merhaba
/ˈmæɾ.ha.baː/
Hi in Turkish is translated as merhaba. Wiktionary also lists selam.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Turkish | IPA |
|---|---|
| merhaba | /ˈmæɾ.ha.baː/ /ˈme.ɾa.ba/ |
| selam | /selam/ (from spelling rules) |
The phrase is a friendly, informal greeting. merhaba is the most common way to say 'hi' in Turkish.
Which one should you use?
merhaba is a more neutral and standard greeting that can be used in both formal and informal settings. In contrast, selam is more informal and casual than merhaba.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, and the first syllable is stressed. The sounds are as follows: /m/ as in [m]uch, /æ/ as in c[a]t, /ɾ/ as in AmE a[t]om, /h/ as in [h]ome and /b/ as in a[b]out.
Did you know?
- The word merhaba is actually an invitation to 'welcome' or 'be in a spacious place', rather than just a simple 'hello'.
- In traditional Turkish culture, saying merhaba is often accompanied by a slight nod of the head or a hand placed over the heart to show sincerity.
- Turkish has a distinct way of 'sending' a greeting to someone not present by saying selam söyle, which literally translates to 'tell a greeting'.
Examples in context
- Selam Tom, ne haber?Hi Tom, what's up?This sentence is useful for practicing the form selam.Tatoeba #4160333 by duran, translation #3403467 by CK
- Ona benden selam söyle.Tell him hi for me.Tatoeba #1565938 by duran, translation #3908165 by CH
- O, bana "Merhaba" dedi.He said "Hi" to me.This sentence is useful for practicing the form merhaba.Tatoeba #5229577 by duran, translation #5228920 by jaxhere
- Merhaba, nasılsınız?Hello, how are you?
- Selam, naber?Hey, what's up?
- Merhaba, nasılsın? Bugün ne yapıyorsun?Hi, how are you? What are you doing today?
- 150 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Selin and Can meet on the street.
- SelinMerhaba Can!Hi Can!
- CanMerhaba Selin, nasılsın?Hi Selin, how are you?
- Selinİyiyim, teşekkür ederim.I am fine, thank you.
- CanBen de iyiyim.I am fine too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries merhaba, selam, 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.
