Learn Turkish: Selam! Ne haber?

Literally, ne means "what" and haber means "news". So you are asking "What is the news?", which is the standard Turkish way of saying "What's up?" or "How are things?".

I usually hear people say something that sounds like "naber". Is that the same thing?

Yes! In everyday spoken Turkish, ne haber is almost always squeezed together and pronounced as naber. You will even see it spelled as naber in casual text messages between friends.

When should I use Selam instead of Merhaba?

Selam is simply a more casual greeting. It is exactly like saying "Hi" instead of "Hello" in English. Use it with friends, family, and peers, but stick to Merhaba in more formal situations or with strangers.

How do I reply when someone asks me Ne haber?

The most common and natural reply is İyi (good) or İyilik (goodness). If you want to ask them back, you can say İyilik, senden ne haber? (Goodness, what's up with you?).