How to say "peace be upon you" in Arabic
CognateMeaningpeace be upon you
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
as-salāmu ʿalaykumא-סלאם עליכם
السلام عليكم
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
shalom aleikhemشَالُوم أَلِيخِم
How the two words are related
Same Semitic root, same meaning — you already know this word.
Arabic root
س-ل-مHebrew root
ש-ל-םWord for word the Hebrew שלום עליכם — even the plural suffix -kum matches Hebrew ־כם. The reply wa-ʿalaykum as-salām mirrors ועליכם השלום.
Learn it
On the street
How people actually say it in the spoken dialects, where it differs from the standard word.
Moroccan · Morocco — Casablanca, Rabat, Fes
In Morocco this is the everyday hello, not only the pious one; ay becomes ī and the first vowel of ʿalaykum drops.
In a phrase
and upon you peace (the reply)
The root family
س-ل-مש-ל-ם· wholeness, peace
The flagship pair: שלום and salām are the same word, from a root meaning wholeness and safety in both languages. Arabic's Form IV verbal noun islām — handing oneself over whole — is built exactly like Hebrew הַשְׁלָמָה, and even שילם "to pay" matches Arabic sallama "to hand over": paying is making someone whole.
- سَلَام salāmpeaceשָׁלוֹםpeace
- سَلِمَ salimahe was safe, came out unharmedשָׁלֵםwhole, intact
- سَلَّمَ sallamahe greeted; handed overשִׁלֵּםhe paid (made whole)
- إِسْلَام islāmIslam — surrender (to God)הַשְׁלָמָהcompletion; acceptance
- مُسْلِم muslimMuslim — one who surrenders (to God)מַשְׁלִיםone who completes / accepts
- سَلَامَة salāmasafety, well-being (as in maʿa s-salāma)
More words from this root
- peace / hellosalāmسَلَامשלום
- goodbyemaʿa s-salāmaمَعَ السَّلَامَةלהתראות
- get well / glad you're safesalāmtakسَلَامَتَكרפואה שלמה
- to hand over; to paysallamaسَلَّمَמסר
- sound, intact, healthysalīmسَلِيمשלם
- peacesalāmسَلَامשלום
- oh, peace! (Arabic exclamation of admiration) → wow! (Israeli slang)yā salāmيَا سَلَامיא סלאם
- safety, wellness (Arabic) → get well, bless you (Israeli informal usage)salāmaسَلَامَةסלאמה