selamat malam
/səˈlamat ˈmalam/word by word
selamat malam is the Indonesian way to say good evening.
selamat malam is used as a greeting during the evening or night-time.
Meaning: greeting said in the evening (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of selamat meaning safe or blessed and malam meaning night.
Which one should you use?
While selamat malam is used once it is dark or night-time, you should use selamat sore for the late afternoon or early evening, roughly from 3 PM until sunset.
How do you pronounce it?
/səˈlamat ˈmalam/
Did you know?
- In some Indonesian contexts, the word malam has an unexpected etymological link to words for 'ointment' or 'cream' in Persian and Gujarati.
- The core of selamat malam is the word selamat, which is also used independently to say 'congratulations'.
- Because selamat malam is often used to bid someone farewell before sleep, it is much more common to use a different phrase for an evening greeting in social settings.
Examples in context
- Selamat malam, apa kabar?Good evening, how are you?This sentence shows how to use selamat malam when asking how someone is.Tatoeba #11133057 by HAGNi, translation #413820 by Dorenda
- Selamat malam.Good evening.This sentence provides a simple way to use selamat malam as a standalone greeting.Tatoeba #2815007 by lewis, translation #333156 by Aurix
- Selamat malam!Good evening!This sentence demonstrates the use of selamat malam with an exclamation.Tatoeba #11231216 by Pacific, translation #2265983 by _undertoad
- Ketua, Selamat Malam. Terima kasih atas kesempatan ini.Chairperson, Good evening. Thank you for this opportunity.
- Malem, teman-teman! Gimana kabarnya hari ini?Good evening, friends! How was your day?
Example conversation
Rian and Indah meet at a cafe in the evening.
- RianSelamat malam, Indah.Good evening, Indah.
- IndahSelamat malam, Rian.Good evening, Rian.
- RianApa kabar kamu hari ini?How are you doing today?
- IndahAku baik, terima kasih.I am fine, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good evening” translations and entries selamat malam, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (selamat, malam) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries malam, selamat, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
