Greetings In Azerbaijan: Exploring The Local Language And Culture

Azerbaijani, also known as Azeri, is the primary and official language of Azerbaijan. It is also the primary language in northwestern Iran, and is spoken to a lesser extent in southern Dagestan (Russia), the Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia, and eastern Turkey. It is a Turkic language and is, to an extent, mutually intelligible with modern Turkish, although a fair amount of vocabulary has been added from Russian or Persian influence in Azerbaijan and Iran respectively. The word for hello in Azerbaijani is Salam (pronounced Sah-lahm), and it is used in a variety of contexts, from meeting friends to buying a bus ticket.

Greeting friends and strangers

Azerbaijanis tend to be more physically affectionate than Westerners and are comfortable with touch. They kiss, embrace, and naturally place their hands on another person. It is considered rude to enter a room without greeting people, and children are reminded to be polite with the expression, "Where's your hello?". When Azerbaijanis arrive at a party, they greet each person individually, and it is customary to greet and say goodbye to everyone, even if there are a lot of people. It is also common to greet strangers, such as taxi drivers, waiters, or store clerks, and it would be considered rude not to greet a fellow passenger on a long trip.

When greeting, Azerbaijanis use a lot of eye contact and stand closer together than Westerners. Men often shake hands, even with strangers, and it would be considered anti-social not to. Close friends or relatives embrace and kiss each other on the cheek, usually once on the left cheek in the Republic of Azerbaijan and three times on the right cheek in Iran. Women rarely shake hands with each other, but they will if offered by a man or in official ceremonies. In rural areas, women may offer several kisses to show their affection and pleasure.

When greeting someone for the first time, people usually say "salam aleykum" ("peace be upon you"), and the reply is "aleykum salam" ("and upon you, be peace"). Other ways to greet someone include "taniş olmağıma çox şadam" ("glad to meet you"), or "cox şadam" ("I'm very glad to meet you").

Greeting elders

Secondly, Azerbaijanis tend to be more physically affectionate than Westerners and use a lot of eye contact when greeting each other. They stand closer together, and it is not unusual for people of the same gender to walk down the street holding hands. When greeting elders, a handshake is common, and men especially will often shake hands with one another. However, women rarely shake hands with one another, reserving this for official ceremonies. If a man offers his hand, a woman will usually shake it, but her grip may be more limp as women are taught to express deference and modesty when shaking hands.

Lastly, when greeting elders, it is common to inquire about their health and the well-being of their family members. This is considered a polite and respectful thing to do. Greetings such as "anahınız neçedi?" for "how is your mother?" or "ataınız neçedi?" for "how is your father?" are appropriate and will likely be well-received.

• "Salam" ("Hello")
• "Sizə salam!" ("Hello to you!")
• "Necəsiz?" ("How are you?")
• "Sağ ol (olun)" ("Thank you") – the addition of "olun" makes this more formal and polite
• "Xahiş edirəm" ("Please")
• "Adınız nədir?" ("What is your name?")

Greeting in writing

Greeting someone in Azerbaijani in writing is an excellent way to begin a letter or email. The most common greeting in Azerbaijani is "Salam", which is used in a variety of contexts, from meeting friends to getting a ticket at the bus station. When writing to someone for the first time, it is considered polite to use the plural, more polite form of greeting. For instance, you could say "Salam sizə". If you know the person well, you could use the more familiar form "Salam san".

When writing to someone you know well, you might want to inquire about their health or well-being. In Azerbaijani, you could write "Necəsiniz?". If you are addressing a close friend or family member, you could use the informal singular form, "Necəsən?".

If you are writing to a woman in an informal context, it is common to inquire about her work, marital status, and whether she has children. You could ask, "İşiniz nədir?", "Evli misiniz?", and "Uşaqlarınız var mı?".

When concluding your letter or email, you might want to express gratitude or well-wishes. You could write "Sag ol" for "thank you" or Uğurlar to wish someone success or good luck.

Greeting in person

Greeting someone in person in Azerbaijan is a very important part of the culture. In fact, it is considered rude to enter a room without greeting people, and children are often reminded to say hello to their elders with the traditional expression "Where's your hello?".

Azerbaijanis tend to be more physically and verbally demonstrative when greeting each other compared to Europeans and Americans. They are comfortable with touch and use a lot of eye contact when greeting and conversing. They also stand closer together than Westerners.

When greeting someone in Azerbaijan, it is customary to say "Salam" (pronounced "Sah-lahm"), which means peace, safety, or well-being. If you know the person well, you can use the variation "Salam Aleykum" ("Peace be upon you"), to which the reply is "Aleykum Salam" ("And upon you, be peace"). Other ways to say hello include "Sabahiniz xeyir" ("Good morning") and "Geceniz xeyire qalsin" ("Good evening").

When greeting someone for the first time, the greeting is not usually followed by "How are you?" However, if the conversation develops further, it is likely to focus on work. If you are a foreigner, Azerbaijanis will likely inquire about where you are from and what brought you to Azerbaijan. If you are a woman in an informal setting, they may also kindly inquire about your work, marital status, and whether you have children.

When greeting someone older than you, it is respectful to use the plural form of "you" in Azeri, which is considered more polite. The plural form is also used to address a superior or someone you don't know very well.

Greeting in different settings

Greeting someone in Azerbaijan is considered a very important part of the culture. In fact, it is considered rude to enter a room without greeting the people inside. This is also the case on public transport, where it would be considered rude not to greet a stranger if you are sitting next to them for a long time. Greeting someone in Azerbaijan involves a lot of eye contact, and people tend to stand closer together than in Western cultures.

Greeting Friends and Family

When greeting friends and family, it is common for Azerbaijanis to embrace and kiss. Men tend to kiss once on the left cheek, and women kiss each other on the left cheek, although this is becoming more fashionable among young urban women to merely brush cheeks without kissing. In rural areas, women may offer several kisses on one cheek to show their genuine affection and pleasure.

Greeting Elders

Elders are usually greeted with more respect. Younger people are expected to initiate greetings with elders, as a sign of respect. A traditional expression used by elders to remind their children to greet them is "Where's your hello?".

Greeting Strangers

When greeting strangers, Azerbaijanis will often use the phrase "Salam", which means peace, safety, or well-being. If you know the person well, you might use the variation "Salam aleykum", which means "peace be upon you". The reply to this greeting is "Aleykum salam", which means "and upon you, be peace".

Greeting in Formal Settings

In more formal settings, such as when addressing a superior or someone you don't know very well, it is considered polite to use the plural form of "you" in Azeri. This is considered a more respectful form of greeting.

Frequently asked questions