What it means
به سلامت (be salâmat) is said when someone is leaving. It translates roughly to “go safely,” “take care,” or “farewell.” The preposition به (be, meaning with or in) is Persian, but the noun سلامت (salâmat, meaning health or safety) comes from the Arabic root س-ل-م (s-l-m), the same root that gives Persian speakers سلام (salâm) and سلامتی (salâmati). This Persian-plus-Arabic construction makes the phrase mixed in origin. The phrase is gentle, warm, and universally appropriate. A close companion phrase is خداحافظ (khodâhâfez), which is also a farewell but more explicitly means “may God keep you.” Be salâmat is slightly softer and focuses on the journey or safety of the person leaving.
How to use it
- به سلامت برو، مواظب خودت باش. (Be salâmat boro, movâzeb khodat bâsh.) “Go safely, take care of yourself.”
- خداحافظ، به سلامت. (Khodâhâfez, be salâmat.) “Goodbye, take care.”
- ممنون که اومدی. به سلامت. (Mamnun ke umadi. Be salâmat.) “Thanks for coming. Take care.”
- به سلامت برسی. (Be salâmat beresi.) “May you arrive safely.”
Cultural note
به سلامت is one of the most common parting phrases in everyday Persian speech. It is used when a guest leaves your home, when you say goodbye to a colleague, or when a family member sets off on a journey. In the context of taarof, saying be salâmat and seeing a guest to the door (rather than simply waving from a distance) reflects proper Persian hospitality. The Arabic root s-l-m, meaning peace and wholeness, gives the phrase a deeper resonance shared across Arabic and Persian speech communities.