What it means
صبح بخیر (sobh be-kheyr) is the standard morning greeting in Persian, meaning literally “morning to goodness” or “may your morning be good.” Both key nouns come from Arabic: صبح (sobh, “morning”) and خیر (kheyr, “goodness, wellbeing”), connected by the Persian preposition به (be, “to”). The phrase arrived in Persian through centuries of Arabic influence on the language and is now completely naturalized. A common response is صبح شما هم بخیر (sobh-e shomâ ham be-kheyr), meaning “and a good morning to you too.”
How to use it
- صبح بخیر، چطوری؟ (Sobh be-kheyr, chetori?) “Good morning, how are you?”
- صبح بخیر، خوب خوابیدی؟ (Sobh be-kheyr, khub khâbidi?) “Good morning, did you sleep well?”
- صبح شما هم بخیر. (Sobh-e shomâ ham be-kheyr.) “Good morning to you too.”
- صبح بخیر به همه. (Sobh be-kheyr be hame.) “Good morning to everyone.”
Cultural note
In Iran, morning greetings carry a warmth that goes beyond a simple formality. Saying صبح بخیر to colleagues, neighbors, and shopkeepers is expected and omitting it can seem cold or distracted. The phrase is equally common in spoken conversation and written messages, and it is one of the first greetings taught to Persian learners at the A1 level. Its Arabic components are so embedded in everyday speech that most native speakers think of it as simply Persian.