Soil salinity can inhibit the processes of nitrogen cycle, and the active nitrogen is the important indicator to reflect the turnover of nitrogen. A laboratory experiment was conducted to study the effect of soil salinity on the active nitrogen in a soil of the Yellow River Delta incubated aerobically under 25 degrees C for 45 days. Four levels of salinity (S1: 0.1%, S2: 0.5%, S3: 0.9%, S4: 1.3%) were imposed using NaCl (mass fraction), and glucose with or without NH4Cl were added to the soils. NO3(-) -N, NH4(+) -N, total soluble nitrogen (TSN) and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) were monitored. Results showed that NO3(-)-N was significantly higher in the low salinity soil (S1, S2) than in the high salinity soil (S3, S4) under the control and with NH4Cl addition, and especially the difference was larger with NH4Cl addition. Comparing with the control, NO3(-) -N was increased significantly in S1 and S2. NO3(-) -N was decreased significantly with glucose addition, and there was no difference among the four salinity soils during the whole incubation period. NH4(+) -N was significantly higher in the high salinity soil (S3, S4) than in the low salinity soil (S1, S2), and it was increased particularly in S4 after day 5. With the addition of NH4Cl, NH4(+) -N was increased in S3 and S4. MBN was higher in the low salinity soil than in the high salinity soil, and it was not increased with NH4Cl addition, though TSN was increased. With glucose addition, MBN was increased by 89.9% - 130.9% in the low salinity soil (S1, S2) and 36.9% - 79.5% in the high salinity soil (S3, S4). It was suggested that soil salinity had influence on N transformation, and high salinity inhibited the transformation and assimilation of N by microorganism. The addition of C depressed the effect of salinity, and improved the microbial activity. The application of organic matter is an effective measure to improve N transformation in saline soils.