selamat pagi
/səlamat paɡi/
selamat pagi is the Indonesian way to say good morning.
The phrase is used when you see someone for the first time in the morning. While selamat pagi is the most common and standard way to express this, you can also use the shortened version pagi in casual settings.
Meaning: when seeing someone for the first time in the morning (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The expression is composed of selamat, which means safe, blessed or congratulations and pagi, which means morning.
Which one should you use?
selamat pagi is the standard, full expression used in most situations, whereas pagi is a shorter, more casual alternative.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is a fixed expression and does not change based on the gender or number of the people you are addressing.
How do you pronounce it?
/səlamat paɡi/
Did you know?
- The word selamat is derived from the Arabic plural salāmāt, meaning 'peace'. This makes the phrase 'good morning' literally a wish for 'peace' and 'morning'.
- Indonesian has separate greetings for different times of the day, and selamat pagi typically only lasts until about 11 a.m. After that, people switch to selamat siang for the midday sun.
- In Indonesian, selamat is a versatile word used for 'congratulations', 'safe', and greetings. It functions as a universal prefix for wishing someone a positive state of being.
Examples in context
- Selamat pagi, apa kabar?Good morning, how are you?This sentence is useful for seeing how to combine a greeting with a question about someone's well-being using selamat pagi.Tatoeba #10106958 by HAGNi, translation #3249362 by nava
- Selamat pagi.Good morning.This is a simple, standalone use of selamat pagi.Tatoeba #4691981 by Bilmanda, translation #2258234 by _undertoad
- Halo! Selamat pagi!Hello! Good morning!This shows how to use selamat pagi alongside a general greeting like hello.Tatoeba #3476857 by orion17, translation #435082 by lukaszpp
- Selamat pagi, Pak [Name]. Apa kabar?Good morning, Mr. [Name]. How are you?
- Pagi, Teman! Mau apa hari ini?Good morning, friend! What are you up to today?
- Selamat pagi juga!Good morning to you too!
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dimas and Maya meet at a cafe in the morning.
- DimasSelamat pagi, Maya.Good morning, Maya.
- MayaSelamat pagi, Dimas.Good morning, Dimas.
- DimasBagaimana kabarmu hari ini?How are you today?
- MayaAku baik, terima kasih.I am good, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good morning” translations and entries selamat pagi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pagi, selamat, selamat pagi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
