ሰላም፡ ከመይ ኣለኻ፧
selam, kemey alekha?
To say "hello, how are you?" in Tigrinya, you use ሰላም፡ ከመይ ኣለኻ፧ (selam, kemey alekha?).
This phrase is a common greeting used to start a conversation and ask about someone's well-being. The component ሰላም (selam) means "Hello" and can be used in both formal and informal situations.
What does it mean word for word?
The word ሰላም (selam) literally means "peace".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes based on whom you are addressing. The form ከመይ ኣለኻ፧ is the masculine singular form. The form ከመይ ኣለኺ፧ is the feminine singular form. The form ከመይ ኣለኹም፧ is the plural form, which is used when addressing a group or as a polite way to address a single person.
How do you pronounce it?
selam, kemey alekha?
Did you know?
- Tigrinya is written in the Ge'ez script, where each character represents a consonant and a vowel combined, rather than separate letters.
- The greeting ሰላም is widely used across various Semitic-speaking communities in the Horn of Africa, sharing a root with the Hebrew 'shalom' and Arabic 'salam'.
- In Tigrinya culture, it is often considered more polite to ask 'how are you?' multiple times or in different ways rather than just moving straight to the point of your visit.
Examples in context
- ሰላም፡ ከመይ ኣለኻ፧ ጽቡቅ ዲኻ፧selam, kemey alekha? tsibuk dikha?Hello, how are you? Are you well?
Example conversation
Two friends meeting on the street.
- ሰላም Selamሰላም፡ ከመይ ኣለኻ፧Selam, kemey alekha?Hello, how are you?
- ሳሚኤል Samuelሰላም፡ ጥዑም እየ፡ ንዓኺ ከመይ ኣለኺ፧Selam, t'um iye, n'aki kemey aleki?Hello, I am well, how are you?
- ሰላም Selamኣነ እውን ጽቡቕ እየ፡ ይቕንብብ።Ane iwn tsibuq iye, yiqnibib.I am also good, thank you.
- ሳሚኤል Samuelብዑና፡ ንስጋ ዝበላ ጽባሕ እንራእየ።Bu'na, nisga zibela tsibah enraye.Great, let's see each other tomorrow.
