What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of merhaba (hello) and arkadaşım, which is arkadaş (friend) plus the first-person singular possessive suffix -ım (my).
Which one should you use?
While merhaba arkadaş is grammatically possible, merhaba arkadaşım is the much more natural and common way to address a friend in Turkish.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more casual or informal situations, you can use Selam arkadaşım or the even more casual Selam dostum (hi buddy/pal). If you are greeting a very close friend, you might use the slang term kanka in the phrase Merhaba kanka, as kanka is a popular slang term meaning buddy or pal.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of merhaba arkadaşım is /meɾhaba aɾkadaʃɯm/. The sounds are as follows: [m]uch for /m/, AmE a[t]om for /ɾ/, [h]ome for /h/, a[b]out for /b/, [c]ore for /k/, [sh]oe for /ʃ/ and somewhat like ribb[o]n for /ɯ/.
Did you know?
- The slang term kanka is a shortened version of kan kardeşi, which translates to 'blood brother'.
- While arkadaş means 'friend', its root arkas means 'back'. This suggests a friend is someone who watches your back or stands behind you.
- The word merhaba is actually an Arabic loanword that originally functioned as an expression of welcome, meaning 'you are in a spacious, comfortable place'.
Examples in context
- Merhaba arkadaşım. Günaydın.Hello, friend. Good morning.This sentence is useful for practicing the greeting merhaba arkadaşım.Tatoeba #8451167 by Cumle_Kurucu, translation #8451889 by ET
- Merhaba arkadaşım, nasılsın?Hello my friend, how are you?
- Merhaba arkadaşım, seni gördüğüme sevindim.Hello my friend, I am glad to see you.
Example conversation
Can and Elif meet at a cafe.
- CanMerhaba arkadaşım, burada ne yapıyorsun?Hello my friend, what are you doing here?
- ElifSelam Can, sadece kahve içiyorum.Hi Can, I am just drinking coffee.
- CanHarika, ben de sana katılayım.Great, let me join you too.
- ElifTabii ki, gel otur!Of course, come sit!
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.
