السلام عليكم
as-salāmu ʕalaykum/as.sa.laː.mu ʕa.laj.kum/
To say peace be with you in Arabic, use السلام عليكم (as-salāmu ʕalaykum), a greeting heard across the Arab world.
It is used both as a greeting when arriving and as a farewell when leaving.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is made of al-salām, the peace and ʿalay, upon, with the ending kum, you.
Which one should you use?
A longer form adds wa raḥmatu Allāh, meaning and the mercy of God.
How do you pronounce it?
It is said as-salāmu ʕalaykum in six syllables, with a long a in salāmu.
When do people say it?
The standard reply is وعليكم السلام (wa-ʿalaykum as-salām), and upon you be peace. While used widely by Muslims, it is also a standard formal greeting among Arabic speakers of other faiths.
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking cultures, the greeting is not just a verbal exchange but is often accompanied by placing the right hand over the heart as a sign of sincerity.
- The phrase السلام عليكم shares the same Semitic root as the Hebrew word 'shalom', meaning peace, making it a linguistic cousin to many ancient Middle Eastern greetings.
- If you are addressing only one person, the phrase changes from السلام عليكم to السلام عليك ('as-salāmu ʿalayka' for a male or 'alayki' for a female), reflecting the language's strict gender rules.
Examples in context
- السلام عليكم يا أخي.as-salāmu ʿalaykum yā akhī.Peace be with you, my brother.
- السلام عليكم جميعاً.as-salāmu ʿalaykum jamīʿan.Peace be with you all.
- السلام عليكم، كيف حالكم؟as-salāmu ʿalaykum, kayfa ḥālukum?Peace be with you, how are you?
Example conversation
Ziad enters the room where Sarah is waiting.
- سارة Saraالسلام عليكم يا زياد.as-salāmu ʿalaykum yā Ziyād.Peace be with you, Ziad.
- زياد Ziadوعليكم السلام يا سارة.wa ʿalaykum as-salām yā Sārah.And peace be with you, Sarah.
- سارة Saraهل أنت بخير؟hal anta bikhayr?Are you okay?
- زياد Ziadنعم، أنا بخير، شكراً.naʿam, ana bikhayr, shukran.Yes, 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.
