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100 ways to say 'hello' in different languages

Did you know that more than 7000 languages are spoken worldwide? Although we won't go through all 7000, this blog post will teach you how to say hello in 100 of the most widely spoken languages.

No matter what language you speak, your race, or your country, one of the most common ways of starting a conversation is with a simple greeting, 'hello'. It is also often the first word anyone learns when learning a new language. The list of 'hellos' we've prepared below will aid you in learning as many 'hellos' as you need to.

 
 

'Hello' in 100 different languages


Now, let's explore the many ways to say hello in different languages. We'll start with some of the more common greetings and then explore some of the different ways people greet each other across the globe.


A-F (Afrikaans - Filipino)

Language

Greeting

In-language

Country

Afrikaans

Goeie dag / Hallo

South Africa

Albanian

Tungjatjeta

Albania

Arabic

Marhaba / Salam / Ahlan

مرحبا

Check out 10 ways to say hello in Arabic

Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen,Iran, Turkey, Niger, Senegal, Mali and Cyprus.

Amharic

Selam

Ethiopia

Armenian

Barev

Armenia, Artsakh

Aussie

G’day

Australia

Azerbaijani

Salam

​Salam

​Northern Iran, Southern Dagestan, Eastern Turkey, Kvemo Kartli - Georgia

Basque

Kaixo

Kaixo

Northern Spain, Southern France

Bavarian

Seavus / Grias god / Grias di

Servus / Grüß Gott / Grüß dich

Learn the differences here

Austria, Bavaria, and South Tyrol

Bengali

Namaskar

নমস্কার

Bangladesh, India

Bosnian

Zdravo / Selam

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro

Burmese

Mingala ba

မင်္ဂလာပါ

Watch how to say hello in Burmese


Myanmar

Bulgarian

Zdraveite

Здравей

Bulgaria

Catalan

Hola

Hola

Spain

Chinese (Mandarin)

Nǐ hǎo

​China

Chinese (Cantonese)

Nay Hoh

Southern China, Hong Kong, Macau

Croatian

Bok

Croatia

Czech

Ahoj

Czech

Danish

Hej / Hallo

Denmark

Dutch

Hallo

Netherlands

English

Hello

Hello

Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States plus 50 more including Canada, Sierra Leone, Fiji, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Singapore, Samoan Islands, South Africa et. al.

Estonian

Tere

Tere

Estonia

Fijian

Bula

Bula

Fiji

Filipino

Helo / Kamusta

Kamusta

The Philippines

F-K (Finnish - Kurdish)

Language

Greeting

In-language

Country

​Finnish

​Hei

​Finland

French

Bonjour

France, Belgium, Switzerland, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Congo, Cameroon, Guinea, Gabon, Mauritius, French Polynesia

Gaelic

Dia dhuit

​Ireland

​German

Hallo / Guten tag

Germany, Austria, Switzerland

Georgian

Gamarjoba

გამარჯობა

Georgia and some parts of Turkey, Russia and Europe

Greek

Yassou

Γεια σου

Greece, Cyprus

Haitian Creole

Bonjou

Haiti

Hawaiian

Aloha

Aloha

Hawaii

Hausa

Sannu / Salama Aleikum

​Sannu

Niger, Northern Nigeria

Hebrew

Shalom

שלום

Israel

Hindi

Namastē

नमस्ते

India, Nepal

Hungarian

Szia

Szia

Hungary

Icelandic

Góðan dag / Halló

Halló

Iceland

Igbo

Nnh-deh-woh

Ǹdéèwō

​Nigeria

Indonesian

Halo / Hai / Selamat siang

Halo / Hai / Selamat siang

Indonesia

Irish

Dia dhuit

Dia dhuit

Ireland

Italian

Ciao

Italy

Japanese

Ohayo / Konnichiwa / Konbanwa

Japan

Javanese

Halo

Halo

Java - Indonesia, Malaysia, Suriname

Kannada

Namaskār

ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ

India

Kazakh

Sälemetsiz be

Сәлеметсіз бе

Kazakhstan

Khmer

Cham reap sour

ជំរាបសួរ

Cambodia

Korean

Ahn nyong ha se yo

안녕하세요

South Korea, North Korea

Kurdish

Slav

Iraq, Iran, Syria, Turkey

L-S (Lao - Scottish)

Language

Greeting

In-language

Country

Lao

Sabai dii

ສະບາຍດີ

Laos, Thailand

Latin

Salve

Salve

Vatican City

Latvian

Sveiki

Sveiki

Latvia

Lithuanian

Labas

Labas

Lithuania

Luxembourgish

Moien

Moien

Luxembourg

Macedonian

Zdravo / Dobar den

Добар ден

Macedonia

Malay

Salaam / Hello / Hai

Salaam / Hello / Hai

Malaysia

Maori

Kia ora

​New Zealand

Maltese

Bonġu

Bonġu

Malta

Mongolian

Sain bainuu

Сайн уу

Mongolia

Nepali

Namastē

नमस्कार

Nepal

Navajo

Yá’át’ééh

Yá’át’ééh

Native American - spoken by the Navajo people (a Native American tribe)

Norwegian

Hei / Hallo / God dag

Hei / Hallo / God dag

Norway

Odia

Namaskār

ନମସ୍କାର

India

Oromo

Akkam

Akkam

Ethiopia

Pashto

Salâm

سلام

Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran

Persian

Salâm

سلام

Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Bahrain

Polish

Cześć

Poland

Portuguese

Olá

Olá

Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé, Macau

Punjabi

​Sata srī akāla

ਸਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ

India, Pakistan

Romanian

​Bună ziua

Bună ziua

Romania

Russian

​Privét / Zdravstvuyte

Привет / Здравствуйте

Russia, Kazakhstan

Samoan

Talofa

Talofa

Samoa

Scottish

Halò'

Scotland

S-W (Serbian - Wu)

Language

Greeting

In-language

Country

Serbian

Zdravo

Здраво

Serbia

Sinhalese

​Ayubowan

ආයුබෝවන්

Sri Lanka

Slovak

Ahoj / Čau

Ahoj / Čau

Slovakia

Slovene

Zdravo

Zdravo

Slovenia

Somali

Salaam Alaikum

Salaam Alaikum

Somalia

Spanish

Hola

Hola

Spain, Central and South America (excluding Brazil)

Swahili

Hujambo

Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya

Swedish

Hallå

Hallå

Sweden

Swiss German

Grüezi

Grüezi

Switzerland

Tagalog

Kamusta

Kamusta

The Philippines

Tamil

Vaṇakkam

வணக்கம்

India, Sri Lanka, Singapore

Telegu

Namaskārām

నమస్కారం

India

Tibetan

Tashi delek

བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལགས།།

Tibet, India, Nepal

Tigrinya

Selam

ሰላም! ሃለው

Eritrea, Ethiopia

Thai

​Sàwàtdeekha / Sàwàtdeekráp

สวัสดีค่ะ / สวัสดีครับ

Thailand

Tongan

Malo e lelei

Mālō e lelei

Tonga

Tsonga

Xewani Avuxeni

Xewani Avuxeni

South Africa

Turkish

Merhaba

Merhaba

Turkey, Cyprus

Ukrainian

Pryvít

привіт

Ukraine

Urdu

Asalaam alaikum

السلام علیکم

Pakistan, India

Uzbek

Salom

Uzbekistan and parts of Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Russia and China

Vietnamese

Chào

Vietnam

Welsh

Helo / S’mae

Wales, United Kingdom

Wu (Shanghainese)

Nong Haw

侬好

East China

Y-Z (Yiddish - Zulu)

Language

Greeting

In-language

Country

Yiddish

Sholem

שלום

Central and Eastern European Jews

Yoruba

Ẹ n lẹ

Ẹ n lẹ

Nigeria

Xhosa

Mholo

Mholo

South Africa (Bantu language)

Zulu

Sawubona

South Africa (Bantu language)

Importance of Hello In Every Language


Many people are unaware of how important "Hello" is in every language. In fact, a "Hello Day" is celebrated every 21st of November each year, and it justifies its importance.


Let's explore some of the reasons why it's important to learn these greetings.

Make new friends

Greeting someone with a 'hello' in their first language is a great way to break the ice and potentially make a new friend; the power of a single word shows you respect their culture and always precedes a conversation.


Cross-cultural communication

Knowing how to say hello in different languages can help break down language barriers and facilitate communication with people from diverse cultures. It shows that you respect and appreciate their culture and can help build bridges between people of different backgrounds.


Cultural Awareness

Greetings are an important aspect of many cultures and can reveal a lot about a society's values and customs. Learning how to say hello in different languages can help you better understand and appreciate the cultural differences that make our world so diverse.


Personal Growth

Learning a new language or simply expanding your vocabulary can be a fun and rewarding experience. Knowing how to say hello in different languages can be a great first step toward achieving this goal.


The Icebreaker

If you're shy, you should know that a Hello can be an essential weapon in your arsenal. In other words, if you find it daunting to talk to people, then a simple hello is all you need to utter - and let the conversation flow from there. The best part is it works for every language. All you need to know is how to say hello to your new acquaintance in their own language.


Polite Greeting

It can be considered rude or intimidating to approach someone unknown and just start talking away. Beginning with a hello shows you respect the person's time and culture and reflects your intention to build rapport.


Travel

Travelling can be fun; visiting new countries, learning about new cultures and hearing the sounds of foreign language conversations is always a rich cultural experience. On the other hand, when you don't understand the country's native speakers, and they don't understand you, things can get tricky. Starting with a 'hello' in their native language can initiate a response that gives you a new and native experience, assistance around town and any other help you might need while travelling.


For instance, if you're an American visiting China on a business trip, saying Hello in Chinese can be a good conversation starter. All you need to do is say "nǐ hǎo"(ni hao), which means hello in Chinese.



Cultural considerations when greeting someone


Social Hierarchy or Age

In some countries such as Japan, it's important to greet people in the correct order of organisational hierarchy. It is also customary to initiate the greeting with older people as a sign of respect. Other countries, require that you greet those older than you in a different way than you would a peer or a younger person.


Time

Some cultures greet differently depending on the time of day. For example, there'll be a different greeting for the morning, afternoon, evening and night.


Gender

Depending on the gender of the person, a greeting or hello can be altered or be completely different.


Relationship

Did you just meet this person? Are they long-time friends? Is it a business meeting? The status of the relationship is an important factor in how you choose to greet someone correctly across the world. You may find a formal greeting is more suited to a business context, and in contrast, you might find a more informal way of greeting someone you made friends with.

Various Ways to Greet Across the Globe

It's unnecessary that you literally have to utter "H-E-L-L-O" to greet a person. There are different ways different cultures perform greetings; these can include:


Australia

Greeting someone with a 'how are you' or 'g'day' (good day) is the most common way to say hello. These phrases and greetings sometimes portray only some meaning. For instance, 'how are you' is not an actual inquiry into your health or financial state but is simply extending a hello as a greeting to start a conversation.


United States

Greeting someone with a 'how are you' should solicit a response (this is in contrast to Australia), and a simple hello or handshake is always a common greeting.


Hawaii

Aloha is a Hawaiian word that means love, affection, peace, compassion, and mercy. It's a common greeting in Hawaii and can also be used to say goodbye.


Thailand

Greeting each other with a 'wai' in formal business situations is expected. This consists of a bow with your hands clasped together. The depth of the bow and other factors should be taken into consideration. Sawadee khrap/ka is a standard greeting that can be used in various situations. Khrap is used by men, while ka is used by women.


Certain European countries and Brazil

Air kisses to either cheek are shared among friends and family. In Brazil, one kiss in Sao Paolo, 2 in Rio.


India

In Hindi, which is the third most spoken language in the world, Namaste means "I bow to you." This greeting is commonly used in India and is a sign of respect for the other person's divine spirit.


Middle East

Greetings can vary between countries and genders (male and female, male and male etc.). Long handshakes between men are common and a sign of welcome, and it is not uncommon to shake someone's hand and touch your chest/heart with your left hand.


New Zealand

Kia ora is a Maori greeting that means "be well" or "good health." It's often used as a general greeting or farewell.


Japan

Handshakes are acceptable, along with bows. The order you greet people is also essential in Japanese culture.


South Africa

In the Zulu language of South Africa, Sawubona means "I see you." The response, Ngikhona, means "I am here." These greetings acknowledge the other person's presence and show respect for their being.

As with all cultures, it's wise to research the forms of greetings and how greetings should be conducted before visiting the country. As you would have learned, not all greetings are created equal

 

Getting to know people from different cultures by saying hello in their language can be a fun and rewarding experience.


By showing respect and appreciation for other cultures through greetings, we can break down language barriers and build bridges between people of diverse backgrounds. Try saying hello to someone from a different culture the next time you meet them and watch their faces light up.


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