سلام
salām
To say salam in Pashto, use سلام (salām), the standard greeting for hello.
سلام is used as a standard everyday greeting to say hello or hi.
What does it mean word for word?
The word literally means peace.
Which one should you use?
Storay salam is an informal way to say hi.
How do you pronounce it?
Say it as salām, with a long second vowel.
When do people say it?
The standard reply is وعلیکم السلام, and upon you be peace.
Did you know?
- While salam is common, Pashto speakers may use the phrase starray mashay to greet someone, which literally means 'may you not be tired'.
- While سلام is a universal greeting, it is often accompanied by a specific physical gesture of placing the right hand over the heart to show sincerity.
- If you are greeting a group of people, it is culturally customary to say سلام to the eldest person or the most respected person in the circle first.
Examples in context
- سلام، څنګه يې؟Salam, sanga ye?Hello, how are you?
- ورته سلام وکړم.Warta salam wokram.I will say hello to him.
- سلام، هرڅه ښه دي؟Salam, harchse kha de?Hello, is everything okay?
Example conversation
Omar meets Zala in the street.
- عمر Omarسلام، زالا!Salam, Zala!Hello, Zala!
- زالا Zalaسلام، عمر!Salam, Omar!Hello, Omar!
- عمر Omarڅنګه يې؟Sanga ye?How are you?
- زالا Zalaښه يم، مننه.Kha yam, manana.I am fine, thank you.
