How to Say Hello in Different Languages

How to Say Hello in Different Languages

Have you ever stopped to consider how many people are saying "hello" to each other today and in how many different languages? If you wanted to say "hello" to everyone on the planet, you would have to learn at least 2,796 languages and say "hello" to at least 6,500,000,000 (six and a half thousand million) people, (or six and a half billion, in numbers used in the US). Here are some of the ways of saying "hello" around the world.

Instructions Look up the language in which you would like to say, "welcome". You will find suggestions on that line. Pronounce the suggested wording.




Steps Armenian- Barev or Bavarien ches
English - Hello (formal), Hi (informal), What's up? (very informal - slang)
French - Salut (informal, silent "T"), Bonjour (formal, 'n' is a nasal vowel), Bonsoir (good evening, 'n' is a nasal vowel), Bonne Nuit (good night). There is also "Ca Va", but this is moreso used as "How are you?"
Bahamas - Hello (formal), Hi and heyello (informal), What you sayin Buyh (very informal - slang)
German - Hallo (informal), Guten Tag (formal) pronounced Gu-ten (like goo)-tan Tag like Prague, Tag (very informal). The G in "Tag" is pronounced like Tah-ckh. The A makes an Ah-sound. _
Guamanian- Hafa Adai(hello/what's up?), Hafa??(informal), Howzzit bro/ bran/prim/che'lu?(informal), Sup(informal)and all other Hello's in english work.
Bavarian and Austrian German - Grüß Gott (Gruess Gott), Servus (informal, also means "goodbye", pronounced zair-voos)
Northern German - Moin Moin
Spanish - Hola (pronounced without the H sound, ola), Que Onda (South America)(very informal, like What's up, pronounced Ke Onduh)–, Que Hay, (also) Que pasa (Spain, informal); Buenos Días (good morning), Buenas Tardes (afternoon and early evening), Buenas Noches (late evening and night). These three forms can be made informal by saying 'Buenas'.
Slovak - Dobrý bodyeny] (formal), ahoj [ahoy], čau [chow] and dobri (informal)
Welsh - North Wales = Shwmai (Pronounced shoe-my) Optional throughout Wales = Twll Din Pob Saes (Pronounced - too-ll dean pobe saees)
Tsonga (south Africa) - Minjhani (when greeting adult people)- Kunjhani (when greeting your peer group or below your age)
Japanese - Ohayou gozaimasu (O-HA-YOH GO-ZA-EE-MAS); Konnichi wa (KOHN-NI-CHEE-wa) (Daytime or Afternoon); Konban Wa (KOHN-BAHN-Wa)(Evening); Moshi Moshi (MO-SHE MO-SHE) (When answering the phone); Doumo (DO-MO) (Informal way of greeting, but means countless other things as well, only use when context makes sense)
Italian - Ciao (informal), Salve, Buon giorno (Morning, formal), Buon pomeriggio (Afternoon, formal), Buona sera (Evening, formal)
Swedish - Hej (informal), God dag (formal)
Arabic-based languages - As-salaam-aleykum (Peace be on you) or Marhabah (Hello)
Arabic - Sabbah-el-Khair (Good morning) Masaa-el-Khair (good evening); note that (Kh) is pronounced from the back of the throat. Marhaba (Hello!)
Persian - Salaam or Do-rood (see note above - Salaam is an abbreviation, the full version is As-salaam-o-aleykum in all Islamic societies)
Hindi - Namaste (pronounced Na-mus-thei), kaise hain (a little formal), kaise ho (more informal, familiar)
Korean - Ahn nyeong ha se yo (formal), Ahn nyeong (informal. Can also be used as "Goodbye")
Dutch - Hoi (very informal), Hallo (informal), Goedendag (formal)
Russian- Pree-vyet (informal), Zdravstvuyte (formal, pronounce: ZDRA-stvooy-tyeh)
Romanian is Buna (bu-nhuh)
Chinese, Mandarin - Ni hao (pronounced knee how)
Chinese, Cantonese - Nei Ho
Hebrew - Shalom (which means hello, goodbye and peace) Hi (informal)
Norwegian - Hei (Hi), Hallo (Hello), Heisan(Hi there), Halloisen (very informal)
Portuguese - "Oi", "Boas", "Olá" or "Alô" (informal), Bom dia (good morning), Boa tarde (good afternoon), Boa Noite (good evening)
Danish - Hej (informal), God dag (formal), God aften (evening - formal), Hejsa (very informal).
Burmese - Mingalarbar
Turkish - Merhaba (Formal) Naber? (Informal)
Lithuanian - Laba diena (formal) Labas, Sveikas (informal male) Sveika (female) Sveiki (plural)
Tagalog (Philippines) - Mabuhay (Welcome);Kumusta Ka (How are you); Magandang Umaga (Good Morning); Magandang Hapon (Good Afternoon); Magandang Gabi (Good Evening/Good Night)
Esperanto - Saluton
Telugu - Namaskaram
Tamil - Vanakkam
Swahili - Jambo
Sinhala - A'yubowan (Aa-yu-bo-wan) means "long live"
Lingala - Mbote
Indonesian - Selamat Pagi (Good Morning), Selamat Siang (Good Afternoon), Selamat Malam (Good Evening)
Nepali - Namaskar, Namaste, K cha (informal), kasto cha
Polish - Dzień dobry (formal), Cześć (informal)
Hawaiian - Aloha
Local Hawaiian Pidgin - 'Sup braddah!
Thai - Sawa dee-ka (if you're a girl)/ Sawa dee-krap (if you're a guy)
Hungarian, Magyar - Jo napot [yoh (as in the word "oh") naput](Good-day, formal), Szervusz [Sairvoose] (informal)
Czech - Dobré ráno (until about 8 or 9 a.m.), Dobrý den (formal), Ahoj (informal)
Ukranian - Dobriy ranuke (formal)- Good Morning, Dobriy deyn (formal) - Good Afternoon, Dobriy vechir (formal)- Good Evening, Pryvit (informal)
Latvian - Labdien, sveiki, chau (informal sound like in Italian)
Finnish - Hyvää päivää (formal) - Moi / Hei (Informal) - Moro (Tamperensis)
Greek - Yia sou (Ya-soo) (informal), yia sas (formal)
Icelandic - Góðan dag (formal), Hæ (informal)
Malayalam - Namaskkaram
Urdu - Adaab
Telugu - Baagunnara (how are you) (formal)
Chichewa - Moni Bambo! (to man) / Moni Mayi! (to woman)
Oshikwanyama - Wa uhala po, Meme? (to woman) / Wa uhala po, Tate? (to man) (response: ee) Nawa tuu? (response: ee) (formal) Ongaipi? (how is it? - informal)
Nahuatl - Niltze, Hao
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Croatian - Boke (informal), dobro Jutro (Good Morning), Dobar dan (Day), Dobra Većer (evening), Laku Noć (Good Night)
Navajo - Ya'at'eeh. (Hello!)
Maltese - Merħba (welcome), Bonġu (Good Morning), Bonswa (or) Il-lejl it-tajjeb (Good Evening)
Congo - Mambo
Jibberish - Huthegelluthego, H-idiguh-el l-idiguh-o (hello,formal), H-diguh-i(hi, informal), H-idiguh-ow a-diguh-re y-idigah-ou? (how are you?)Jibberish
Senegal - Salamaleikum (see 11.)
German-speaking parts of Switzerland - Grüzi! (Grew-tsi)
Scanian - Haja (universal), Hallå (informal), Go'da (formal), Go'maren (morning greeting), Go'aften (evening greeting)
Luxembourgish - Moïen (MOY-en)
Samoan - Talofa (Formal), Malo (informal)
Tongan - Malo e leilei
Tahitian - Ia Orana
Tetum (Timor - Leste)- Bondia (Good Morning), Botarde (Good Afternoon), Bonite (Good Evening)
Maori - Kia ora
Romanian - Salut; Buna dimineata/ziua/seara (respectful good morning/day/evning); Buna (usually for girls)
Gujrathi - Kem Che
Marathi - Namaskar
Surfer - 'tsup?
South African English - Hoezit (Howzit) (Informal Greeting)
Lao - Sabaidee (sa-bai-dee)
Kanien'kéha (Mohawk) - Kwe Kwe (Gway gway)
Serbian - Zdravo (informal), dobro jutro (Good morning), Dobar dan (Good afternoon, also used as a formal greeting), Dobro veče (pronounced as "dobro vetche", means Good evening), Laku Noć (Good Night)
Kannada - Namaskara
Mongolia - Sain baina uu? SA-YEN BAYA-NU(Formal); Sain uu? SAY-NU(Informal); Ugluunii mend (Good morning, pronounced as 'oglony mend', 'o'sound like 'old'); Udriin mend (Good afternoon, pronounced as 'odriin mend', again 'o'sound like 'old'); Oroin mend (Good evening, pronounced as 'oroin mend', but here 'o' sound like 'orc')
Slovenian - živjo (informal(ž sounds like zh); dobro jutro (good morning); dober dan (good afternoon); dober večer (good evening (č sounds like ch in chips)
Gaeilge - Dia Duit (informal(Pronounced Gee ah Ditch) Literal Translation God be with you.
Kurdish - Tsoni(hi,hello) Roj Bas("Good Day") (ROHZJ BAHSH)
Bengali - Namaskar, Salamwalaikum (see 14)
Igbo - Nde-ewo (pronounced enday aywo; Nna-ewo (pronounced enna wo)
Zulu- sawubona
Northen Shoto- dumelang
Yiddish-Sholem Aleikhem (may peace be unto you), Borokhim Aboyem, or "Gut Morgn" (good morning,), "gutn ovnt" (good evening), "Gutn Tog" (Good day) and on the Sabbath "gut Shabbos".,
Basque - Kaixo (Hello, Hi, pron. Kai-show), Egun on (Good morning, pron. egg-un own) Gau on (Good night, pron. gow own)
Pig Latin - Eyhay (informal), Ellohay (formal), Hatsway puay? (Whats up?)
Texan - Howdy (informal)
Canada - Hello
Vietnamese - Chào
Bulgarian -Zdraveite , Zdrasti(informal)
Georgian - Gamardjoba