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Want to learn how to say hello in different languages? I’ll teach you how!
Before you visit a country, it’s smart to learn how to say hello. After travelling to over 29 countries, I’ve learned how to say hello in different languages so I can greet locals in their own words.
Even if you’re terrible at learning languages (like me!), it’s easy to pick up a few words. Hello, please, thank you, and how are you are great terms to know so you can start a conversation with anyone around the world and quickly find a new friend.
This guide will help prepare you to make friends around the world by learning how to say hi in different languages. I couldn’t cover every language – especially as some are very hard to write out phonetically.
But I have covered hello in 100 languages so you’ll be set in almost every country around the world.
Use this guide to say hello in many languages, learn where you should say them, and how to pronounce them. You’ll be able to greet people in every continent!
Let’s dive right into your language lesson!
Need help learning a new language? I recommend iTalki! I’ve tried ALL the apps, but iTalki is the only way I’ve managed to learn as much as living in the local country.
Hello in Different Languages with Pronunciation
1. English: Hello
Where to Say It: The second most spoken language in the world, it’s an international language for solo travellers to use and be understood. It’s the official language of Canada, the UK, the United States, Australia, New Zealand.
How to Pronounce it: huh-lOH
2. French: Bonjour
Where to Say It: Most popular in France, French is also widely spoken in other countries around the world. You’ll be understood in Quebec and most of Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Morocco, Tunisia, and Alergia. Additionally, French is spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Guinea, Gabon, and Mauritius. You’ll want to pick up a phrasebook to help with the complex grammar.
How to Pronounce it: bon-ZHOOR
3. Spanish: Hola
Where to Say It: Spanish is the native language of Spain and Mexico. In most of South America and Central America, Spanish is the primary language. It is also the second most common language in the United States.
How to Pronounce it: OH-laa
If you’re planning a trip to Spain and looking to learn even more Spanish, I highly recommend picking up this pocket phrasebook. It is the perfect guide to keep in your pocket/purse and use on the go and it’s affordable!
4. Italian: Ciao
Where to Say It: Say ciao on your way to get an espresso in Italy.
How to Pronounce it: chau
Learn the top 1000 common Italian phrases with this book to help you get to know locals – and maybe find love in Italy!
5. Portugese: Olá
Where to Say It: Portuguese is the language of Portugal and Brazil. It is still spoken in former colonies, like Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Sao Tome, and Macau. You’ll also find linguistic roots in the Philippines.
How to Pronounce it: oh-LAA
6. Maori: Kia Ora
Where to Say It: Kia Ora is the traditional greeting of the indigenous peoples of New Zealand.
How to Pronounce it: ki-ao-ra
Maori pronunciations are really complicated. Avoid being laughed at for confusing your “f”s with “wh”s. This book helped me a lot.
7. Australian: G’day
Where to Say It: This informal greeting is used in Australia and New Zealand to say good day or hello.
How to Pronounce it: guh-day
8. Greek: Geia (γεια)
Where to Say It: One of the many ways to say hello in the Greek language is geia. It can be used to greet people in Greece and Cyprus.
How to Pronounce it: ya
Considering Moving Abroad? Find Out Which Country is Right for You!
9. Serbian: Zdravo
Where to Say It: This Slavic language is spoken in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Croatia. It is similar to many other Slavic languages.
How to Pronounce it: ZDRAH-voh
10. Croatian: Zdravo
Where to Say It: Croatian is best used in Croatia, but is also spoken in some parts of Bosnia and Serbia.
How to Pronounce it: ZDRAH-voh
11. Russian: Privet
Where to Say It: Russian is the most common language in Eastern Europe. Say privet in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and other Eastern European countries.
How to Pronounce it: pree-VYEHT
12. Mandarin: Nǐ hǎo
Where to Say It: As the most spoken language in the world, it’s useful to know how to say hello in this language everywhere. It’s primarily spoken in China. If you’re visiting, you should pick up some books to learn Chinese Madarin before you arrive.
How to Pronounce it: nee haow
13. Cantonese: Nǐ hǎo
Where to Say It: Many people think “Chinese” is a language, but Cantonese and Mandarin are very different. Cantonese is mostly spoken in Southern China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
How to Pronounce it: nie haow
14. Hindi: Namaste
Where to Say It: Hindi is one of the official languages of India, but is most commonly spoken in Northern India. You’ll also be understood in Nepal or in any yoga class.
How to Pronounce it: nah-mah-steh
15. Japanese: Kon’nichiwa
Where to Say It: This is an all day greeting in Japan.
How to Pronounce it: kohn-nee-chee-wah
16. Turkish: Merhaba
Where to Say It: Turkish is spoken in Turkey and Cyprus. You’ll also find it in parts of Azerbaijan.
How to Pronounce it: mehr-hah-bah
17. Korean: Anyeong Haseyo
Where to Say It: North Korea and South Korea.
How to Pronounce it: AHN-young-ha-say-yo
18. Slovak: Ahoj
Where to Say It: Primarily spoken in Slovakia.
How to Pronounce it: AH-hoy
19. German: Guten tag
Where to Say It: Greet people this way in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
How to Pronounce it: goo-tenn tahk
This phrasebook helped me massively when I was trying to shop in Germany.
20. Dutch: Hallo
Where to Say It: Spoken by millions in the Netherlands and northern Belgium.
How to Pronounce it: HAAL-oo
21. Polish: Cześć
Where to Say It: The official language of Poland, Polish is said to be one of the hardest languages to learn.
How to Pronounce it: cheshch
22. Thai: S̄wạs̄dī
Where to Say It: Sole language of Thailand.
How to Pronounce it: sa-wat-dii
Want to learn Thai? I recommend this pocket phrasebook that you can easily carry with you. This way you won’t be stranded in a market with no idea how to order dinner – or what you’re ordering!
23. Hungarian: Szia
Where to Say It: Hungary is mostly spoken in Hungary, but parts of the Balkans also speak it.
How to Pronounce it: SEE-ah
24. Czech: Ahoj
Where to Say It: Mainly spoken in the Czech Republic.
How to Pronounce it: AH-hoy
Need help learning a new language? I recommend iTalki! I’ve tried ALL the apps, but iTalki is the only way I’ve managed to learn as much as living in the local country.
25. Bengali: Hyālō
Where to Say It: The official language of Bangladesh.
How to Pronounce it: hel-oh
26. Urdu: Assalam u Alaikum
Where to Say It: National language of Pakistan, with similarities to the Hindi language.
How to Pronounce it: as-salam-u lay-kuhm
27. Persian: Salām
Where to Say It: Persian or Farsi is spoken is Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Bahrain.
How to Pronounce it: saol-am
28. Ukrainian: Dobryj Den
Where to Say It: Spoken in the Ukraine.
How to Pronounce it: DOH-brihy dehn
29. Swedish: Hallå
Where to Say It: Language of Sweden and the Aland Islands.
How to Pronounce it: hal-oa
30. Afrikaans: Hallo
Where to Say It: Say good morning this way in South Africa and Namibia. Some parts of Botswana and Zimbabwe also speak Afrikans.
How to Pronounce it: hel-OH
31. Romanian: Bunâ
Where to Say It: Spoken in Romania and Moldova.
How to Pronounce it: boo-na
32. Hebrew: Shalom
Where to Say It: Historically, the language of those in Israel and of the Jewish faith.
How to Pronounce it: shah-LOHM
33. Armenian: Barev
Where to Say It: Republic of Armenia and in Armenian Diaspora communities.
How to Pronounce it: bah-REV
34. Arabic: Marhabaan
Where to Say It: There are many dialects of Arabic throughout North Africa and the Middle East. Say hell in this Arabic in Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, and Yemen.
How to Pronounce it: mur-hah-bahn
35. Punjabi: Sata Srī Akāla
Where to Say It: This 10th most spoken language in the world is a language spoken in India.
How to Pronounce it: saht sree ah-kahl
36. Javanese: Halo
Where to Say It: Spoken in Java, Indonesia.
How to Pronounce it: hah-low
37. Malay/Indonesian: Selamat Pagi
Where to Say It: You’ll find this language in Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. It is the official language of Malaysia and Brunei.
How to Pronounce it: suh-lah-met pah-gee
38. Vietnamese: Xin Chào
Where to Say It: Primarily spoken in Vietnam.
How to Pronounce it: sin CHOW
39. Basque: Kaixo
Where to Say It: Spoken in the Basque regions of Spain, located in Northern Spain and Southern France.
How to Pronounce it: kia-show
40. Bavarian: Servus
Where to Say It: Regional dialect in Bavaria, Germany and Western Austria.
How to Pronounce it: SER-VOOS
41. Tagalog: Kamusta
Where to Say It: Tagalog is the primary language of the Philippines.
How to Pronounce it: kuh-moos-tah
42. Swahili: Jambo
Where to Say It: Swahili is mainly in Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. It is the secondary language in East Africa.
How to Pronounce it: jam-BOH
43. Uzbek: Salom
Where to Say It: Uzbek is the national language of Uzebekistan.
How to Pronounce it: shah-lohm
44. Azerbaijani: Salam
Where to Say It: Say hello this way in Azerbaijan. You’ll also find it in Northern Iran, southern Dagestan, Kvemo Kartli in Georgia, Eastern Turkey, and some parts of Iraq.
How to Pronounce it: sal-aam
45. Kurdish: Slav
Where to Say It: Spoken by 30 million people in Western Asian, including Kurdistan, Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and Syria.
How to Pronounce it: slaw
46. Nepali: Namaste
Where to Say It: Sole language of Nepal and one of the languages of India.
How to Pronounce it: nah-mahs-teh
47. Haitian Creole: Bonjou
Where to Say It: Spoken in Haiti, along with French.
How to Pronounce it: BON-joo
48. Belarusian: Dobry Dzień
Where to Say It: Spoken in Belarus and parts of Russia, Ukraine, and Poland.
How to Pronounce it: DOH-brihy dehn
49. Chichewa: Moni
Where to Say It: Also called Nyanja, this Bantu language is spoken in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.
How to Pronounce it: mooni
50. Fijian: Bula
Where to Say It: Native language of Fiji.
How to Pronounce it: mbula
51. Hawaiian: Aloha
Where to Say It: Spoken in Hawaii.
How to Pronounce it: AH-low-ha
52. Samoan: Tālofa
Where to Say It: Greet people in the Samoan Islands this way.
How to Pronounce it: tah-low-fah
53. Tongan: Mālō e lelei
Where to Say It: Language of the Kingdom of Tonga.
How to Pronounce it: mah-lo eh lei-lei
54. Yiddish: A Gutn Tog
Where to Say It: Historical language of the Ashkenazi Jewish peoples.
How to Pronounce it: a goo-ten tawg
55. Welsh: S’mae
Where to Say It: Spoken in Wales and routinely mocked in greater Britain for its abundance of consonants.
How to Pronounce it: shoe-my
How to say hello and goodbye in Welsh
56. Norwegian: Hei
Where to Say It: Norway.
How to Pronounce it: hay
57. Lithuanian: Sveiki
Where to Say It: Lithuania.
How to Pronounce it: SVEH-kii
58. Latvian: Sveika (male) Sveiks (female)
Where to Say It: Official language of Latvia.
How to Pronounce it: SVYEH-kah or SVYEH-eeks
59. Icelandic: Halló
Where to Say It: Spoken only in Iceland.
How to Pronounce it: hal-law
60. Scottish Gaelic: Halò
Where to Say It: Native to the Gaels of Scotland. It is now rarely spoken in Scotland.
How to Pronounce it: ha-LAW
61. Irish: Dia Duit
Where to Say It: The Irish Gaelic language is spoken in Ireland.
How to Pronounce it: DEE-ah GHWIT
62. Estonian: Tere
Where to Say It: Estonia.
How to Pronounce it: TEHR-reh
63. Bosnian: Zdravo
Where to Say It: Bosnia.
How to Pronounce it: ZDRAH-voh
64. Tibetan: Tashi Delek
Where to Say It: Official language of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China. Spoken across the Himalayas.
How to Pronounce it: tah-shee del-ek
Considering Moving Abroad? Find Out Which Country is Right for You!
65. Lao: Sabaidee
Where to Say It: Main language of Laos.
How to Pronounce it: sa-baai-di
66. Georgian: Gamarjoba
Where to Say It: Georgia (the country, not the US state).
How to Pronounce it: gah-mahr-joh-bah
67. Sesotho: Dumela
Where to Say It: Basotho in Lesotho, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
How to Pronounce it: doo-meh-lah
68. Esperanto: Saluton
Where to Say It: Artificial language created to be a widely spoken language in the world.
How to Pronounce it: sahl-oo-tohn
69. Maltese: Bongu
Where to Say It: Malta, Gozo, and Comino in the Mediterranean.
How to Pronounce it: BON-joo
70. Bahaman: Hello
Where to Say It: Bahamas.
How to Pronounce it: hel-low
71. Igbo: Nde-ewo
Where to Say It: Nigeria.
How to Pronounce it: n-day-wo
72. Luxembourgish: Moïen
Where to Say It: Luxembourg.
How to Pronounce it: MOY-en
73. Navajo: Ya’at’eeh
Where to Say It: Southwestern United States by the Navajo peoples.
How to Pronounce it: yah-tah-hey
74. Swiss German: Grüezi
Where to Say It: Upper German dialect name that’s spoken in Switzerland, Lichtenstein, parts of Germany, and Alsace, France.
How to Pronounce it: groo-tsi
Need help learning a new language? I recommend iTalki! I’ve tried ALL the apps, but iTalki is the only way I’ve managed to learn as much as living in the local country.
75. Tahitian: Ia Orana
Where to Say It: Spoken in the Society Islands in French Polynesia.
How to Pronounce it: ee-ah oh-rah-na
76. Albanian: Përshëndetje
Where to Say It: Albanian is the predominant language of Albania and Kosovo. You will find it in other regions of the Balkans as well.
How to Pronounce it: per-shen-DEAT-ye
77. Catalan: Hola
Where to Say It: Official language of Andorra and the co-official language of some Spanish communities, like Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.
How to Pronounce it: OH-laa
78. Galician: Ola
Where to Say It: Northwestern Spain.
How to Pronounce it: oh-LAA
How to say that you speak Galician — One Minute Galician Lesson 3
79. Mongolian: Sain uu
Where to Say It: Mongolia, parts of Russia, and parts of Kyrgyzstan.
How to Pronounce it: say-noo
80. Wolof: Salaam Aleekum
Where to Say It: Senegal.
How to Pronounce it: sah-laam
81. Wu (Shanghainese): Nóng gō
Where to Say It: A variety of Wu Chinese spoken in the city of Shanghai and its surrounding areas.
How to Pronounce it: nong haw
82. Tamil: Vanakkam
Where to Say It: Southern India, Sri Lanka, and Singapore.
How to Pronounce it: vaa–NAK–kam
83. Pashto: Salam
Where to Say It: Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran.
How to Pronounce it: sah-laam
84. Kannada: Namaskāra
Where to Say It: Southwestern India.
How to Pronounce it: nah-mahs-KAR
85. Hausa: Sannu
Where to Say It: Hausa is the native language of Niger and Northern Nigeria. It is also used in some countries in West and Central Africa.
How to Pronounce it: san-NU
86. Burmese: Mingalaba
Where to Say It: Myanmar, especially by the Bamar people.
How to Pronounce it: meen-gah LA-ba
87. Amharic: Selam
Where to Say It: This is an informal way to say hello in the Amharic language. It’s the language of Ethiopia, where hello also means “peace be with you”. You can also use it in Egypt and Eritrea.
How to Pronounce it: sah-lam
88. Breton: Demat
Where to Say It: Brittany in the Northwest of France.
How to Pronounce it: de-MAT
89. Oromo: Akkam
Where to Say It: This Cushitic language is spoken by millions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Egypt.
How to Pronounce it: akk-ham
90. Manipuri: Khurumjari
Where to Say It: Manipur in India.
How to Pronounce it: koo-rum-jar-ee
91. Cebuano: Kumusta
Where to Say It: The Philippines.
How to Pronounce it: kuh-moos-tah
92. Malagasy: Salama
Where to Say It: Madagascar.
How to Pronounce it: sah-LAHM-ah
93. Santali: Henda ho
Where to Say It: West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Orissa in India.
How to Pronounce it: hen-DAH ho
94. Khmer: Choum Reap Sor
Where to Say It: Cambodia.
How to Pronounce it: jum reap sour
Considering Moving Abroad? Find Out Which Country is Right for You!
95. Sinhalese: Ayubowan
Where to Say It: Sri Lanka.
How to Pronounce it: ah-yuh-boh-van
96. Somali: Salam Alaykum
Where to Say It: Somalia.
How to Pronounce it: sah-LAMM ah-lay-KUM
97. Taiwanese Hokkien: Li-hó
Where to Say It: Taiwan.
How to Pronounce it: lee-hoh
98. Tswana: Dumela
Where to Say It: Botswana and South Africa.
How to Pronounce it: doo-meh-lah
99. Quechua: Allianchu
Where to Say It: Peru.
How to Pronounce it: eye-ee-anch-oo
100. Xhosa: Molweni
Where to Say It: Bantu language of South Africa.
How to Pronounce it: mol-when-ii
Note: In this guide on how do you say hello in different languages, I am focussing on the translations for “hello” specifically. There are many ways to say hi in different languages, as well as other welcoming greetings. But then we’d be here for years, years you could be spending travelling! Instead, we’ll just be looking at 100 ways to say “hello” specifically.
Closing Thoughts on Saying Hello in Every Language
After reading this guide you can now greet over 70% of the people on the planet! That’s a pretty great addition to any digital nomad CV.
Get ready to start your solo travel journey on the right foot, by being able to interact with others freely.
While I don’t know how to say hello in all languages, knowing these 100 has helped me make friends across the globe. I’ve been able to interact with local women in Morocco and my host family in Austria.
By knowing these greetings in different languages, I was able to make more unique connections with locals.
Practice more languages with iTalki! iTalki will help you get ready to move abroad to any country by learning the language.
Get connected with real people who will help you learn a new language like you would while living abroad.
If I missed any greetings in different languages you recommend, let me know in the comments so I can expand this list and we can grow our ability to connect with the world.
Now go into the world and stay saying hello in all the different languages you now know!
Click here to get started with iTalki today!
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Canada Travel Planning Guide
🚑 Should I buy Canada travel insurance?
100% YES! — Canada has “free” healthcare but it’s only for citizens! Foreigners visiting need travel insurance in case anything happens on their visit. I recommend World Nomads – starting at just $5 a day!
💧Can you drink the water in Canada?
Yes — In all major cities in Canada, you can drink the tap water. There are very few, rural areas that you can’t. However, you should never drink river or lake water anywhere in the country! I recommend a Brita Water Bottle for long hikes and backcountry camping to stay safe and hydrated.
🚙💨 Is it safe to rent a car in Canada?
Yes — Renting a car is a necessity in most of Canada! If you want to go on road trips or adventures outside of the major cities, you’ll need to rent a car. (Read more)
📲 Will my phone work in Canada?
Maybe — Some American companies work in Canada, but many will not. If your phone doesn’t work in Canada, I recommend getting a Canadian SIM card so you can get around and stay in contact with loved ones. We don’t have a lot of free WIFI in Canada, so you’ll need your phone for maps.
🏩 What’s the best way to book my Canada accommodations?
My go-to for Canadian hotels is Booking.com. For hostels, I use Hostel World. If you want a home-y feeling, check out VRBO (which is cheaper and safer than Airbnb).
Or get free accommodations with Trusted Housesitters!
✈️ What’s the best site to buy Canada flights?
For finding cheap Canadian flights, I recommend Skyscanner.
🎫 Do I need a visa for Canada?
Likely Not — US, UK, and EU passport holders don’t need Canadian visas. However, some other countries do (check here!). And if you plan to stay for more than 4 weeks (an average tourist visa length), you will need to look into visas to live in Canada.
Hello in Different Languages: Do you like travelling? The first point of making an interaction with the locals is to learn their way of greeting. It is the basic to initiate a conversation. Starting a communication with Hello sounds polite and shows your interest to communicate even if you can’t speak it well.
Translation of word Hello in almost 100+ different languages of the world.
| Different Languages | Word Hello |
|---|---|
| Albanian | Përshëndetje |
| Basque | kaixo |
| Belarusian | добры дзень |
| Bosnian | zdravo |
| Bulgarian | Здравейте |
| Catalan | Hola |
| Croatian | zdravo |
| Czech | Ahoj |
| Danish | Hej |
| Dutch | Hallo |
| Estonian | Tere |
| Finnish | Hei |
| French | Bonjour |
| Galician | Ola |
| German | Hallo |
| Greek | Χαίρετε (Chaírete) |
| Hungarian | Helló |
| Icelandic | Halló |
| Irish | Dia dhuit |
| Italian | Ciao |
| Latvian | Sveiki |
| Lithuanian | Sveiki |
| Macedonian | Здраво |
| Maltese | Bongu |
| Norwegian | Hallo |
| Polish | cześć |
| Portuguese | Olá |
| Romanian | buna |
| Russian | Здравствуйте (Zdravstvuyte) |
| Serbian | Здраво (Zdravo) |
| Slovak | Ahoj |
| Slovenian | zdravo |
| Spanish | Hola |
| Swedish | Hallå |
| Ukrainian | Здравствуйте (Zdravstvuyte) |
| Welsh | Helo |
| Yiddish | העלא |
| Armenian | Բարեւ |
| Azerbaijani | Salam |
| Bengali | হ্যালো |
| Chinese Simplified | 你好 (nǐ hǎo) |
| Chinese Traditional | 你好 (nǐ hǎo) |
| Georgian | მიესალმები |
| Gujarati | હેલો |
| Hindi | नमस्ते |
| Hmong | nyob zoo |
| Japanese | こんにちは |
| Kannada | ಹಲೋ |
| Kazakh | Сәлеметсіз бе |
| Khmer | ជំរាបសួរ |
| Korean | 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) |
| Lao | ສະບາຍດີ |
| Malayalam | ഹലോ |
| Marathi | हॅलो |
| Mongolian | Сайн уу |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဟလို |
| Nepali | नमस्ते |
| Sinhala | හෙලෝ |
| Tajik | Салом |
| Tamil | வணக்கம் |
| Telugu | హలో |
| Thai | สวัสดี |
| Turkish | Merhaba |
| Urdu | ہیلو |
| Uzbek | Salom |
| Vietnamese | xin chào |
| Arabic | مرحبا (marhabaan) |
| Hebrew | שלום |
| Persian | سلام |
| Afrikaans | hallo |
| Chichewa | Moni |
| Hausa | sannu |
| Igbo | Nnọọ |
| Sesotho | Lumela |
| Somali | hello |
| Swahili | hujambo |
| Yoruba | Pẹlẹ o |
| Zulu | Sawubona |
| Cebuano | hello |
| Filipino | Kamusta |
| Indonesian | Halo |
| Javanese | hello |
| Malagasy | Salama |
| Malay | hello |
| Maori | hello |
| Esperanto | saluton |
| Haitian Creole | alo |
| Latin | salve |
Hello in European Languages
Translation of word Hello in almost 42 European languages.
| Different Languages | Word Hello |
|---|---|
| Albanian | Përshëndetje |
| Basque | kaixo |
| Belarusian | добры дзень |
| Bosnian | zdravo |
| Bulgarian | Здравейте |
| Catalan | Hola |
| Corsican | Bonghjornu |
| Croatian | zdravo |
| Czech | Ahoj |
| Danish | Hej |
| Dutch | Hallo |
| Estonian | Tere |
| Finnish | Hei |
| French | Bonjour |
| Frisian | Hoi |
| Galician | Ola |
| German | Hallo |
| Greek | Χαίρετε [Chaírete] |
| Hungarian | Helló |
| Icelandic | Halló |
| Irish | Dia dhuit |
| Italian | Ciao |
| Latvian | Sveiki |
| Lithuanian | Sveiki |
| Luxembourgish | Hallo |
| Macedonian | Здраво |
| Maltese | Bongu |
| Norwegian | Hallo |
| Polish | cześć |
| Portuguese | Olá |
| Romanian | buna |
| Russian | Здравствуйте [Zdravstvuyte] |
| Scots Gaelic | Halò |
| Serbian | Здраво [Zdravo] |
| Slovak | Ahoj |
| Slovenian | zdravo |
| Spanish | Hola |
| Swedish | Hallå |
| Tatar | Сәлам |
| Ukrainian | Здравствуйте [Zdravstvuyte] |
| Welsh | Helo |
| Yiddish | העלא |
Hello in Asian Languages
Translation of word Hello in almost 36 Asian languages.
| Different Languages | Word Hello |
|---|---|
| Armenian | Բարեւ |
| Azerbaijani | Salam |
| Bengali | হ্যালো |
| Chinese Simplified | 你好 [nǐ hǎo] |
| Chinese Traditional | 你好 [nǐ hǎo] |
| Georgian | მიესალმები |
| Gujarati | નમસ્કાર [Namaskaar] |
| Hindi | नमस्ते |
| Hmong | nyob zoo |
| Japanese | こんにちは |
| Kannada | ಹಲೋ |
| Kazakh | Сәлеметсіз бе |
| Khmer | ជំរាបសួរ |
| Korean | 안녕하세요 [annyeonghaseyo] |
| Kyrgyz | салам |
| Lao | ສະບາຍດີ |
| Malayalam | ഹലോ |
| Marathi | हॅलो |
| Mongolian | Сайн уу |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဟလို |
| Nepali | नमस्ते |
| Odia | ନମସ୍କାର |
| Pashto | سلام |
| Punjabi | ਸਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ |
| Sindhi | سلام |
| Sinhala | හෙලෝ |
| Tajik | Салом |
| Tamil | வணக்கம் |
| Telugu | హలో |
| Thai | สวัสดี |
| Turkish | Merhaba |
| Turkmen | salam |
| Urdu | ہیلو |
| Uyghur | ياخشىمۇسىز |
| Uzbek | Salom |
| Vietnamese | xin chào |
Hello in Middle East Languages
Translation of word Hello in 4 middle eastern languages.
| Different Languages | Word Hello |
|---|---|
| Arabic | مرحبا [marhabaan] |
| Hebrew | שלום |
| Kurdish (Kurmanji) | Slav |
| Persian | سلام |
Hello in African Languages
Translation of word Hello in almost 13 African languages.
| Different Languages | Word Hello |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | hallo |
| Amharic | ሀሎ |
| Chichewa | Moni |
| Hausa | sannu |
| Igbo | Nnọọ |
| Kinyarwanda | muraho |
| Sesotho | Lumela |
| Shona | mhoro |
| Somali | hello |
| Swahili | hujambo |
| Xhosa | Mholweni |
| Yoruba | Pẹlẹ o |
| Zulu | Sawubona |
Hello in Austronesian Languages
Translation of word Hello in almost 10 Austronesian languages.
| Different Languages | Word Hello |
|---|---|
| Cebuano | hello |
| Filipino | Kamusta |
| Hawaiian | aloha |
| Indonesian | Halo |
| Javanese | hello |
| Malagasy | Salama |
| Malay | hello |
| Maori | hello |
| Samoan | talofa |
| Sundanese | Halo |
Hello in Other Foreign Languages
| Different Languages | Word Hello |
|---|---|
| Esperanto | saluton |
| Haitian Creole | alo |
| Latin | salve |
Video Translation of Hello in 10 Other Languages
Coming Soon…
More Information about Hello
It shows that you’re trying to speak a language you’re not familiar with which is quite usual to face difficulty in switching from one language to the other. Hello always does a gracious favour in striking a conversation better.
Related Articles:
- Good Bye in Different Languages
- Hey in Different Languages
Importance of greeting
Greetings make a relationship better and leave a good impression on people you meet. It makes your personality effective and charming.
Greetings could be with a stranger you meet, your boss and your friends. A simple HELLO shows your interest to the person. Simple greetings introduce you to new people.
Self confidence
Initiating a conversation ensures confidence to you and shows your activeness. It teaches you that people don’t bite and there’s nothing to fear.
In business it is an integral part to say hello and greet everybody. It helps you connect with people and removes hesitation among employees.
Way to hearts
Imagine you go somewhere and greet people in their language, they’ll surely stop and greet you in return. I will put a smile on their face. It is a reminder to let people know you care.
There are two types of greeting: formal and informal. This shows the whole point of conversation. You can use a formal HELLO or an informal Hi.
When you do not know a person try to say Hello in a very formal tone like for offices and elderly people. When you’re interacting with the locals of another country you can used a casual tone because it sounds very friendly.
Or sometimes when you do not know a person wait for them to speak first. The formal and informal greeting differ by language and area.
If you learn to say HELLO in different languages it will express yourself more precisely.
For example in Chinese formal and informal greetings are different.
Nĭ hăo: Hi, Hello. More casual. It is usually used for individuals and not for groups.
Nín hăo: Hello, You good? Used as a formal greeting.
The difficulty that most people face when they go abroad is a language barrier. Not many languages are taught in our curriculum. We’re helping you to learn basics of the most spoken languages. It will be useful wherever you go.
Do you want to be a cool chic and want to astonish your friends with new ways of greeting? We’ve got your back. You can learn to say HELLO in different languages and teach your friends too.
My name is Arslan Hussain and I am co-founder of The Different Languages blog. Have years of experience in digital marketing, My best hobby is blogging and feel awesome to spend time in it.
There’s no doubt that all of you are familiar with the meaning of the word Hello.
And at least half of you know how to say Hello in Chinese, French, Spanish or German.
But how many of you know how to greet someone in languages like Polish, Malayalam or Hebrew? Not many, right?
So, let’s learn how to say it. As a matter of fact, today we’re going to teach you how to say Hello in 100 different languages.
Different languages worldwide
It’s a well-known fact that languages are extremely important. They allow people to communicate with each other and express their thoughts, feelings and opinions.
Today, there are around 6.500 languages in the world. Around 2.000 of them have fewer than 1.000 speakers.
It means that some of the languages are considered ‘small,’ while others, such as Mandarin Chinese (with around 1.200.000.000 speakers) or English (with around 1.000.000.000 speakers) are considered ‘big.’
Every language is beautiful in its own way. Every language is worth learning too.
Start with the basics
When you take on a new language, Hello is among the first words to learn. Knowing how to greet someone in their language is important because it shows respect and willingness to get to know them.
When you go aboard, local people always appreciate tourists that try to talk to them in their language. Why wouldn’t you be that tourist?
It’s not that hard. It just takes a couple of minutes of your time. If you decide to take it one step further, then it might take you hours or days to learn more phrases.
But if you want to impress them, knowing how to greet them can be sufficient.
That is why we decided to teach how to say Hello both formally and informally in 100 different languages.
And if you’re looking to work with another native speaker to learn a new language, then check out
our professional tutors. All tutors are native speakers that can help you not only with basic phrases, but with grammar, vocabulary etc.
Hello in 100 different languages
In some languages, there are different ways to say ‘hello.’
Some languages have a formal and informal way of speaking.
And some of them are so similar, that you might think that they are the same.
Let’s dive in.
-
Afrikaans
Formal:
Goeie dag
Informal: Hallo!/ Haai!
-
Albanian
Formal: Mirëdita!
Informal: Përshëndetje!
-
Amharic
Formal: ሰላም ጤና ይስጥልኝ (selam tena jistilign)
Informal: ሰላም (Selam)
-
Arabic
Formal: Asalaam alaikum (Peace be upon you)
Informal: Ahlan
-
Armenian
Formal: Barev dzez
Informal: Barev
-
Basque
Formal: Arratsalde on
Informal:Kaixo
-
Bengali
Formal: আসসালামু আলাইকুম (Assalamu alaikum) for Muslims; নমস্কার (Nômôskar) for Hindus
Informal: Hyālō
-
Bosnian
Formal: Dobar dan, Zdravo
Informal: Ćao, Bok
-
Bulgarian
Formal: Добър ден ( Dob’r den)
Informal:Здравейте (Zdraveĭte)
-
Burmese
Formal: Min-ga-la-ba shin- said by a woman; Min-ga-la-ba khin-bah- said by a man.
Informal: Ming-gah-lah-bahr
-
Cantonese
Formal: 你好 ( nei5 hou2)
Informal: 哈囉 ( haa1 lo3)
-
Catalan
Formal: Bon dia
Informal: Hola
-
Cebuano
Informal: Hello/ Hoy/ Uy
-
Chinese
Formal: 您好 (Nǐn hǎo)
Informal:你好( Nǐ hǎo)
-
Croatian.
Formal: Dobar dan
Informal: Zdravo/ Bok
-
Czech
Formal: Dobrý den
Informal: Ahoj/ Nazdar! ( this one usually use young people when meet each other)
-
Danish
Formal: Goddag
Informal: Hej, Halløj
-
Dutch
Formal: Goedendag
Informal: Hoi, Hallo
-
Egyptian Arabic
Formal: سلام عليكم ( Salaam ‘aleikum), أهلا وسهلا ( MarHaba)
Informal: اهلا ( Helo)
-
English
Formal: Hello
Informal: Hi
-
Esperanto
Formal: Saluton
Informal:Sal, Ahoj hoj
-
Estonian
Formal: Tere
Informal: Halloo
-
Ewe
Both formal and informal: Alekay
Response to ‘Alekay:’ Miledzi
-
Fijian
Formal: Ni sa bula/Ni sa bula vinaka
Informal: Bula
-
Filipino
Formal: Magandang Hapon
Informal: Kamusta/ Musta
-
Finnish
Formal: Hyvää päivää!
Informal: Haloo/ Hei
-
French
Formal: Bonjour
Informal: Salut
-
Galician
Formal: Boa tarde
Informal: Ola
-
Georgian
Formal: დილა მშვიდობისა! (Dila mschvidobisa!)
Informal: გამარჯობა (gamarschoba)
-
German
Formal: Guten Tag
Informal: Hallo, Hi
-
Greek
Formal: Γεια σας (Yassas)
Informal: Γεια σου(Yassou)/ Γεια (Ya)
-
Gujarati
Formal: નમસ્તે ( Namaste)
Informal: કેમ ચો (Kem cho)
-
Hausa
Formal: Salama alaikum, A gaishai ka (ki)
Informal: Sannu
-
Hawaiian
Both formal and informal: Aloha
-
Hebrew
Formal: שלום ( Shalom)
Informal: Hey
-
Hindi
Formal: नमस्ते (Namaste),नमस्कार ( Namaskar)
Informal: Hai, Helo
-
Hmong
Formal: Nyob zoo (Nyaw zhong)
Informal: Halo
-
Hungarian
Formal: Szervusz/ Szevasz
Informal: Szia
-
Igbo
Formal: Ndeewo
Informal: Kedụ
-
Icelandic
Formal: Halló ( pronounced as hallaw)
Informal: Saell
-
Indonesian
Formal: Selamat siang
Informal: Hi/ Halo
-
Irish
Formal: Dia dhuit
Informal: Heileo
-
Italian
Formal: Salve
Informal: Ciao
-
Japanese
Formal: Konnichiwa
Informal: Yā, Yō
-
Javanese
Formal: Nggoleki
Informal: Halo
-
Kannada
Formal: ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ (Namaskāra)
Informal: Hi
-
Khmer
Formal: Chom Reap Sour
Informal: Susadei
-
Khowar
Both formal and informal: ھیلو
-
Kikuyu
Formal: Wĩmwega
Informal:Ni kwega/ Natya
-
Korean
Formal:안녕하세요 (Annyeong Haseyo)
Informal: Anyoung
-
Kurdish
Formal: Merheba!
Informal: Rojbaş!
-
Lao
Formal: Saibaidee ton sao
Informal: Sabaidee
-
Latin
Formal: Salve, Ave
Note: Since Latin is a dead language, there is no difference in formal, or informal way of speaking.
-
Lithuanian
Formal: Sveiki
Informal: Labas
-
Luo
Formal: Misawa; Misawa ahinya (reply)
Informal: Ber; Ber ahinya (reply)
-
Macedonian
Formal: Добар ден ( Dobar den)
Informal: Здраво (Zdravo)
-
Malay
Formal: Selamat tengah hari
Informal: Selamat
-
Malayalam
Formal: നമസ്തേ (namastē)/ നമസ്കാരം (namaskaram)
Informal: Hei
-
Maltese
Formal: Bongu
Informal: Elow
-
Maori
Formal: Tēnā koe
Informal: Kia ora
-
Marathi
Formal: Namaskār
Informal: Hĕlō
-
Mongolian
Formal:Сайн байна уу ( Sain baina uu)
Informal: Сайн уу (sain uu)
-
Morrocan Arabic
Formal: اسلا عليكم ( ssalamū ‘lekum)
Informal: السلام ( Selam)
-
Nepali
Formal: नमस्कार ( Namaskar), नमस्ते (Namaste)
Informal: Halo
-
Norwegian
Formal: God dag
Informal: Hei
-
Oromo
Formal: Akkam
Informal: Naqaa
-
Pashto
Formal: سلام دې وي (Salaam alaikum)
Informal: سلام (Salam)
-
Persian
Formal: سلام, ظهر بخیر ( Salām, zohr bekheir)
Informal: سلام (Salām)
-
Polish
Formal: Dzień dobry
Informal: Cześć, Witaj
-
Portuguese
Formal: Olá
Informal: Oi
-
Punjabi
Formal: Sat sri akaal (ਸਤ ਸੀ੍ ਅਕਾਲ)
Informal: ਹੈਲੋ ( Hailō)
-
Romanian
Formal: Bună ziua/ Salut
Informal: Ciao/ Neata
-
Russian
Formal: Здравствуйте ( Zdravstvuyte)
Informal: Привет (Privet)
-
Sanskrit
Formal: नमस्का (Namaskaaraa), नमस्ते (Namaste)
Informal: किं भो ( Kim bhoho )
-
Serbian
Formal: Добар дан (Dobar dan)/ Здраво (Zdravo)
Informal: Ћао (Ćao)
-
Sinhala
Formal: ආයුඛෝවන් ( āyubūvan)
Informal: හෙලෝ ( Helō)
-
Shona
Formal: Mhoroi/Kwaziwayi
Informal: Ndeipi.
-
Slovak
Formal: Dobrý deň
Informal: Ahoj
-
Slovenian
Formal: Živjo, Pozdravljeni
Informal: Zdravo
-
Somali
Formal: Salaam alaykum/ Always reply with: Wa alaykum salaam
Informal: See tahay
-
Spanish
Formal: Hola!
Informal: Que tál?
-
Swahili
Formal: Shikamoo
Informal: Habari, Hujambo
-
Swedish
Formal: God dag
Informal: Hej, Tjena
-
Tagalog
Formal: Mabuhay
Informal: Kamusta
-
Tamil
Formal: வணக்கம்! (Vaṇakkam)
Informal: Alo
-
Tatar
Formal: Isänme, Sawmı
Informal: Sälam
-
Telugu
Formal: నమస్కారం (namaskārām)
Informal: హలో(Halō)
-
Thai
Formal: สวัสดี (Sà-wàt-dii)
Informal: หวัดดี (wàt-dii), ดี (dii)
-
Tswana
Formal: Dumela- to one person; Dumelang- to a group of people
Informal: Hallo
-
Tunisian Arabic
Formal: Aslema
Informa: Hello
-
Turkish
Formal: Merhaba
Informal: Selam
-
Twi
Formal: Maa ha
Informal: Ete-sen
-
Ukrainian
Formal: Здравствуйте ( Zdravstvuyte)
Informal: Привіт ( Privit)
-
Urdu
Formal: السلام علیکم (‘assalam-o-alaikum)
Informal: ہیلو ( Hello)
-
Uzbek
Formal: Assalomu alaykum
Informal: Salom
-
Vietnamese
Formal: Xin chào
Informal: Chào
-
Zulu
Formal: Sawubona- to one person; Sanibonani- to a group of people
Informal: Ninjani
-
Welsh
Formal: Helô, Hylô
Informal: Haia
-
Wolof
Both formal and informal: Salaam aleekum
Always respond with: Malekum salaam
-
Yoruba
Formal: E nle ma, E nle sir
Informal: E nle o
Fun facts about languages
As you can see, languages aren’t boring. In fact, they can be quite fun.
To show you that languages can be a blast, we also put together a list of some interesting facts about them. Check them out:
-
Chinese is the most spoken language in the world with more than 1.2 billion speakers. It is also
the hardest language to learn. -
Most of the languages are spoken in Asia and Africa. In Europe only 3% of the world’s languages are spoken, 225 of them.
-
Half of the population is bilingual or plurilingual, which means that they can speak two or more languages.
-
Every language has around 50.000 words. For everyday conversations, people use only a few hundred words.
-
The English language used to borrow many words and phrases from other languages. Today; it’s happening vice versa. Many other languages borrow English words and phrases.
-
Almost every day one language in the world is lost because of the death of its last speaker. That’s why we say they are
endangered. For example, there are at least 20 languages with only one speaker left.
-
Esperanto was made with a purpose to bring peace in the world. Unfortunately, that didn’t work.
-
In Papua New Guinea there are around 800 languages.
-
Tamil is the world’s oldest language that is still spoken.
-
If you think that Basque is a member of the Romance language family, along with Spanish, you are wrong. No matter if it’s spoken in Spain, it doesn’t belong to any language family.
Conclusion
This was the list of 100 different languages. Do you think it’s too long?
Then imagine 6.500 different languages. Compared to that number, 100 is just a tiny number.
It’s always nice to see how some countries have different ways of saying ‘hello’ or how much similarity there is between some languages.
If you decide to learn a language, you might check this article first and see which one seems the most fascinating for you. Also, what’s your mother tongue? Start from there, maybe there’s a language that’s similar to yours. Good luck!
Which language on this list seems the easiest for you? Share with us in the comments below!
Hello
Afrikaans:
hallo
Albanian:
përshëndetje
Amharic:
ሀሎ
Arabic:
مرحبا
Armenian:
բարեւ
Azerbaijani:
salam
Basque:
kaixo
Belarusian:
добры дзень
Bengali:
হ্যালো
Bosnian:
zdravo
Bulgarian:
здравейте
Catalan:
hola
Cebuano:
kumusta
Chinese (Simplified):
你好
Chinese (Traditional):
你好
Corsican:
bonghjornu
Croatian:
zdravo
Czech:
ahoj
Danish:
hej
Dutch:
hallo
English:
hello
Esperanto:
saluton
Estonian:
tere
Finnish:
hei
French:
bonjour
Frisian:
hoi
Galician:
ola
Georgian:
გამარჯობა
German:
hallo
Greek:
χαίρετε
Gujarati:
નમસ્તે
Haitian Creole:
bonjou
Hausa:
sannu
Hawaiian:
aloha
Hebrew:
שלום
Hindi:
नमस्ते
Hmong:
nyob zoo
Hungarian:
helló
Icelandic:
halló
Igbo:
nnọọ
Indonesian:
halo
Irish:
dia dhuit
Italian:
ciao
Japanese:
こんにちは
Javanese:
halo
Kannada:
ಹಲೋ
Kazakh:
сәлеметсіз бе
Khmer:
សួស្តី
Korean:
여보세요
Kurdish:
slav
Kyrgyz:
салам
Lao:
ສະບາຍດີ
Latin:
salve
Latvian:
sveiki
Lithuanian:
sveiki
Luxembourgish:
hallo
Macedonian:
здраво
Malagasy:
salama
Malay:
hello
Malayalam:
ഹലോ
Maltese:
bongu
Maori:
tena koutou
Marathi:
नमस्कार
Mongolian:
сайн уу
Myanmar (Burmese):
ဟယ်လို
Nepali:
नमस्कार
Norwegian:
hallo
Nyanja (Chichewa):
moni
Pashto:
سلام
Persian:
سلام
Polish:
dzień dobry
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil):
olá
Punjabi:
ਸਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ
Romanian:
salut
Russian:
здравствуйте
Samoan:
talofa
Scots Gaelic:
halò
Serbian:
здраво
Sesotho:
lumela
Shona:
mhoro
Sindhi:
سلام
Sinhala (Sinhalese):
හෙලෝ
Slovak:
ahoj
Slovenian:
zdravo
Somali:
hello
Spanish:
hola
Sundanese:
halo
Swahili:
hello
Swedish:
hallå
Tagalog (Filipino):
kamusta
Tajik:
салом
Tamil:
வணக்கம்
Telugu:
హలో
Thai:
สวัสดี
Turkish:
merhaba
Ukrainian:
здрастуйте
Urdu:
ہیلو
Uzbek:
salom
Vietnamese:
xin chào
Welsh:
helo
Xhosa:
mholweni
Yiddish:
העלא
Yoruba:
pẹlẹ o
Zulu:
sawubona
Click on a letter to browse words starting with that letter in English
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languages, and counting!
Last update: November 12, 2022
| Click on a column title to sort the column alphabetically. | In brown: phonetical transcription. |
| LANGUAGE | COUNTRY | TRANSLATION |
|---|---|---|
| AFRIKAANS | South Africa | goeiedag |
| ALBANIAN | Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia | mirë dita |
| ALSATIAN | France (Alsace) | guàtertag / ponchour / guate morye (morning) / guatenowe (evening) |
| AMHARIC | Ethiopia | dana esteline |
| ARABIC | Maghreb, Near East | صباح الخير / salam / sabâhu al khair |
| ARAMAIC | Iraq | chlomo |
| ARMENIAN | Armenia, Armenian Highlands | barev |
| AUSTRIAN GERMAN | Austria | grüß Gott (formal) / servus (informal) |
| AZERBAIJANI | Azerbaijan, Russia (Dagestan), Iran | salam |
| BAMBARA | Mali | ani sogomen (morning) / ani tlé (afternoon) / ani oulà (evening) |
| BAMOUN | Cameroon | me sha’she |
| BAOULÉ | Ivory Coast | n’dja arè (to a man) / mô arè (to a woman) |
| BASQUE | Spain, France | egunon (morning) / arratsaldeon (afternoon) / gauon (evening) |
| BASSA | Liberia, Sierra Leone | menyéga (to one person) / menyéga bé (to several persons) |
| BELARUSIAN | Belarus | vitaju / dobraj ranicy (morning) / dzien dobry (afternoon) / viečar dobry (evening) Прывiтанне (pryvitannie) |
| BENGALI | Bangladesh, India | namaskar |
| BERBER | Algeria, Mali, Niger | ass-iyessbhène / ass ameggaz / azul |
| BERI-BERI (KANURI) | Niger | inda wadou |
| BÉTÉ | Ivory Coast | ayo |
| BOBO | Burkina Faso, Mali | ka tiana (morning) / ka sion (afternoon) / ka lima (evening) |
| BOSNIAN | Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo | dobardan (day time) / dobrojutro (morning) / dobarvece (evening) / zdravo («hi») |
| BRETON | France (Bretagne) | demat |
| BULGARIAN | Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania | добър ден (dóbar den) / Здравей (zdrave) |
| BURMESE | Myanmar | mingalaba |
| CATALAN | Spain (Catalonia, Balearic Islands, Valencia), Andorra, France | bon dia / hola |
| CHAMORRO | USA (Guam, Mariana Islands) | hafa adai |
| CHEROKEE | USA (Oklahoma) | osiyo |
| CHINESE (MANDARIN) | China, Taiwan, Singapore | 你好 [nǐ hăo] (informal) / 您好 [nín hǎo] (formal) |
| CORNISH | UK (Cornwall) | de(th) da (good day) / myttyn da (good morning) / gorthewer da (good evening) / nos da (good night) |
| CORSICAN | France (Corse), Italy (Sardiania) | bonghjornu / salutu |
| CROATIAN | Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina | bok / dobar dan |
| CZECH | Czech Republic | dobrý den |
| DANISH | Denmark, Germany (Southern Schleswig), Greenland, Faroe Islands | goddag (formal) / hej (coll.) |
| ZARMA | Niger | mat ni kani (morning) / mat aren foy (afternoon) |
| DIOULA | Ivory Coast, Burkina faso | anissoroma (morning) / anissou (evening) |
| DOGON | Mali | alapiale (morning) / alapiagili (afternoon) |
| DUTCH | Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname | goede morgen / goede middag / goede avond (morning / afternoon / evening) |
| EDE-IDAASHA | Benin | ékooni |
| ENGLISH | UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa | hello |
| ESPERANTO | [constructed language] | bonan tagon / saluton |
| ESTONIAN | Estonia | tere / tere hommikust good evening : tere õhtust |
| FANG | Equatorial Guinea, Gabon | mbolo (1 pers.) / mboloani (X pers.) |
| FAROESE | Faroe Islands, Denmark | hey |
| FIJIAN | Fiji | yadra |
| FINNISH | Finland, Sweden | hyvää päivää (formal) / päivää (semi formal) moi / hei / terve |
| FLEMISH | Belgium (Flanders) | hoeien nuh’nt |
| FRENCH | France, Canada (Quebec), Belgium (Wallonia), Switzerland (Romandie), Monaco, Luxembourg | bonjour (morning) / bonsoir (evening) / salut (colloquial) |
| FRISIAN | Netherlands, Germany | ha / goeie / hoi |
| FRIULAN | Italy (Friuli) | bondi |
| FULA | Africa (Sahel and West Africa) | diarama (one person) / ong diarama (several people) |
| GALICIAN | Spain (Galicia) | ola |
| GALLO | France (Brittany, Normandy) | bonjou / salu |
| GEORGIAN | Georgia | gamarjoba (anytime) / dila mshvidobisa (good morning) |
| GERMAN | Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy (South Tyrol), Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg | hallo / guten Tag (more polite) |
| GOTHIC | Eastern Europe, Italy, Gallia Aquitania, Gallia Narbonensis, Hispania, Crimea — extinct | hails (to a man) / haila (to a woman) / hailai (plural m.) / hailos (plural f.) |
| GREEK | Greece, Cyprus | gia / kalimera (good morning) |
| GUARANI | Paraguay | mba’éichapa |
| GUJARATI | India (Gujarat) | kem cho |
| HAITIAN CREOLE | Haiti | bonjou / bon swa / la rezone / alo |
| HAUSA | Nigeria, Niger, Ghana | ina kwana (morning) / ina wini (afternoon) |
| HAWAIIAN | USA (Hawaii) | aloha |
| HEBREW | Israel | shalom |
| HINDI | India | namaste / namaskaar |
| HMONG | China, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand | nyob zoo |
| HUNGARIAN | Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia | jó napot kívánok / szia |
| ICELANDIC | Iceland | goðan dagin / halló |
| IGBO | Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea | ndeewo / i boola chi / ututu oma |
| INDONESIAN | Indonesia | morning: selamat pagi noon: selamat siang afternoon: selamat sore evening: selamat malam |
| INUKTITUT | Canada | ullaakkut |
| IRISH GAELIC | Ireland | Dia duit |
| ITALIAN | Italy, San Marino, Switzerland | ciao / buongiorno (good morning) |
| JAPANESE | Japan | konnichi wa ohayô (gozaimasu) (in the morning — more polite with «gozaimasu») |
| KABIYÈ | Togo, Ghana, Benin | ŋlɩwa’lɛ (nliwalè) |
| KABYLE | Algeria (Kabylie) | azul |
| KHMER | Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam | chumreap suor (formal) / susdey (informal) |
| KIKONGO | Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Angola | mbote |
| KINYARWANDA | Rwanda | mwaramutsé (morning) / mwiriwe (mid-day) / muramuke (evening) |
| KOREAN | Korea, North Korea | annyǒng hashimnikka / annyong haseyo |
| KOTOKOLI | Togo, Ghana, Benin | gna vin kazô (sing) / mii vin kazô (plur) |
| KURDISH | Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran | rojbas / silav |
| LAO | Laos, Thailand | sabai di |
| LARI | Republic of the Congo | mbote |
| LATIN | Roman Kingdom — extinct | salve, ave (addressing 1 pers.) / salvete, avete (X pers.) |
| LATVIAN | Latvia | labdien |
| LIGURIAN | Italy (Liguria) | ciâo / scignorîa |
| LINGALA | Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Angola, Central African Republic | mbote |
| LITHUANIAN | Lithuania | laba diena labas rytas (morning) / labas vakaras (evening) |
| LOW SAXON | Germany (Northern Germany), Netherlands | hallo / houje |
| LUXEMBOURGISH | Luxembourg | moien / gudde moien |
| MACEDONIAN | Macedonia | dobar den / zdravo |
| MALAGASY | Madagascar | manao ahoana / manahoana |
| MALAY | Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore | selamat pagi (morning) / selamat tengahari (afternoon) selamat petang (evening) / selamat malam (after sunset) |
| MALAYALAM | India (Kerala) | namaskaram |
| MALTESE | Malta | merħba / oj |
| MANJACK | Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Gambia | befa (morning) / penak (afternoon) / betakala (evening) |
| MAORI | New Zealand | kia ora |
| MAPUCHE (MAPUDUNGUN) | Chile, Argentina | mari-mari |
| MBOUDA | Cameroon | ozông tchî |
| MEDUMBA | Cameroon | mə́ cà’tə̀ ū |
| MINNAN (SOUTHERN MIN) | China (Southern Fujian, Taiwan) | kia bo |
| MOBA | Togo | doangouam |
| MONGOLIAN | Mongolia | sain baina uu (Сайн байна уу) |
| MORÉ | Burkina Faso | né yibéogo / yibé |
| NEPALI | Nepal, India, Bhutan, Myanmar | namaste |
| NORMAN | France (Normandy) | boujou / warro |
| NORMAN (GUERNÉSIAIS) | Channel Islands (Guernsey) | warro |
| NORMAN (JÈRRIAIS) | Channel Islands (Jersey) | wharro |
| NORWEGIAN | Norway | god dag / hei / morn / god morgon (nynorsk) / god morgen (bokmål) |
| NUFI (FE’EFE’E) | Cameroon | mbə̄ə̄ lɑ́ / ngɑ̌ cɑ̀’sì ō / nzɑ̌ léé è |
| OCCITAN | France, Spain, Italy, Monaco | bon jorn / adieu |
| OLD NORSE | Scandinavia — extinct | heill (to a man) / heil (to a woman) / heilir (to several men) / heilar (to several women) / heil (men and women) |
| PAPIAMENTO | Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao | bon dia (good day) / bon tardi (good afternoon) / bon nochi (good evening/night) |
| PASHTO | Afghanistan, Pakistan | stele mashe |
| PERSIAN (DARI) | Afghanistan | dorood / سلام (salâm) |
| POLISH | Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia | dzień dobry / dobry wieczór (le soir) |
| PORTUGUESE | Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe | bom dia (morning) / boa tarde (after 12.00) / boa noite (evening) oi / olá |
| PUNJABI | Pakistan, India (Punjab) | sat sri akal |
| ROMANI | Romania, Europe | latcho divès |
| ROMANIAN | Romania, Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine | bună ziua |
| RUSSIAN | Russia, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Central Asia | Добрый день (dobrii den) / Здравствуйте (zdravstvuitye) / Привет (privet) |
| SAMI (NORTHERN) | Norway, Sweden, Finland | bures |
| SAMOAN | Samoan Islands | talofa |
| SANGO | Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo | bara mo bara Âla (formal) bara âla (several people) |
| SANTALI | India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal | ᱡᱚᱦᱟᱨ (johar) |
| SARDINIAN | Italy (Sardinia) | bona die |
| SCOTTISH GAELIC | UK (Scotland) | hallo |
| SERBIAN | Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro | dobar dan / zdravo |
| SHIMAORE | France (Mayotte) | jéjé |
| SHONA | Zimbabwe | mhoro (plural: mhoroi) |
| SINDHI | Pakistan (Sindh) | acho saiin |
| SINHALESE | Sri Lanka | ayubowan |
| SLOVAK | Slovakia | dobré ráno (morning) dobrý deň (during the day) dobrý večer (evening) |
| SLOVENE | Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia | pozdravljen (to a man) / pozdravljena (to 2 men) / pozdravljeni (to 3 men or more) pozdravljena (to a woman) / pozdravljeni (to 2 women) / pozdravljene (to 3 women or more) pozdravljeni (mixed group) dobro jutro (good morning) / dober dan (good day) / dober večer (good evening) lahko noč (good night — taking leave) živijo (colloquial) |
| SOBOTA | Slovenia | dobar dan |
| SONINKE | Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Ghana | an mou diom |
| SPANISH | Spain, Hispanic America, Equatorial Guinea | buenos días / hola |
| SWAHILI | Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda | yambo |
| SWEDISH | Sweden, Finland | god dag / hej |
| SWISS GERMAN | Switzerland | guete tog / grüessech / grützi / muerge (morning) |
| SYRIAC | Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey | chlomo |
| TAGALOG | Philippines | kumusta (po) / magandang araw |
| TAHITIAN | France (Society Islands) | ‘ia ora na |
| TAMASHEQ | Mali, Burkina Faso | wayi wan |
| TAMIL | India, Sri Lanka | vanakam / kallaï vannakam (morning only) |
| TELUGU | India (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana) | namaskaram |
| THAI | Thailand | สวัสดีค่ะ [sawatdii kha] (woman speaking) สวัสดีครับ [sawatdii khrap] (man speaking) |
| TIBETAN | China (Tibet), Nepal | tashi delek |
| TONGAN | Tonga | malo e lelei |
| TOUBOU | Chad, Libya, Niger, Sudan | wossoura (to 1 person) / wassara (to several persons) |
| TURKISH | Turkey, Cyprus, Greece | merhaba |
| UDMURT | Russia (Udmurtia) | dzéchbur (common form for one person) dzéchbureś (polite form for one person or common form for two or more people) |
| UKRAINIAN | Ukraine | Вітаю [vitaju] (hello) / Привiт [pryvit] (hi) / Добрий ранок [dobryi ranok] (good morning) Добрий день [dobryi den] (good afternoon) / Добрий вечiр [dobryi vechir] (good evening) |
| URDU | Pakistan, India | as salaamo alaikum |
| UZBEK | Uzbekistan, Afghanistan | assalomu alaykum |
| VIETNAMESE | Vietnam | chào (ông, bà, cô : Mr, Mrs, Miss) |
| WALLISIAN | France (Wallis and Futuna) | malo te mauli (morning) / malo te kàtaki (afternoon) |
| WALLOON («betchfessîs» spelling) | Belgium | bondjoû / ay! / Diè wåde |
| WELSH | UK (Wales) | hylo / sut mae |
| ANTILLEAN CREOLE | France (French Antilles) | bonjou |
| WOLOF | Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania | nangadef |
| YORUBA | Nigeria, Benin | e karo |
| ZULU | South Africa | sawubona (to one person) / sanibonani (to more than one person) |
Many thanks to all contributors!
Would you like to add a language or a translation? Did you find a mistake?
Please contact us (or by email, beaumont at freelang.net)
May 17, 2017
A greeting is often the first point of call for human communication, and should be the first phrase you learn from any foreign language. Opening a conversation with a greeting is polite and shows willingness to communicate. Don’t be nervous about saying hello as the effort will usually be appreciated even if you don’t get it quite right! Reading how to greet others in many languages is both rewarding and fun, so here’s a handy list of how to say hello in 100 languages, along with the phonetic pronunciation.
Hello in 100 languages, sorted by continent in alphabetical order.
Africa
Spread over at least six major language families, Africa’s language diversity is incomparable to the rest of the world and includes huge tonal diversity, and even the use of clicks and unique mouth movements to help articulate phrases in certain contexts. Saying ‘Hello’ at least, is fortunately often easy to pronounce!
Afrikaans
- hallo (hah-loh) — hello
Amharic
- tena jistilign (teh-nah yihst-ihl-ihgn) — hello (formal)
- selam (sae-lahm) — hello (informal)
Chichewa
- moni (moh-nee) / muli bwanji (moo-lee bwahn-jee) — hello
Hausa
- salama alaikum (sah-lahm-ah ah-lai-koom) — hello (formal)
- sannu (sahn-noo) — hello (informal)
Igbo
- ndêwó (in-deh-woh) — hello (formal)
- kèdú (keh-doh) — hello (informal)
Kinyarwanda
- muraho (moo-rah-hoh) — hello
- bite (bee-teh) — hello (informal)
Lingala
- mbote (mboh-teh) — hello
Luganda
- ki kati (kee kah-tee) — hello (informal)
Malagasy
- manao ahoana (man-ow ah-ohn-ah) / salama (sah-lAHm-ah) / akory (ah-kOO-ree)
- miarahaba (mee-arah-hah-bah) — hello
Ndebele
- salibonani (sah-lee-boh-nah-nee) — hello
Northern Sotho
- dumêlang (doo-meh-lang) — hello
Oromo
- ashamaa (ah-shah-maa) — hello
- attam (aht-tahm) — hello (informal)
Sesotho
- dumela (doo-meh-lah) — hello
Shona
- mhoro (mhoh-roh) — hello (singular)
- mhoroi (mhoh-roh-ee) — hello (plural)
Swahili
- jambo (jahm-boh) — hello
- hujambo (hoo-jahm-boh) — hello
Swati
- sawubona (sah-woo-boh-nah) — hello
Tigrinya
- selam (seh-lahm) — hello
Tsonga
- avuxeni (ah-voo-sheh-nee) — hello (greeting)
- ahee (ah-hee) — hello (response)
Tswana
- dumela (doo-meh-lah) — hello
Wolof
- salaam aleekum (sah-laam ah-ley-koom) — hello
Xhosa
- molo (maw-law) — hello
Yoruba
- bawo (bah-woh) — hello
Zulu
- sawubona (sah-woo-boh-nah) — hello
Asia
Aside from Turkic languages of Central Asia and some Asian languages that were influenced by European colonization, most Asian languages are astoundingly unique and diverse, and there’s less common ground shared with other major language families.
Thai, Lao, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Japanese and Chinese are tonally varied languages, meaning as you speak, pitch changes dramatically alter the meaning of words and phrases. By observing native speakers, you can hear how certain phrases, including greetings, are articulated in their native natural ways.
Armenian
- barev dzez (bah-REV DZEZ) — hello
- barev (bah-REV) — hello (informal)
Azerbaijani
- salam (sah-lam) — hello
Bengali
- nômoshkar (naw-mo-shkar) — hello (for Hindus)
- assalamualaikum (ahs-sah-lahmoo-ah-lay-koom) / salam (sah-lahm) — hello (for Muslims)
Burmese
- mingalarba (min-ga-la-ba) — hello
Cambodian
- chum reap suor (*) — hello (formal)
- sous-dey (*) — hello (informal)
Cantonese
- néih hóu (*) — hello
Chinese
- nǐ hǎo (nee how) — hello
Dzongkha
- kuzu-zangpo (koo-zoo-zang-poh) — hello
Georgian
- gamarjoba (gah-mahr-joh-bah) — hello
Gujarati
- namaste (nah-mah-steh) — hello
- kem cho (kem-choh) — hello (lit. How are you?)
Hindi
- namaste (nah-mah-steh) — hello
Indonesian
- halo (hah-loh) — hello
Japanese
- konnichiwa (kohn-nee-chee-wah) — good afternoon / hello
Kannada
- namaste (nah-mah-steh) / namaskāra (nah-mah-skah-rah) — hello
Kazakh
- sälemetsiz be? (sah-lem-met-siz beh) — hello (formal)
- sälem (sah-lem) — hello (informal)
Korean
- annyeonghaseyo (an-nyee-ong-hah-seh-yo) — hello (formal)
- annyeong (ah-nyee-ong) — hello (informal)
Kyrgyz
- salamatsyzby (sah-lam-aht-seez-bee) — hello (formal)
- salam (sah-lam) — hello (informal)
Lao
- sabaidee (sah-bai-dee) — hello
Malay
- selamat pagi (se-lah-maht pah-gee) — good morning
- selamat petang (se-lah-maht pe-tahng) — good afternoon
- selamat malam (se-lah-maht mah-lahm) — good night
- hello (he-loh) — hello
- hai (hai) — hello (informal)
Malayalam
- namaskaram (nah-mah-skahr-ahm) — hello (formal)
- aay (ah-yeh) — hello (informal)
Mongolian
- sain baina uu (sain bai-na OO) — hello
Nepali
- namaste (nah-mahs-teh) — hello
Pashto
- salaam (sah-lahm) — hello
- khe chare (KHEH chah-reh) — hello (informal)
Punjabi
- sat sri akal ji (saht sree ah-kahl jee) — hello (formal, Sikh)
- asalamwalaykum (ah-sah-lahm-wah-lay-koom) — hello (formal, Muslim)
- sat sri akal (saht sree ah-kahl) — hello (informal, Sikh)
- salaam (sah-laam) — hello (informal, Muslim)
Sinhala
- āyubōvan (ah-yuh-boh-van) — hello (formal)
- halō (ha-loh) — hello (informal)
Tagalog
- kumusta? (koo-moos-ta) — hello
- helów (hey-LOW) — hello (informal)
Taiwanese Hokkien
- lí-hó (lee-hoh) — hello
Tamil
- vaṇakkam (vah-nahk-kahm) — hello
Tatar
- isänmesez (ees-aen-meh-sehz) / sawmısız (saw-mis-siz) — hello
- sälam (sae-lahm) — hello (informal)
Telugu
- namaskārām (nah-mahs-kaar-am) — hello
Thai
- sà-wàt-dee (*) — hello
Tibetan
- tashi delek (tah-shee del-ek) — hello
Urdu
- āssālam ‘alaykum (ahs-sah-lahm ah-lay-koom) — hello (greeting)
- wālaikum assalām (wah-lay-koom ahs-sah-lahm) — hello (response)
- salām (sah-lam) — hello (informal)
Uyghur
- ässalamu läykum (aes-sah-lahm-oo lae-koom) — hello (greeting)
- wä’äläykum ässalam (wae-aelae-koom aes-sah-lahm) — hello (response)
- yahshimusiz (yah-shih-moo-sihz) — hello (informal)
Uzbek
- assalomu aleykum (ahs-sah-lo-moo ah-lay-koom) — hello (formal)
- salom (sah-lom) — hello (informal)
Vietnamese
- xin chào (sin chow) — hello
Europe
Romance, Germanic and Slavic languages are the three major Indo-European language families and there is a lot of overlapping vocabulary and word formation. Through the Latin and Greek formations and derivations of many words and phrases, you will see many similarities between the European greetings in this list.
Albanian
- tungjatjeta (toon-jah-TYEH-tah) — hello (formal)
- tjeta (TYEH-tah) — hello (informal)
Basque
- kaixo (kai-sho) — hello
Belarusian
- vitaju (vee-TAH-you) — hello
Breton
- demat (de-mat) — hello / good day
Bulgarian
- zdravejte (zdrah-VEY-teh) — hello (formal)
- zdravej (zdrah-VEY) — hello (informal)
Bosnian
- dobar dan (DOH-bahr dahn) — good day
- zdravo (ZDRAH-voh) / merhaba (MEHR-hah-bah) — hello (informal)
Catalan
- hola (OH-lah) — hello
Croatian
- bok (bohk) — hello
Czech
- dobrý den (DOH-bree dehn) — good day
- ahoj (ahoy) — hello
Danish
- hallo (ha-loh) — hello
- hej (hai) — hi/hey
Dutch
- hallo (HAH-low) — hello
Estonian
- tere (TEHR-reh) — hello
Finnish
- hyvää päivää (HOO-vah PAI-vah) — good day
- terve (TEHR-veh) — hello
- moi (moy) / hei (hay) — hey
French
- bonjour (bohn-ZHOOR) — hello / good day
- salut (sah-LOO) — hello (informal)
Frisian
- goeie (GOO-ee) — hello
Irish
- dia duit (DEE-ah GHWIT) — hello
Gaelic
- halò (ha-lo) — hello
German
- guten tag (goo-ten tahk) — good day / hello
- hallo (ha-loh) — hello (informal)
Greek
- yasass (YAH sahss) — hello (formal)
- yassou (YAH soo) — hello (informal)
Hungarian
- szervusz (SEHR-voos) — hello
- szia (SEE-ah) — hello (informal)
Icelandic
- góðan dag (goh-than da-yin) — good day
- halló (ha-loh) — hello
- hæ (hai) — hi
Italian
- buon giorno (bwohn JOHR-noh) — good day/hello
- salve (SAHL-veh) — hello (formal)
- ciào (chow) — hello (informal)
Latvian
- sveika (SVEH-kah) — hello (to a male)
- sveiks (SVEH-eeks) — hello (to a female)
Lithuanian
- labas (LAH-bahs) — hi
- sveikas (SVAY-kahs) — hello (to a male)
- sveika (svay-KAH) — hello (to a female)
- sveiki (svay-KEE) — hello (plural)
Luxembourgish
- moïen (moy-en) — hello
Norwegian
- god dag (goo dahg) — hello
- hei (hay) — hi
Polish
- dzień dobry (jeen doh-bree) — good day / hello
- cześć (cheshch)— hello
Portuguese
- olá (oh-lAH) — hello
Romanian
- salut (sah-LOOT) — hello
Russian
- zdravstvuyte (ZDRAHST-vooy-tyeh) — hello
- privet (pree-VYEHT) / zdorovo (zduh-ROH-vuh) — hello (informal)
Serbian
- zdravo (ZDRAH-voh) — hello
Slovak
- dobrý deň (OH-bree deñ) — good day / hello (formal)
- ahoj (ah-hoy) / čau (chow) — hello (informal)
Slovenian
- živjo (ZHEE-vyoh) / zdravo (ZDRAH-voh) — hello
Spanish
- hola (oh-lah) — hello
Swedish
- hej (heh) — hello
Ukrainian
- dobriy den (DOH-bree dehn’) — good day / hello
- vitayu (vee-TAH-yoo) — hello (formal)
- pryvit (prih-VEET) — hello (informal)
Welsh
- helo (he-loh) — hello
- s’mae (s-my/shoo-my) — hello (informal)
Yiddish
- a gutn tog (a goo-ten tawg) — good day / hello
- sholem-aleykhem (shoh-lem ah-leh-khem) — hello (greeting)
- aleykhem-sholem (ah-leh-khem shoh-lem) — hello (response)
Middle East
Middle Eastern languages are far removed from Indo-European languages and therefore, overlap is scarce. However, Middle Eastern greetings are often short and simple, and many are very similar to each other!
Arabic
- as-salām ‘alaykum (ahs-sahlahm ‘ah-leh-loom) — hello (formal)
- marhaban (mahr-hah-bahn) / ahlan (ah-lahn) — hello (informal)
Hebrew
- shalom (shah-LOHM) — hello
Kurdish (Kurmanji)
- merheba (mer-he-bah) / silav (see-lav) — hello
Persian
- salâm (sah-laam) / dorud (doh-rood) — hello
Turkish
- merhaba (mehr-hah-bah) — hello
- selam (sel-um) — hello (informal)
Oceania
The primary Oceanic language family, the Austronesian language family, covers some Asian languages too like Malay, Indonesian, and Tagalog. Austronesian languages are fairly easy to pronounce, and often feature short and snappy, monosyllabic phrases for ‘hello’.
Fijian
- ni sa bula (nee sah boo-lah) — hello
- bula (boo-lah) — hello (informal)
Hawaiian
- aloha (ah-loh-hah) — hello
Maori
- tēnā koe (teh-nah koy) — hello (to one person)
- tēnā kōrua (teh-nah kaw-roo-uh) — hello (to two people)
- tēnā koutou (teh-nah koh-toh)— hello (to three or more people)
- kia ora (kee-ah aw-rah) — hello (informal)
Marshallese
- yokwe (YAW-kweh) — hello
Palauan
- alii (ah-LEE) — hello
Samoan
- tālofa (tah-low-fah) — hello
- malō (mah-loh) — hello (informal)
Tahitian
- ia ora na (ee-ah oh-rah-na) — hello
Tok Pisin
- gude (goo-deh) — hello
Tongan
- mālō e lelei (mah-loh ah leh-leh) — hello
So there it is, how to say Hello in 100 languages. If you thought that was a long list then consider that there are upwards of 6,500 languages in the world!
The diversity of language is truly a fantastic human accomplishment and it’s great to explore the vast differences and fascinating similarities in how we greet each-other – the universal way of starting conversation. It’s insightful to see from this list how some languages include a selection of different greetings, and how some have very short and simple greetings. It’s testament to human creativity that between us all, we have generated so many unique ways of greeting one another.
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Also published on Medium.