How Are You in Egyptian Arabic: Ezzayak and Ezzayek

Use ezzayak? when asking a man how he is and ezzayek? when asking a woman. The final vowel changes with the person you address.

The basic contrast

Other spelling systems may write izzayak, ezzayyak, or show the vowels differently. Franco does not have one official spelling. Glyph keeps the two learner-facing forms visually distinct.

Useful short answers

The adjective agrees with the speaker. Tamaam is convenient because it does not change in the same way.

Return the question

The w- at the beginning means and. In fast speech, it attaches to the pronoun.

Put the exchange together

ezzayek?
How are you? addressed to a woman.

kwayyesa, el7amdulillah. wenta?
I am good, thank God. And you? said by a woman to a man.

Notice that two different gender choices appear. Kwayyesa describes the woman speaking. Wenta addresses the man listening.

Practice by changing one role

Start with:

ezzayak?
How are you? addressed to a man.

Now change only the listener:

ezzayek?
How are you? addressed to a woman.

Then change the speaker's answer:

kwayyes
Good, said by a man.

kwayyesa
Good, said by a woman.

Keeping one contrast in focus is more effective than trying to memorize every greeting variation at once.

Practice the return question

In the Glyph Day 1 demo, ezzayak? leads directly to an answer and w enta?, so the phrase becomes a turn you can carry rather than a line you only recognize.

Useful references

• University of Oregon, Egyptian Arabic for First-Year Students
• Desert Sky, Egyptian Arabic forms of address

Use these forms inside a first Egyptian Arabic conversation or practice the reviewed Day 1 exchange in the browser demo.