# Palestinian Arabic: صحتين - على قلبك



## Nunty

Since I don't know how to pronounce this correctly, I don't know how to transliterate it correctly (and that may well be why I couldn't find it in a forum search).

The office tea lady brings me my tea and says "sa7ten".

I reply something like "ala (3ala?) albik".

Then she says something, but she is always halfway out the door by then and I can't make it out. (I hope she's not just laughing at my essays into Arabic. )

So, two questions:
What is the correct pronunciation of the reply to sa7ten?
What is the reply that comes next?

Many thanks!


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## elroy

I would transliterate صحتين as _sa7teen_ because the second vowel is long.

The response is على قلبك - _3ala albak_ to a guy and _3ala albek_ to a girl.

I am not aware of a standard response to that.  I will check with my parents, though, and get back to you.  Stay tuned.


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## Nunty

Thank you, Elroy. Staying tuned.


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## evanovka

I would try with a somewhat official "shukran", or maybe better with a more friendly / informal "salim ideeki" for "thank you (female)" - depending on how nice your office lady is, i.e. what level of friendliness you want to use (3ala 2albik was maybe too close?)
... but I am curious what Elroy's parents suggest


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## Nunty

Thank you, evanovka. She is probably the nicest person in the office. 

I am interested in your suggestion to use _salim ideeki_ because _3ala 2albek_ might be too close. I was unaware of that; I thought it was just the proper response to sa7teen.

In case it's a regional thing, we are in Jerusalem.


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## evanovka

I'm afraid I cannot be more precise in my answer ... I use Arabic only in family, and there, probably it's another level of politeness than "outside"... and then it's a small friendly town compared to a tough city like Jerusalem (sorry, no offense intended).


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## Mahaodeh

Actually evanovka, 3ala 'albik/ak is the standard response in Palestinian Arabic, it's neither too formal nor too informal and would suit all situations.

As for sallim ideeki (or yislamu), it would be a nice thing to say too, but it's not a reply to sa7teen. The way I would imagin it happening to me is:

lady comes in with tea,
me: sukran imm kaza/khaltu/fulana, yislamu ideeki.
lady: Se7teen.
me: 3ala 'albik.

I know it seems like a long dialoug, but sometimes things like that can be twice or three times as long.


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## evanovka

Thank you Mahoadeh ... now it is clear.
I knew my attempt was very, hm, greenhornish? 
In my personal experience, shukran or salim ideeki is often not the perfect fit, but it is a safe choice - wrong?


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## elroy

It's not different from other languages.  Generally, no one is going to get upset if you thank them , but it might sound weird.  Imagine that in German, you said _Hallo!_ to someone and they responded with _Danke!_.  It's an extreme example, perhaps, but it helps make my point.  I know that in German you can respond to _Guten Appetit!_ with _Danke!_ but in Arabic you don't say _shukran_ or any of its equivalents in response to _sa7teen_.  As a matter of fact, we rarely use _shukran_ in response to wishes (for example, the response to _kul sane w-inte saalem _is _w-inte saalem_ and the response to _mabruuk_ is _ybaarek fiik_).

There is a word, however, that can almost always be used in response to something nice when there's not a standard response or when you can't think of it, and that's _tislam_ (_tislami _to a female and _tislamu_ to a group).  I wouldn't use it after _sa7teen_ (_sa7teen_ and _3ala albak_ just go together!), but I think it would be fine in response to _3ala albak_.  It may not be a standard response, but I don't think it would sound weird.


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## Nunty

Thanks to all of you.


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## elroy

I talked to my parents and they, like me, do not know of a standard response to _3ala albak_.  Perhaps you could just ask the tea lady what she says, Nun-T, and report back.


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## Nunty

I'll ask her, but I'm not sure she'll tell me. She's a sweet, shy lady.

Or maybe she really is muttering about my abominable pronunciation!

Thanks everyone.


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## columbe1

Hi there,

I'm enjoying reading this thread! Just a little question... with the _yslamu ideiki_, am I correct that the full "standard" form of this is _Allah yslamu ideiki_? Could someone elaborate on that please? 

And also likewise with the phrase _tislam_, what would the equivalent form be?


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## elroy

columbe1 said:


> Just a little question... with the _yslamu ideiki_, am I correct that the full "standard" form of this is _Allah yslamu ideiki_? Could someone elaborate on that please?


 _Yislamo ideeki _is a complete expression.  _*Ysallem *ideeki_ is short for _Alla ysallem ideeki_. 





> And also likewise with the phrase _tislam_, what would the equivalent form be?


 That one is complete too.


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## columbe1

Thanks  Translations please?


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## elroy

Literal translations are not very useful in this case, but here goes:

_yislamo ideek(i)_: May your hands be/remain whole
_(Alla) ysallem ideek(i)_: May God make/keep your hands whole
_Tislam(i)_: May you be/remain whole


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## Nunty

elroy said:


> I talked to my parents and they, like me, do not know of a standard response to _3ala albak_.  Perhaps you could just ask the tea lady what she says, Nun-T, and report back.



This morning I was able to hear what that dear lady said as she walked out of my office: "Mnii7! Shatra!"  

She is trying to encourage me.


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## elroy

Mystery solved then. 

And I'd like to join your friend in encouraging to keep studying Arabic.


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