Introduction
60 Ways to Say Hello
Have you ever wondered how people greet each other in different parts of the world? From a simple handshake in the West to a respectful bow in the East, there are many different ways to say hello.
In this article, we will take you on a journey around the globe to explore the 60 most common greetings in 60 languages. From the familiar “Hello” in English to the exotic “Aloha” in Hawaiian, we will learn how to greet people in a variety of languages and cultures.
Language | Greeting | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
Afrikaans | Hallo | HAH-loh |
Albanian | Përshëndetje | per-SHEN-djeh-tye |
Amharic | ሰላም (Selam) | seh-LAHM |
Arabic | مرحبا (Marhaba) | mar-HAH-ba |
Armenian | Բարև (Barev) | bah-REV |
Assamese | নমস্কাৰ (Namaskar) | nah-moh-SKAHR |
Azerbaijani | Salam | sah-LAHM |
Bengali | নমস্কার (Namaskar) | nah-moh-SKAHR |
Bosnian | Zdravo | ZDRAH-voh |
Bulgarian | Здравейте (Zdraveite) | zdra-VEY-teh |
Catalan | Hola | OH-lah |
Cebuano | Kumusta | koo-MOOS-tah |
Chinese (Cantonese) | 你好 (Nei hou) | nay hou |
Chinese (Mandarin) | 你好 (Nǐ hǎo) | nee haow |
Croatian | Zdravo | ZDRAH-voh |
Czech | Ahoj | AH-hoy |
Danish | Goddag | GOH-dahg |
Dutch | Hallo | HAH-loh |
English | Hello | HEH-loh |
Esperanto | Saluton | sah-LOO-tohn |
Estonian | Tere | TEH-reh |
Finnish | Terve | TEH-rveh |
French | Bonjour | bon-ZHOOR |
Galician | Hola | OH-lah |
Georgian | გამარჯობა (Gamarjoba) | ga-mar-JO-ba |
German | Hallo | HAH-loh |
Greek | Γεια (Geia) | YAH-sah |
Gujarati | નમસ્તે (Namaste) | nah-moh-STEH |
Hebrew | שלום (Shalom) | shah-LOHM |
Hindi | नमस्ते (Namaste) | nah-moh-STEH |
Hungarian | Szia | SEE-ah |
Icelandic | Halló | HAH-loh |
Indonesian | Halo | HAH-loh |
Irish | Dia dhuit | JEE-ah gwit |
Italian | Ciao | CHAO |
Japanese | こんにちは (Konnichiwa) | kon-nee-chee-wah |
Javanese | Sugeng enjing | soo-geng eh-NJING |
Khmer | សួស្តី (Suosdei) | soo-sday |
Korean | 안녕하세요 (Anyeonghaseyo) | an-nyong-ha-say-yo |
Latvian | Sveiks | SVAYKS |
Lithuanian | Sveiki | SWEY-kee |
Malay | Halo | HAH-loh |
Malayalam | നമസ്കാരം (Namaskaram) | nah-moh-ska-RAHM |
Marathi | नमस्कार (Namaste) | nah-moh-STEH |
Mongolian | Сайн уу? (Sain uu?) | sayn oo |
Nepali | नमस्ते (Namaste) | nah-moh-STEH |
Norwegian | Hallo | HAH-loh |
Persian | سلام (Salam) | sah-LAHM |
Polish | Cześć | cheh-CHCH |
Portuguese | Olá | oh-LAH |
Punjabi | ਸਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ (Sat Sri Akaal) | sat sri ah-KAAL |
Romanian | Salut | sah-LOOT |
Russian | Привет (Privet) | PREE-vyet |
Serbian | Здраво (Zdravo) | ZDRAH-voh |
Slovak | Ahoj | AH-hoy |
Slovenian | Živjo | ZHEE-vyoh |
Spanish | Hola | OH-lah |
Swahili | Jambo | JAM-boh |
Swedish | Hej | hay |
Tagalog | Kumusta | koo-MOOS-tah |
Tamil | வணக்கம் (Vanakkam) | vah-nah-kahm |
Telugu | నమస్కారం (Namaskaram) | nah-moh-ska-RAHM |
Thai | สวัสดี (Sawasdee) | sah-wah-DEE |
Turkish | Merhaba | mer-HAH-ba |
Here are 10 ways to greet someone in English:
- Hello
- Hi
- Good morning/afternoon/evening
- Hey
- What’s up?
- How are you?
- How’s it going?
- Nice to meet you
- It’s a pleasure to meet you
- Welcome
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Here are 10 ways to greet someone in jargon
Jargon greeting is a greeting that uses specialized language that is only understood by people in a particular field or profession. It is often used to create a sense of community or camaraderie among members of the group.
Here are some examples of jargon greetings:
- Tech jargon: “What’s up, code monkeys?”
- Medical jargon: “How’s it going, doc?”
- Legal jargon: “Your Honor, it’s good to see you again.”
Here are some ways to greet someone in French:

- Formal:
- “Bonjour, Monsieur/Madame.” (Good morning, Sir/Madam.)
- “Enchanté(e) de faire votre connaissance.” (Nice to meet you.)
- “Bienvenue.” (Welcome.)
- Informal:
- “Salut!”
Here are some ways to greet someone in Thai:
- Formal:
- สวัสดีครับ/ค่ะ (Sa-wat-dee khrap/kha) – This is the most common and polite way to greet someone in Thai, regardless of the time of day.
- สวัสดีวันจันทร์/อังคาร/พุธ/พฤหัสบดี/ศุกร์/เสาร์/อาทิตย์ (Sa-wat-dee wan chan/ang-khan/phut/pra-ruet-sa-bat-dii/suk/sao/aa-thit) – This means “Good morning/afternoon/evening/Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday”.
- ยินดีที่ได้รู้จักครับ/ค่ะ (Yin-dee tee dai roo-jak khrap/kha) – This means “Nice to meet you”.
- Informal:
- สวัสดีจ้ะ (Sa-wat-dee ja) – This is a casual greeting that can be used with friends and family.
- สบายดีไหม? (Sa-bai dee mai?) – This means “How are you?”.
- เป็นไงบ้าง? (Pen yang rai bang?) – This is another way to say “How are you?”, but it is more informal.
Here are some ways to greet someone in Marathi:
- Formal:
- “नमस्कार (Namaskar)” – This is a formal greeting that can be used in any situation.
- “आपण कसे आहात? (Apan kase aahat?)” – This means “How are you?” in Marathi.
- “स्वागत आहे (Swagat aahe)” – This means “Welcome” in Marathi.
- Informal:
- “काय म्हणता? (Kay mhanta?)” – This is a casual greeting that can be used with friends and family. It means “What’s up?” or “How are you doing?”
- “मस्त आहात? (Mast aahat?)” – This means “Are you doing well?” in Marathi.
- “काय चालू आहे? (Kay chalu aahe?)” – This means “What’s going on?” in Marathi.
Here are 10 ways to greet someone in Telugu
- నమస్కారం (Namaskaram) – This is a formal greeting that can be used in any situation.
- ఎలా ఉన్నారు? (Ela unnaru?) – This means “How are you?” and can be used in both formal and informal settings.
- ఏం చేస్తున్నారు? (Em chestunnaru?) – This means “What are you doing?” and can be used in informal settings.
- బాగున్నారా? (Bagunnaara?) – This means “Are you doing well?” and is a casual greeting that can be used with friends and family.
- హాయ్ (Hai) – This is a common informal greeting that can be used in any situation.
- ఏంటి? (Emti?) – This is a casual greeting that can be used with friends and family. It can mean “What’s up?” or “How are you doing?” depending on the context.
- మనవళ్లు ఎలా ఉన్నారు? (Manavallu unnaru?) – This means “How is your family?” and is a polite greeting that can be used with elders and acquaintances.
- సంతోషంగా ఉన్నారా? (Santoshంగా unnaru?) – This means “Are you happy?” and is a warm greeting that can be used with friends and family.
- మీకు ఏమి కావాలి? (Meeke emi kaavalani?) – This means “What do you need?” and is a helpful greeting that can be used in a variety of situations.
- స్వాగతం (Swagatam) – This means “Welcome” and is a polite greeting that can be used with guests and visitors.
In conclusion, greetings are an important part of any culture, whether it is human or alien. They are a way to show respect, friendliness, and interest in the other person. By learning how to greet people in different languages, you can make a good impression and open the door to new relationships and experiences.
Here are some additional tips for greeting people:
- Be sincere and friendly.
- Make eye contact and smile.
- Use the person’s name if you know it.
- Greet people in a way that is appropriate for the context and your relationship with the person.