ሰላም
sälam
The Tigrinya word for hello is ሰላም (sälam).
ሰላም is a versatile greeting used to say hello. It functions as a standard way to greet others in various social contexts.
Meaning: greeting (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word ሰላም literally means peace.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions of Ethiopia, the word Tadiyas is used as a friendly hello.
How do you pronounce it?
sälam
Did you know?
- The script used to write ሰላም is called Ge'ez. It is one of the few indigenous writing systems in Africa that is an abugida, where each character represents a consonant and a vowel together.
- In Tigrinya culture, a greeting like ሰላም is often a springboard for a rapid-fire series of questions about one's health, family, and work, which may seem intrusive to Westerners.
- Tigrinya has distinct ways of saying 'hello' based on the gender of the person being addressed. While ሰላም is neutral, other common greetings change their ending based on whether the listener is male or female.
Examples in context
- ሰላም፣ ከመይ ኣለኻ?selam, kemey alekha?Hello, how are you (m)?
- ሰላም ሰላም፣ ከመይ ኣለኺ?selam selam, kemey alekhi?Hello hello, how are you (f)?
Example conversation
Efrem and Ritsa meet on the street.
- ኤፍሬም Efremሰላም፣ ርእሳ!Selam, Ritsa!Hello, Ritsa!
- ርእሳ Re'esaሰላም፣ ኤፍሬም!Selam, Efrem!Hello, Efrem!
- ኤፍሬም Efremከመይ ኣለኺ?Kemey alekhi?How are you?
- ርእሳ Re'esaጽቡቕ ኣለኹ፣ ይቕንየለይ።Tsubuq aleku, yiqnyelyey.I am fine, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries ሰላም, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
