שלום, חבר שלי
shalom, chaver sheli
The phrase "hello, my friend" in Hebrew is שלום, חבר שלי (shalom, chaver sheli).
This is a friendly greeting used to address a person the speaker knows well.
Which one should you use?
The form שלום, חבר שלי is grammatically masculine and is used when addressing a male friend.
How do you pronounce it?
shalom, chaver sheli
Did you know?
- In modern Hebrew, the word חבר (chaver) is also the standard term for a 'boyfriend'.
- The word שלום is cognate with the Arabic word سلام (salām), reflecting a shared linguistic heritage across Semitic languages.
- In modern Israeli slang, instead of using חבר שלי, friends often use the word אחי, which literally means 'my brother'.
Example conversation
Two friends meet at a cafe.
- איתי Itayשלום, חבר שלי! מזמן לא ראינו אותך.Shalom, chaver sheli! Mazman lo rainu otcha.Hello, my friend! We haven't seen you in a long time.
- עגור Adiהיי איתי, אני שמחה לראות אותך.Hey Itai, ani smechah lir'ot otcha.Hey Itai, I am happy to see you.
- איתי Itayאת רוצה לשתות משהו?At rotza lishtot mashehu?Do you want to drink something?
- עגור Adiכן, בבקשה.Ken, bevakasha.Yes, please.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries חבר, שלום, CC BY-SA 4.0.
