selam
/selam/from spelling rules
In Turkish, the English phrase "hi" is expressed as selam. Wiktionary also lists merhaba.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| selam | /selam/ (from spelling rules) |
| merhaba | /ˈmæɾ.ha.baː/ /ˈme.ɾa.ba/ |
Both merhaba and selam are used as greetings. Selam is a widely used informal greeting similar to saying "hey" or "hi" in English. Beyond a simple greeting, selam can also function as a noun meaning "greetings" in the phrase selam söylemek, which means "to say hi to someone".
Which one should you use?
merhaba is a more neutral and slightly more formal greeting than selam, which is an informal greeting used primarily among friends or peers.
How do you pronounce it?
/selam/. The [s] sound is like the [s] in "send" and the [m] sound is like the [m] in "much".
Did you know?
- In Turkey, a common way to return a greeting is to touch the hand to the forehead or heart, depending on the level of respect.
- The greeting merhaba traces its roots back to Arabic, where it essentially functions as a way of saying 'welcome' or 'you are in a spacious place'.
- Turkish speakers often use the phrase selamün aleyküm in more traditional or religious settings, to which the required response is aleyküm selam.
Examples in context
- Selam Tom, ne haber?Hi Tom, what's up?This sentence shows how to use selam in a casual greeting.Tatoeba #4160333 by duran, translation #3403467 by CK
- Ona benden selam söyle.Tell him hi for me.This sentence demonstrates using selam as a noun to mean "greetings".Tatoeba #1565938 by duran, translation #3908165 by CH
- O, bana "Merhaba" dedi.He said "Hi" to me.This sentence shows the use of merhaba as a greeting.Tatoeba #5229577 by duran, translation #5228920 by jaxhere
- Merhaba Mehmet, nasılsın?Hello Mehmet, how are you?
- 150 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mehmet and Merve bump into each other on a street.
- MehmetSelam Merve, nasılsın?Hi Merve, how are you?
- MerveSelam Mehmet, iyiyim, sen?Hi Mehmet, I'm fine, and you?
- MehmetBen de iyiyim, teşekkürler.I'm fine too, thanks.
- MerveGörüşürüz o zaman!See you then!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries selam, merhaba, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries merhaba, selam, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
