hai
/haɪ/
In Indonesian, the English phrase "hi" is translated as hai. Wiktionary also lists salam.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Indonesian | IPA |
|---|---|
| hai | /haɪ/ |
| salam | /ˈsalam/ |
hai is an informal greeting equivalent to "Hi" or "Hey" in English. For a common alternative that can be used in both neutral and slightly more formal contexts, such as answering the phone, you can use Halo.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hai is used in casual, everyday settings with friends or peers. In contrast, more formal time-based greetings include Selamat Pagi (Good morning, used until around midday), Selamat Siang (Good afternoon, used from midday until early evening) and Selamat Sore (Good evening, used from late afternoon until sunset).
How do you pronounce it?
/haɪ/
Did you know?
- The word salam also has a financial meaning in Indonesian, referring to a 'futures contract' or 'forward transaction'.
Examples in context
- Hai!Hi!Tatoeba #4556897 by dbahasa, translation #2742244 by MTC
- Hai.Hi.Tatoeba #11252770 by Pacific, translation #538123 by CM
- Hai, semuanya!Hi, everybody!Tatoeba #4691957 by Bilmanda, translation #466652 by Alkrasnov
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Adi meets Putri at a cafe.
- AdiHai, Putri!Hi, Putri!
- PutriHai, Adi.Hi, Adi.
- AdiApa kabar?How are you?
- PutriKabar baik!I'm doing well!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries hai, salam, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hai, salam, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
