International Greetings 101

Hello there! It’s nice to be properly greeted, isn’t it? Even in an article like this one. In fact, we could go so far as to say that ‘hello’ is the most powerful word in any language. It doesn’t matter if it’s ‘hello’ in Spanish ,‘hello’ in Japanese , or ‘hello’ in French . Every ‘hello’ has the power to spark conversations and make new friends. Knowing how to say ‘hi’ or ‘hello’ in different languages is probably one of the most important assets of a traveler. After all, every story starts with a ‘hello’ — regardless if it’s a love story, a friendship story, or even a business one.

Ready to make friends all over the world? Let’s dive right in and learnhow to say ‘hello’ in different languages. From_hola_ (’hello’ in Spanish),bonjour (’hello’ in French),ciao (’hello’ in Italian) to_konnichiwa_ (’hello’ in Japanese) and_privyet_ (’hello’ in Russian). Master them all and let us know in the comments which ‘hello’ or ‘hi’ brought you the most friends.

Hello in Spanish — Hola

Probably one of the most spoken ‘hello’s in the world,‘hello’ in Spanish is not a stranger for anyone who has listened to some Spanish music – even by chance – in recent years.¡Hola! Yo me llamo Mariola – sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Both formal and informal, both respectful and friendly – H ola is the easiest and most popular way to say hello in Spanish. Additionally,H ola is so cool that it can also be used to say‘hi’ in Spanish. Learning a new language can’t get any easier than this.

If you want to learn more about how to say ‘hello’ in Spanish, here’s a more in-depth guide on Spanish greetings .

Hello in Russian — Здравствуйте (Zdravstvuyte)

Привет (Privyet) is definitely the more popular Russian hello, but it actually translates to‘hi’ in Russian, not ‘hello’. However, if you already know the person you are greeting and you feel comfortable being more informal,Привет (Privyet) is the perfect choice for you.

“Hello Russia” by Michael Parulava©

At the same time,Здравствуйте (Zdravstvuyte) is also a very nice way to greet your Russian friends. The root of the word actually goes back to the expression “to be healthy and well” so it is also a wish for good health.

Wanna dig deeper into Russian greetings? Here are five different ways to say ‘hello’ in Russian .

Hello in Japanese — こんにちは (Kon’nichiwa)

The same as the Spanish_hola_ ,Kon’nichiwa is a kind of universal Japanese greeting that can be used safely in all sorts of social contexts. There are two exceptions, though. Early in the morning and late at night, you should use the specific greetings dedicated to certain moments of the day. To learn more about them, check out this in-depth guide on how to say ‘hello’ in Japanese .

Moreover, don’t forget that the Japanese culture is a culture of respect. If you want to go all-in and immerse yourself entirely in the Japanese culture, it’s best to study Japanese etiquette before your trip.

Hello in Korean — 안녕하세요 (Annyeonghaseyo)

In recent years, the Korean language has been enjoying an increase in popularity due to BTS, a Korean boy band “taking over the world”. As a result, more and more young people wish to learn Korean. So, knowing as little as‘hello’ in Korean is a must if you want to be up-to-date.

안녕하세요 (Annyeonghaseyo) is the most popular semi-formal Korean hello. By comparison,안녕 (Annyeong) is a little more informal and it’s what you should use if you want to say‘hi’ in Korean.

“Mount Fuji, Japan” by David Edelstein©

Hello in French — Bonjour

When talking about traveling to another country, greetings should always be number 1 on your to-do list. The locals regard your attempt to speak their language as a sign of respect and respond accordingly. Why not take advantage of this interaction? Every place looks different and more like home through the eyes of someone who already lives there.

And France makes no exception. The most common way to say ‘hello’ in French is definitely_Bonjour_ , but if you need something a little more informal, you can safely go with S_alut_ . Furthermore, if it’s getting dark, don’t forget to switch to_Bonsoir,_ which is ‘good evening’ in French.

Wanna find out more? Here are 12 French greetings beyond Bonjour .

Hello in German — Hallo

The universal German hello is_Hallo_ . Short, sweet and simple. In other words, nothing like the rest of the German language. (Sorry, German, but that’s true.)

If you are looking for German greetings for certain moments of the day, then you can safely go with:

• Guten Morgen! – Good morning!
• Guten Tag! – Good day!
• Guten Abend! – Good evening!

However, Germans are all about being efficient, so they also use the shortened form of these greetings:

• Morgen!
• Tag!
• Abend!

“Antibes, France” by Reuben Mcfeeters©

Hello in Italian — Ciao

The Italian_Ciao_ is so popular that it has also been borrowed by other countries to be used between friends as a joke or even seriously. Together with_Capisce_ and_Grazie_ ,Ciao forms the Holy Trinity of the Italian language. Anyone who wants to summon his or her inner Italian just uses these three words and automatically becomes Italian. Oh, let’s not forget about the famous Italian hand gesture ! (Admit it. You tried that, too, at some point.)

Back to seriousness, Italians are all about respecting their elders, so if you need a more formal‘hello’ in Italian , you can safely use Salve .

If you want to learn more about how to say‘hi’ in Italian, you can check out this in-depth guide on Italian greetings .

Hello in Chinese — 你好 (Nǐ hǎo)

The Chinese language is just as rich in greetings as any other language, but the most popular way to say‘hello’ in Chinese is definitely你好 (Nǐ hǎo). And when we say ‘popular’, it’s 1 billion people popular because, as you probably already know, Chinese is the most spoken language in the world by the total number of native speakers.

Of course, like in many other languages, this is not the only way to say ‘hello’ in Chinese. To find out what are other ways to say ‘hi’ in Chinese, here’s an in-depth guide on Chinese greetings.

Hello in Portuguese — Olá

Olá or_Oi_ ? What’s your Portuguese hello of choice?

Olá , just like the Spanish_Hola_ , is suitable for any situation regardless of the person you are addressing.Oi , on the other hand, is how you can say‘hi’ in Portuguese and it is very informal and friendly. Careful though. While it is one of the most common ways to greet your friends in Brazil, people from Portugal don’t use it as much.

To learn more about Portuguese greetings, check out our guide on how to say ‘ hello’ in Portuguese .

Hello in different languages

Now that we’ve properly covered some of the most spoken languages in the world let’s move on to the real gold mine of‘hello’ in different languages. From ‘hello’ in Arabic to ‘hello’ in Catalan and even Latin, you’ll find them all here. Besides, if you want to hear them in action in real conversations, spoken by fluent speakers, you can always get Mondly. Just choose the language you always wanted to speak, and you can be conversational from day 1.

“Hello” by Octavian Dan©

These next greetings are a mixture of formal and informal. Don’t worry, though! This kind of ‘hello’ is the best choice for most social interactions regardless of the person you are addressing because it is somehow formal but also friendly. Just what you need when traveling abroad!

How to say hello in different languages

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