Ways to say it
| Malay | IPA |
|---|---|
| helo | [he.lo] (narrow) [hɛ.lo] (narrow) |
| apa khabar | /ˌapa ˈxabar/ |
| salam |
The term hello serves as a general greeting. You can use the loanword helo to answer the telephone or to greet friends. A very common way to greet someone is to ask apa khabar, which functions similarly to asking 'how are you?' Another option is salam, which functions as a greeting or a way to wish peace.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase apa khabar literally translates to 'what is the news'.
Which one should you use?
While helo is a direct loanword from English, apa khabar is a more common way to greet people. Both are used for greetings, but apa khabar specifically carries the sense of asking how someone is doing.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Helo is used primarily in informal settings. Salam is a more formal or religious greeting, often used in professional or Islamic contexts. For time-specific formal greetings, you may use Selamat pagi (Good morning) until around 10 am, Selamat tengahari (Good afternoon) from 11 am to 3 pm, Selamat petang (Good evening) from 4 pm to 7 pm or Selamat malam (Good night) from 8 pm onwards or before sleep. For an informal 'Hi', you can use Hai.
When do people say it?
When someone asks you apa khabar, a common response is to say baik, which means 'good'.
Did you know?
- The word apa in apa khabar is a cognate of the word aha used in Māori, showing a prehistoric link between the languages of Malaysia and New Zealand.
- When using salam as a greeting, it is common for Muslims to perform a 'salam' gesture, which involves lightly touching the other person's hands and then bringing their own hand to their chest or forehead.
- Although salam is used as a short greeting, it is a shortened form of the full Islamic greeting Assalamu alaikum, which means 'peace be upon you'.
Examples in context
- Helo, awak di mana sekarang?Hello, where are you now?This sentence uses helo to demonstrate a greeting and a question.
- Salam dunia.Hello, world!This sentence uses salam as a greeting.Tatoeba #1078334 by bcmoney, translation #398746 by AlanF_US
- Selamat pagi, Encik Rahman. Bagaimana keadaan hari ini?Good morning, Mr. Rahman. How are you today?
- Helo, selamat pagi.Hello, good morning.
Example conversation
Nur and Muhammad meet at a cafe.
- NurHelo, Muhammad!Hello, Muhammad!
- MuhammadHelo, Nur! Apa khabar?Hello, Nur! How are you?
- NurKhabar baik, terima kasih.I am fine, thank you.
- MuhammadSama-sama.You are welcome.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries helo, apa khabar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries apa, helo, khabar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
