שָׁלוֹם
shalóm
Hello in Hebrew is שָׁלוֹם (shalóm). If unsure, use שָׁלוֹם. Wiktionary also lists שָׁלוֹם עָלֵיכֶם (shalóm 'aleikhém).
Meaning: greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| שָׁלוֹם | shalóm |
| שָׁלוֹם עָלֵיכֶם | shalóm 'aleikhém |
The word שָׁלוֹם is used both as a greeting to say hello and as a parting to say goodbye. The phrase שָׁלוֹם עָלֵיכֶם translates to "peace be upon you".
What does it mean word for word?
The word שָׁלוֹם literally means "peace". The phrase שָׁלוֹם עָלֵיכֶם literally means "peace be upon you".
How do you pronounce it?
shalóm
Did you know?
- The root of שָׁלוֹם is found in other Semitic languages, such as the Arabic 'as-salāmu ʿalaykum', showing a shared linguistic history of greeting others with peace.
- The Hebrew alphabet is an abjad, meaning the vowels in 'shalom' are often not written as letters in everyday texts, making the spelling appear different to the untrained eye.
- The concept of 'peace' embedded in the greeting is the same root used for the word 'compensation' or 'reparation' in certain legal and historical contexts.
Examples in context
- שָׁלוֹם, אֵיךְ אַתָּה?shalom, eich ata?Hello, how are you?
Example conversation
Noam and Rotem meet at a cafe.
- נועם Noamשָׁלוֹם, רוטם!Shalom, Rotem!Hello, Rotem!
- רוטם Rotemהיי נועם, נעים לראות אותך.Hai Noam, naim lir'ot otcha.Hi Noam, it's nice to see you.
- נועם Noamגם אני שמח לראות אותך.Gam ani sam'each lir'ot otach.I am also happy to see you.
- רוטם Rotemבוא נשב ונשתה קפה.Bo nishev ve-nishte kafe.Let's sit and drink coffee.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
