سلام
salām
Salam in Arabic is سلام (salām), a greeting that literally means peace.
On its own it works like hello. It is a shortened, more casual version of the full greeting السلام عليكم (As-salamu alaykum), peace be upon you.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
سلام is casual. The full أَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيكُمْ is the formal greeting, and the longer أَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيكُمْ وَرَحمَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ adds and may the mercy of God be upon you.
When do people say it?
The standard reply is وعليكم السلام (Wa alaykum as-salam), and upon you be peace.
Did you know?
- While سلام means 'peace', the root consonants 's-l-m' also form the basis for the word إسلام ('Islam'), which refers to the act of submission to the will of God.
- While سلام is a friendly greeting, in certain contexts, saying 'it is peace' can be a way of politely signaling that a conflict or a disagreement has been settled and should not be reopened.
- The word سلام is a cognate of the Hebrew word שלום ('shalom'), meaning they share a common linguistic ancestor.
Examples in context
- أرسلت له سلامي.Arsaltu lahu salami.I sent him my greetings.
Example conversation
Omar meets Maryam at a local cafe.
- عمر Omarسلام، يا مريم!Salam, ya Maryam!Peace, Maryam!
- مريم Maryamأهلاً يا عمر، كيف حالك؟Ahlan ya 'Umar, kayfa haluka?Hello Omar, how are you?
- عمر Omarأنا بخير، شكراً لكِ.Ana bikhayr, shukran laki.I am fine, thank you.
- مريم Maryamالحمد لله.Al-hamdu lillah.Praise be to God.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries سلام, CC BY-SA 4.0.
