[salam-un ah-lay-koom] greeting
hello (religious/traditional/rural environment)
DT: Peace be upon you
Arabic, but used often for hello. Unless you’re comfortable with Arabic and familiar with the environment (more religious, more traditional, and/or more rural), stick with “merhaba” for hello. “Selam” is also used. See “aleyküm selam” for the ideal response to selamın aleyküm, but a simple “merhaba” is just as good.