שלום
shalom
The Hebrew phrase for hello and goodbye is שלום (shalom).
שלום is a versatile greeting used when arriving or when departing. Beyond its role as a greeting, it is also used as a noun to mean peace in a political or spiritual sense.
What does it mean word for word?
The word שלום literally means peace.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The English loanword היי (pronounced like 'hi') is a common informal alternative for greetings.
How do you pronounce it?
shalom
Did you know?
- The term שלום is derived from a root that means 'completeness' or 'wholeness' in broader Semitic linguistics.
- The word שלום is a cognate of the Arabic word سلام, meaning they share the same ancient Semitic roots.
- While שלום is used for both arrival and departure, Hebrew has other specialized words for 'goodbye' depending on whether you expect to see the person again soon.
Examples in context
- שלום, מה שלומך?shalom, ma shlomkha?Hello, how are you?
- הוא אמר לי שלום.hu amar li shalom.He said hello to me.
- שלום לכולם, בוקר טוב.shalom le'kulam, boker tov.Hello everyone, good morning.
Example conversation
Daniel and Agur meet briefly in a hallway.
- דניאל Danielשלום, עגור, מה קורה?shalom, Agur, ma kore?Hello, Agur, what's up?
- עגור Adiהכל טוב, דניאל. מה אצלך?hakol tov, Daniel. ma etzleka?Everything is good, Daniel. How about you?
- דניאל Danielבסדר גמור, אני חייב ללכת.beseder gamur, ani chayav lalechet.Quite alright, I have to go.
- עגור Adiאוקיי, שלום!okay, shalom!Okay, goodbye!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries שלום, CC BY-SA 4.0.
