How to say "happy" in Arabic
Shifted meaningMeaninghappy
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
saʿīdסעיד
سعيد
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
sameakhسَامِيَاخ
How the two words are related
Same root as a Hebrew word, but the meaning drifted over the centuries.
Arabic root
س-ع-دHebrew root
ס-ע-דArabic s-ʿ-d means 'to be fortunate' and also 'to help' (sāʿada), and is traditionally linked to Hebrew sa'ad (סעד), 'to support, sustain' — the root behind seuda (סעודה), a festive meal. Saadia Gaon's Arabic name was exactly this word: Saʿīd.
Related Hebrew word:סעדsa'adسَاءَد
Learn it
On the street
How people actually say it in the spoken dialects, where it differs from the standard word.
Levantine · Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria
The everyday spoken word — borrowed into Israeli slang as mabsut (מבסוט).
Egyptian · Cairo and the Nile Delta
Moroccan · Morocco — Casablanca, Rabat, Fes
Darija says ferḥān, from the root of faraḥ, joy.
In a phrase
I am happy today
Plural
broken plural CuCaCāʾ — the people-pattern, like حكيم→حكماء