سڵاو
silaweveryday
Hello in Sorani Kurdish is سڵاو (silaw). You can also say ڕۆژ باش (roj baş), "good day", and on the phone people say ئەلۆ (elo).
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Kurdish | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| سڵاو | silaw | everyday |
| ڕۆژ باش | roj baş | good day |
| ئەلۆ | elo | on the phone |
سڵاو works for anyone at any time. People usually add چۆنی؟ (çonî?), "how are you?"
Which one should you use?
ڕۆژ باش is warmer and a bit more formal. ئەلۆ is only for answering or starting a phone call.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Kurmanji, the other main Kurdish variety, hello is Silav, which is the same word with a different spelling.
Did you know?
- The letter ڵ in سڵاو is a "dark l" sound that Sorani writes with a special letter.
Examples in context
- سڵاو، چۆنی؟silaw, çonî?Hello, how are you?
- ڕۆژ باش، مامۆستا.roj baş, mamosta.Good day, teacher.
- ئەلۆ، ئاوات؟elo, awat?Hello, Awat?
Example conversation
Shilan greets her classmate Awat at the university in Sulaymaniyah.
- Shilanسڵاو، ئاوات.silaw, awat.Hello, Awat.
- Awatسڵاو، شیلان. چۆنی؟silaw, şilan. çonî?Hello, Shilan. How are you?
- Shilanباشم، سوپاس.başim, sipas.I am fine, thanks.
