Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ | as-salāmu ʕalaykum | ||
| سَلَام | salām | ||
| مَرْحَبًا | marḥaban | ||
| أَهْلًا | ʔahlan | ||
| اهلاً | ahlan | Egyptian Arabic | |
| مَرحَبا | marḥaba | Hijazi Arabic | |
| السلام عليكم | as-salāmu ʕalēkum | /as.sa.laː.mu ʕa.laj.kum/ | Hijazi Arabic |
| أهلًا | ʔahlan | Hijazi Arabic |
Arabic offers various ways to greet someone depending on the level of formality and the specific context. You can use the formal greeting السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ to say 'Peace be upon you', or the neutral and widely used مَرْحَبًا which can mean both 'hello' and 'welcome'. For a more casual 'hi' or 'hey', you might use the shortened سَلَام.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ literally means 'the peace be upon you'.
Which one should you use?
While السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ is a more formal and religious greeting than مَرْحَبًا, مَرْحَبًا is a neutral, widely used greeting that functions as both 'hello' and 'welcome'. In contrast, سَلَام is an informal greeting similar to the English 'hi' or 'hey'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ is a formal greeting. مَرْحَبًا is a neutral greeting suitable for many contexts. سَلَام is an informal greeting, as is أَهْلًا, which is a way to say 'hi' or 'hey' among friends.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you may see the form اهلاً. In Hijazi Arabic, the forms مَرحَبا, السلام عليكم (pronounced as-salāmu ʕalēkum) and أهلًا are used. In Levantine Arabic, أَهْلًا is used for both formal and informal greetings.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word سَلَام is the singular noun form for 'peace' and can be used as a shortened, casual greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
as-salāmu ʕalaykum
When do people say it?
When someone greets you with السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ, the customary response is وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ (And upon you be peace).
Did you know?
- While مَرْحَبًا is common, it is etymologically linked to the idea of 'spaciousness' or 'welcome space', implying that the guest is being given plenty of room and comfort.
- The word أَهْلًا comes from the word for 'family' or 'kin', implying that the person being greeted is being welcomed as if they were a member of the household.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, the greeting السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ is often accompanied by placing the right hand over the heart as a sign of sincerity and respect.
Examples in context
- السلام عليكم!Hello!This is a useful way to express a standard greeting with السلام عليكم.Tatoeba #13174773 by atitarev, translation #373330 by CK
- السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ، كَيْفَ الْحَالُ؟as-salāmu ʿalaykum, kayfa al-ḥāl?As-salāmu ʿalaykum, how are you?
- السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ لِجَمِيعِ الْحَاضِرِينَ.as-salāmu ʿalaykum li-jamīʿi al-ḥāḍirīn.Peace be upon all those present.
Example conversation
Ziad and Nour meet in a hallway at school.
- زياد Ziadالسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ، يَا نُورُ.as-salāmu ʿalaykum, yā Nūr.As-salāmu ʿalaykum, Nour.
- نور Nourوَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ، يَا زِيَادُ.wa-ʿalaykumu as-salām, yā Ziyād.And peace be upon you, Ziad.
- زياد Ziadهَلْ أَنْتِ بِخَيْرٍ؟hal anti bi-khayr?Are you doing well?
- نور Nourنَعَمْ، أَنَا بِخَيْرٍ، شُكْرًا.naʿam, ana bi-khayr, shukran.Yes, I am well, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries السلام عليكم, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
