) | wĀintō Ḱér | وإنْتو خير |
This means “And may you be well”. For those who prefer to make the point more emphatically, there is an alternative formulation (“And may you be a thousand times well!”):
| (to a man) | wĀinta bĀalf Ḱér | وإنْتَ بْأَلْف خير |
| (to a woman) | wĀinte bĀalf Ḱér | وإنْتِ بْأَلْف خير |
| (to a group) | wĀintō bĀalf Ḱér | وإنْتو بْأَلْف خير |
nšaå llaħ byin3ād 3alék / نْشاء الله بْيِنْعاد عَليك
Since two greetings are always better than one, it is highly recommended to extend your holiday well-wishing with this expression:
| (to a man) | nšaå llaħ byin3ād 3alék | نْشاء الله بْيِنْعاد عَليك |
| (to a woman) | nšaå llaħ byin3ād 3alayke | نْشاء الله بْيِنْعاد عَلَيْكِ |
| (to a group) | nšaå llaħ byin3ād 3alaykun | نْشاء الله بْيِنْعاد عَلَيْكُن |
This is roughly equivalent to “Many happy returns”, and the response is:
| (to a man) | w3alék | وعَليك |
| (to a woman) | w3alayke | وعَلَيْكِ |
| (to a group) | w3alaykun | وعَلَيْكُن |
| Eid Mubarak! | عيد مُبارَك! |
Related
Easter in Arabic
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Arabic