salam
/ˈsalam/
The English word greeting is translated into Indonesian as salam.
The noun salam refers to an acknowledgement of a person's presence or arrival. It is often used in a religious or formal context, particularly to refer to an Islamic greeting. You may see it used in specific phrases such as salam pembuka for an opening greeting in a speech or letter, and salam penutup for a closing greeting in a speech or letter.
Meaning: acknowledgement of a persons presence or arrival (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsalam/
Did you know?
- The term 'salam' can also be used in financial contexts to mean a 'futures contract', a term borrowed from the Arabic practice of forward transactions.
- The word salam is a homonym that also refers to the Indian bay leaf used in traditional Indonesian cooking.
- In many Indonesian social circles, a salam is not just spoken but accompanied by a gesture where one lightly touches the hand of an elder to their own forehead.
Examples in context
- Selamat pagi, bu! Apa kabar?Good morning, ma'am! How are you?
- Halo! Apa kabar? Sudah lama tidak bertemu. Bagaimana keluarga?Hello! How are you? Long time no see. How is your family?
- Dia memberikan salam kepada tamu itu.He gave a greeting to the guest.
- Salam pembuka itu sangat sopan.The opening greeting is very polite.
- Saya menerima salam dari tetangga baru.I received a greeting from the new neighbor.
Example conversation
Indah and Dimas meet at a community event.
- IndahHalo Dimas, apa kabar?Hello Dimas, how are you?
- DimasKabar baik, Indah. Terima kasih salamnya.I am good, Indah. Thank you for the greeting.
- IndahSama-sama. Senang melihatmu di sini.You are welcome. It is nice to see you here.
- DimasAku juga senang bertemu denganmu.I am also happy to meet you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry salam, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries salam, CC BY-SA 4.0.
