How are you, really?

Every Palestinian conversation opens the same way: «كيفك؟» — how are you? You answer «الحمد لله» first, then say how you actually feel. Feeling words change with gender: Adam is «مبسوط» (mabsoot), Maria is «مبسوطة» (mabsoota) — listen for that final -a.

• كيفك؟how are you?
• منيح / منيحةgood, fine (m/f)
• مبسوط / مبسوطةhappy (m/f)
• زعلان / زعلانةupset, sad (m/f)
• تعبان / تعبانةtired (m/f)
• جوعان / جوعانةhungry (m/f)
• شو أخبارك؟what's your news? (how's it going?)
• كيف اليوم؟how's the day going?
• الحمد للهthank God (I'm fine)
• ماشي الحالthings are okay
• الجوthe weather
• حلوnice, lovely
• اليومtoday
• شويa little, a bit