Saying hello is the most basic yet significant greeting that can break down language and cultural barriers. Every country, culture, and language has its own way of saying hello. Here’s a list of how to say hello in pretty much every language around the world.
English: Hello
In English-speaking countries, the most common way of greeting someone is with a simple ‘hello’. This greeting is used in both formal and informal settings.
Spanish: Hola
Spanish-speaking countries use ‘hola’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘oh-lah’ and is also used in both formal and informal settings.
French: Bonjour
French-speaking countries use ‘bonjour’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘bohn-zhoor’ and is more commonly used in formal settings.
Italian: Ciao
Italian-speaking countries use ‘ciao’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘chow’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
German: Hallo
German-speaking countries use ‘hallo’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘hah-loh’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Portuguese: Oi
Portuguese-speaking countries use ‘oi’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘oy’ and is more commonly used in informal settings.
Mandarin: Nǐ hǎo
Mandarin-speaking countries use ‘nǐ hǎo’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘nee ha-ow’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Japanese: Konnichiwa
Japanese-speaking countries use ‘konnichiwa’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘kon-nee-chee-wah’ and is more commonly used in formal settings.
Korean: Annyeonghaseyo
Korean-speaking countries use ‘annyeonghaseyo’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘ahn-nyeong-ha-se-yo’ and is more commonly used in formal settings.
Russian: Zdravstvuyte
Russian-speaking countries use ‘zdravstvuyte’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘zdrah-stvooy-tyeh’ and is more commonly used in formal settings.
Arabic: Salaam
Arabic-speaking countries use ‘salaam’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced sah-lam’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Hindi: Namaste
Hindi-speaking countries use ‘namaste’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘nuh-muh-stay’ and is more commonly used in formal settings.
Swahili: Jambo
Swahili-speaking countries use ‘jambo’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘jahm-boh’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Hebrew: Shalom
Hebrew-speaking countries use ‘shalom’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘shah-lohm’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Turkish: Merhaba
Turkish-speaking countries use ‘merhaba’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘mehr-hah-bah’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Greek: Yassou
Greek-speaking countries use ‘yassou’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘yah-soo’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Dutch: Hallo
Dutch-speaking countries use ‘hallo’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘hah-loh’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Vietnamese: Chào
Vietnamese-speaking countries use ‘chào’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘chow’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Thai: Sawadee
Thai-speaking countries use ‘sawadee’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘sah-wah-dee’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Indonesian: Halo
Indonesian-speaking countries use ‘halo’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘hah-loh’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Polish: Cześć
Polish-speaking countries use ‘cześć’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘cheh-shch’ and is more commonly used in informal settings.
Czech: Ahoj
Czech-speaking countries use ‘ahoj’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘ah-hoy’ and is more commonly used in informal settings.
Hungarian: Szia
Hungarian-speaking countries use ‘szia’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘see-yah’ and is more commonly used in informal settings.
Finnish: Hei
Finnish-speaking countries use “hei” to greet someone. It’s pronounced “hey” and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Swedish: Hej
Swedish-speaking countries use ‘hej’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘hey’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Norwegian: Hei
Norwegian-speaking countries use ‘hei’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘hey’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Danish: Hej
Danish-speaking countries use ‘hej’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘hey’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Icelandic: Halló
Icelandic-speaking countries use ‘halló’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘hah-loh’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Gaelic: Dia dhuit
Gaelic-speaking countries use ‘dia dhuit’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘dee-ah gwit’ and is more commonly used in formal settings.
Maori: Kia ora
Maori-speaking countries use ‘kia ora’ to greet someone. It’s pronounced ‘kee-ah oh-rah’ and is used in both formal and informal settings.
Indigenous Australia
In Uluṟu, very few Aṉangu speak English as a first language. They mostly speak Pitjantjatjara (pronounced ‘pigeon-jarrah’) and Yankunytjatjara (pronounced ‘young-kun-jarrah’), which are dialects of the Western Desert language. ‘Palya’ (pronounced ‘pahl-yah’) is the best way to say hello to the Aṉangu. It also means okay, good, hello, and bye,
There are many ways to say ‘hello’ in Australia, which is home to more than 250 languages. Here are a few of them.
Learning how to say hello in different languages can be a great way to show respect for other cultures and build connections with people from around the world. Remember that pronunciation can vary between regions and dialects, so it’s always best to ask a native speaker for guidance if possible.
Knowing how to open a conversation with ‘hello’ gives you a better shot at making new friends no matter where you go.
Have we missed any ‘hellos’? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: How to keep your cool when travelling in hot countries
