Ways to say it
| Indonesian | IPA |
|---|---|
| selamat siang | /səˈlamat ˈsiaŋ/ (Standard Indonesian, word by word) |
| selamat sore | /səˈlamat ˈsore/ (Standard Indonesian, word by word) |
In Indonesian, greetings are divided into specific times of day rather than a single general term for "good day". You use selamat pagi for good morning, selamat siang for the midday period and selamat sore for the late afternoon or early evening. When addressing a man formally, you can add Pak before the greeting and when addressing a woman formally, you can add Ibu before the greeting.
What does it mean word for word?
The word selamat literally means safe, blessed or congratulations. In the context of these greetings, it is used to wish someone a "safe" or "blessed" period of time.
Which one should you use?
While the English "good day" is quite broad, Indonesian greetings are more specific: selamat siang refers to the period around midday or early afternoon, whereas selamat sore is used for the late afternoon or early evening, typically from around 3:00 PM until sunset.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
selamat siang is a formal greeting. For an informal way to say morning, you can simply use pagi.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bali, the traditional greeting Om Swastiastu is used to wish someone a good day.
How do you pronounce it?
/səˈlamat ˈsiaŋ/
Did you know?
- The word selamat is used not only for greetings but also to say 'congratulations' in Indonesian.
- Because selamat is derived from the Arabic word for 'peace', using a time-based greeting is linguistically similar to wishing someone a 'peaceful' midday.
- Adding Pak or Ibu to a greeting is not just about formality, but is often a cultural requirement to show respect to anyone older than the speaker.
Examples in context
- Selamat siang, bagaimana kabarmu?Good day, how are you?This sentence shows how to use selamat siang in a greeting.Tatoeba #4717225 by Bilmanda, translation #415678 by blay_paul
- Selamat Siang, Pak.Good afternoon, sir.
- Siang.Afternoon.
- Pagi, Maya.Morning, Maya.
- Selamat siang, Bapak.Good day, Sir.
Example conversation
Maya and Rian meet at a formal office meeting during the day.
- MayaSelamat siang, Pak Rian.Good day, Mr. Rian.
- RianSelamat siang, Ibu Maya.Good day, Ms. Maya.
- MayaApakah Anda sudah makan?Have you eaten?
- RianBelum, saya baru saja sampai.Not yet, I just arrived.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good day” translations and entries selamat siang, selamat sore, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (selamat, siang, sore) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries selamat, siang, sore, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
