سلام
salâmstandard, everyday
The everyday way to say hello in Persian is سلام (salâm). It works with everyone, friends and strangers. A more formal and literary choice is درود (dorud), and وقت بخیر (vaght bekheyr) means "good time" at any hour.
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Persian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| سلام | salâm | standard, everyday |
| درود | dorud | formal, literary |
| وقت بخیر | vaght bekheyr | polite, time of day |
Persian speakers often follow سلام with حالتون چطوره؟ (hâletun chetore?), "how are you?" The answer is usually خوبم، ممنون (khubam, mamnun), "I am well, thank you".
Which one should you use?
درود is a native Persian word, while سلام came from Arabic. Both are in daily use, and درود is found often in writing and broadcasts.
How do you pronounce it?
The letter ا in سلام is a long â, close to the vowel in "ball".
Did you know?
- Persian is written in a form of the Arabic script from right to left, with a few extra letters like پ (p) and چ (ch).
Examples in context
- سلام، حالتون چطوره؟salâm, hâletun chetore?Hello, how are you?
- درود بر شما.dorud bar shomâ.Greetings to you.
- سلام علی، خوبی؟salâm ali, khubi?Hello Ali, how are you?
Example conversation
Sara meets her neighbor Mrs. Karimi on the stairs of their building in Tehran.
- Saraسلام خانم کریمی.salâm khânom karimi.Hello, Mrs. Karimi.
- Mrs. Karimiسلام سارا جان. حالت چطوره؟salâm sârâ jân. hâlet chetore?Hello dear Sara. How are you?
- Saraخوبم، ممنون.khubam, mamnun.I am well, thank you.
