selamat petang
/səˈlamat pəˈtaŋ/word by wordRumi
In Malay, "good evening" is said as selamat petang. Wiktionary also lists سلامت ڤتڠ.
Meaning: greeting said in the evening (intj)
Ways to say it
| Malay | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| selamat petang | /səˈlamat pəˈtaŋ/ (word by word) | Rumi |
| سلامت ڤتڠ | Jawi |
selamat petang is used as a greeting from the afternoon until the sun sets, rather than late at night.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of two parts: selamat, which literally means safe, secure or blessed and petang, which refers to the period from the afternoon until sunset.
Which one should you use?
While selamat petang is used for the evening, selamat malam is used for the night or when saying goodbye at night.
How do you pronounce it?
/səˈlamat pəˈtaŋ/
Did you know?
- The word selamat shares an Arabic root with the English word 'salvation' and the name 'Salma', both of which trace back to the idea of being 'safe' or 'sound'.
- The word selamat is used for almost every greeting in Malay, including 'good morning' selamat pagi and 'congratulations' selamat.
- If you use selamat malam to greet someone while the sun is still setting, you might inadvertently imply you are saying 'goodbye' rather than 'hello'.
Examples in context
- Selamat petang. Saya gembira berjumpa dengan tuan/puan.Good evening. I am pleased to meet you, sir/ma'am.
- Selamat petang, semua.Good evening, everyone.
- Selamat petang, encik.Good evening, sir.
Example conversation
Muhammad meets Nur at a cafe in the late afternoon.
- MuhammadSelamat petang, Nur.Good evening, Nur.
- NurSelamat petang, Muhammad.Good evening, Muhammad.
- MuhammadApa khabar awak?How are you?
- NurSaya baik, terima kasih.I am fine, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good evening” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (selamat, petang) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries petang, selamat, CC BY-SA 4.0.
