السلام عليكم
as-salāmu ʕalaykum/as.sa.laː.mu ʕa.laj.kum/
السلام عليكم (as-salāmu ʕalaykum) is the Arabic phrase for "peace be upon you".
السلام عليكم is a formal greeting used to wish peace upon the person being addressed. While the grammar allows for singular forms, the plural form السلام عليكم is commonly used as a polite default even when addressing one person.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of al-salām (the peace) and alaykum (upon you, plural).
How does it change in a sentence?
To address a single male, the ending changes from the plural kum to the singular ka, resulting in السلام عليك. To address a single female, the ending changes from the plural kum to the singular ki, resulting in السلام عليكِ.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is as-salāmu ʕalaykum.
When do people say it?
This greeting is used universally by Muslims worldwide, regardless of their native language, as a standard Islamic greeting. When someone says السلام عليكم, the standard response is وعليكم السلام (wa ʿalaykum as-salām), which means "and upon you be peace".
Did you know?
- The Hebrew cognate שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם (shalóm aleikhém) shares the exact same linguistic DNA, meaning the greeting is structurally almost identical across Semitic languages.
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, the greeting is often accompanied by placing the right hand over the heart as a sign of sincerity.
- While the phrase is the standard Islamic greeting, it is also used by Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews in various parts of the Middle East.
Examples in context
- السلام عليكمPeace be upon you.Tatoeba #5548229 by WaelAlwasel, translation #8259695 by Amastan
- السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَلَيْكُمُ ٱلسَّلَامُPeace be upon you. And upon you, too.This shows the greeting followed by the standard response.
- السلام عليكم!Peace be upon you!Tatoeba #13174773 by atitarev, translation #13174777 by atitarev
Example conversation
Ahmed meets Sara at a community gathering.
- أحمد Ahmedالسلام عليكم يا سارة.as-salāmu ʿalaykum yā sāra.Peace be upon you, Sara.
- سارة Saraوعليكم السلام يا أحمد.wa-ʿalaykumu s-salāmu yā aḥmad.And peace be upon you, Ahmed.
- أحمد Ahmedكيف حالك اليوم؟kayfa ḥāluki l-yawm?How are you today?
- سارة Saraأنا بخير، شكراً لك.ʾanā bi-khayr, shukran lak.I am well, 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
