....
The chart below outlines how to say hello in thirty different languages.
Language Informal Greeting
Formal Greeting
Arabic Ahlan
Asalaam alaikum
Bulgarian Zdrasti Zdraveĭte
Chinese Nǐ hǎo Nǐn hǎo
Dutch Hallo Goede dag
English Hey Hello
French Salut Bonjour
Gaelic Hug Dia dhuit
German Hallo Guten tag
Greek Yasou Kalimera
Hebrew Shalom
Shalom aleichem
Hindi Hē Namastē
Icelandic Halló Góðan dag
Indonesian Salam! Selamat siang
Italian Ciao Salve
Japanese Yā, _Yō Konnichiwa
Khmer Suosdei Suostei
Korean Anyoung
Anyoung haseyo
Polish Hej Cześć
Polish Cześć! Dzień dobry!
Portuguese Oi Olá
Romanian Hei Bună ziua
Russian Privet Zdravstvuyte
Spanish ¿Qué tal? Hola
Swahili Hujambo Habari
Swedish Hej God dag
Tahitian Ia ora na Ia ora na
Turkish Selam Merhaba
Vietnamese Chào Xin chào
Welsh Helo Shwmae
Zulu Sawubona
Ngiyakwemukela
When to Use the Formal or Informal Version of “Hello”
Think about how you say hello to your friends versus how you say hello to your friends’ parents. When you’re speaking to older people or people that you don’t know very well, you’ll want to use a more formal version of a greeting.
Formal greetings are appropriate in most business situations or situations where transactions are occurring, such as at a store or in a restaurant. If you’re not sure, it’s a good idea to wait until someone speaks casually to you before speaking casually to them.
Pay attention to what the people around you are saying. What makes something formal or informal varies by language and location. You’ll likely find that people start to use casual greetings over time, once you get to know them more. When in doubt, use a formal greeting.
Final Thoughts
Learning to say hello in different languages is a fun way to get to know the local culture when you travel. Use these greetings on your next journey abroad.
What's Next?
Interested in learning Japanese? Learn how to say "good morning" in Japanese, plus nine other key greetings.
Want to learn the longest word in Italian? Check out our article on how to say "hello" (and other greetings) in Italian.
What's the best foreign language to take in high school? If you're wondering which language to study, check out our guide on which foreign language you should learn in school.
Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article!
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Hayley Milliman
About the Author
Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.
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