What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of herkese (to everyone) and merhaba (hello).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Herkese merhaba is a neutral greeting that is suitable for both formal and informal group settings. For purely informal settings, such as with friends or acquaintances, you might instead say Selam herkese, Merhaba arkadaşlar or Selam millet.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word herkese is the dative form of herkes (everyone), meaning to everyone.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /heɾcese meɾhaba/. The [h] is like the [h] in home, the [ɾ] is like the [t] in American English atom, the [c] is like the [k] in skew, the [s] is like the [s] in send, the [m] is like the [m] in much and the [b] is like the [b] in about.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying herkes merhaba. The dative case suffix -e is required to indicate the person being addressed.
Did you know?
- Turkish greetings often accompany a gesture where the speaker places their right hand over their heart after saying merhaba to show sincerity and warmth.
- In many parts of Turkey, a person might not say 'hello' at all to a group, but instead use a phrase like Kolay gelsin, which means 'May it come easy to you'.
- The word merhaba is an Arabic loanword that originally meant 'welcome' or 'you are in a spacious place', implying that the guest is not a burden.
Examples in context
- Herkese merhaba, ben Tom'um.Hello, everyone, I'm Tom.This example shows how to use herkese merhaba when introducing yourself.Tatoeba #5481021 by deyta, translation #5478488 by CK
- Herkese merhaba, ben Mike'ım.Hello everyone, I'm Mike.Tatoeba #4828052 by deyta, translation #1556537 by brymck
- Herkese merhaba!Hello everyone!This example shows a simple use of herkese merhaba as a standalone greeting.Tatoeba #509107 by deyta, translation #854117 by piksea
- Merhaba herkese, bugün burada toplantı yapacağız.Hello everyone, today we will have a meeting here.
- Selam herkese, partiye hoş geldiniz.Hi everyone, welcome to the party.
- Merhaba arkadaşlar, nasılsınız?Hello friends, how are you?
- Selam millet! Bugün hava harika değil mi?Hello everybody! Isn't the weather great today?
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zeynep enters a meeting room where Mehmet and others are waiting.
- ZeynepHerkese merhaba!Hello everyone!
- MehmetMerhaba Zeynep, hoş geldin.Hello Zeynep, welcome.
- ZeynepTeşekkür ederim, nasılsınız?Thank you, how are you all?
- MehmetTeşekkürler, iyiyiz.Thanks, we are fine.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries merhaba, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
