السلام عليكم
as-salāmu ʕalaykum/as.sa.laː.mu ʕa.laj.kum/
The English phrase "may peace be upon you" is translated into Arabic as السلام عليكم (as-salāmu ʕalaykum).
The phrase is a formal greeting used to wish peace upon the person being addressed. It can be extended to include more blessings, such as As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatu-llāh (May peace and God's mercy be upon you) or As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatu-llāh wa barakātuh, where the final part means "and His blessings".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase السلام عليكم is composed of al-salām (the peace) and alaykum (upon you, plural).
Which one should you use?
While السلام عليكم is the standard formal greeting, you may encounter the shorter Salam ʿalaykum as an informal version. The word Salam on its own simply means "peace" and serves as an informal greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is as-salāmu ʕalaykum.
When do people say it?
The most common response to السلام عليكم is Wa ʿalaykumu s-salām, which means "And peace be upon you too".
Did you know?
- Even when addressing a single person, the phrase السلام عليكم uses the plural form of 'you' as a mark of respect or to include the angels accompanying the person.
- The greeting السلام عليكم is a cognate of the Hebrew phrase שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם (shalóm aleikhém).
- In Arabic, al-salām is not just a greeting but also one of the 99 names of God, representing the source of peace.
Examples in context
- السلام عليكم يا أستاذ.as-salāmu ʿalaykum yā ustādh.May peace be upon you, professor.
- السلام عليكم، كيف حالكم؟as-salāmu ʿalaykum, kayfa ḥālukum?May peace be upon you, how are you all?
- السلام عليكم ورحمة الله.as-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatu llāh.May peace and the mercy of God be upon you.
Example conversation
Ahmed enters the room to greet Noor at work.
- أحمد Ahmedالسلام عليكم يا نور.as-salāmu ʿalaykum yā Nūr.May peace be upon you, Noor.
- نور Nourوعليكم السلام، أهلاً أحمد.wa-ʿalaykum as-salām, ahlan Aḥmad.And upon you be peace, hello Ahmed.
- أحمد Ahmedكيف حالك اليوم؟kayfa ḥāluki al-yawm?How are you today?
- نور Nourأنا بخير، شكراً.anā bikhayr, shukran.I am fine, thank you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry السلام عليكم, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries السلام عليكم, CC BY-SA 4.0.
