Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| پیشواز | pišvâz | |
| سلام | salâm | /sa.ˈlaːm/ (Classical Persian) |
| احوالپرسی | ahvâl-porsi |
The term for greeting can vary depending on whether you are describing the act of welcoming someone, the specific words used to say hello or the act of asking after someone's well-being. سلام is the most common and versatile way to greet someone in both formal and informal settings.
What does it mean word for word?
پیشواز (pišvâz) is composed of پیش (piš) meaning 'before' or 'in front of' and واز (vâz) from the verb to go/approach, literally meaning 'to go out to meet someone'. احوالپرسی (ahvâl-porsi) is built from احوال (ahvâl) meaning 'conditions/states' and پرسی (porsi) from the verb to ask/inquire.
Which one should you use?
While پیشواز (pišvâz) refers to the act of receiving or welcoming someone, سلام (salâm) is the actual word used to say 'hello'. احوالپرسی (ahvâl-porsi) refers specifically to the act of asking how someone is doing, rather than just a general greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
pišvâz
Did you know?
- While سلام is the universal greeting, Persian has a complex system called تعارف (ta'arof) that dictates highly stylized and polite ways of greeting others to show humility.
- When using سلام in a formal setting, it is common to accompany the greeting with a slight nod or a hand placed over the heart to show sincerity.
- Persian speakers may use different versions of سلام depending on the religious or regional context, such as درود (dorud) for a more purely Persian, non-Arabic greeting.
Examples in context
- بی طمع نشنیده‌ام از خاص و عام / من سلامی ای برادر والسلام.From both the great and small, I’ve never heard, A greeting without wish, brother, here’s my word.This sentence demonstrates the use of the word سلام.Tatoeba #9872250 by cojiluc, translation #12607462 by cojiluc
- سلام، حالت خوبه؟Hi, how are you?
- سلام، مرسی. خوبم، ممنون.Hi, thanks. I'm good, thanks.
Example conversation
Mohammad and Maryam are discussing how to welcome a visiting relative.
- محمد Mohammadمریم، برای عمو چه پیشوازی در نظر داری؟Maryām, barā-ye amū che pishvāzī dar nazar dārī?Maryam, what kind of greeting do you have in mind for uncle?
- مریم Maryamیک پیشواز ساده و صمیمی کافی است، محمد.yek pishvāz-e sāde va samīmī kāfī ast, Mohammād.A simple and sincere greeting is enough, Mohammad.
- محمد Mohammadراست می‌گویی، خوش‌آمدگویی مهم‌تر است.rāst mīgūyī, khosh-āmad-gūyī mohem-tar ast.You are right, the welcome is more important.
- مریم Maryamپس همین‌طور پیش می‌رویم.pas hamīntor pīsh mīravīm.So we will proceed that way.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “greeting” translations and entries سلام, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
