You had me at “hello” — it may be a love story cliché, but it also makes a valid point about the importance of how we greet others. The words we choose (and the way we deliver them) set the tone for the entire conversation, and in turn, shape the future of our relationship with the other person. We may use something like a formal “good day” in certain situations, and a more informal “hey” or “hi” in others. Knowing how to say hello in different languages is almost always the first step when it comes to becoming more conversational with the rest of the world. Few of us would doubt that “hello” (or some variation of it) is one of the most important phrases you should commit to memory when you’re learning a new language.
So when it comes to learning how to say hello in different languages around the world, don’t sweat — we’ve got you covered. We have a formal and informal greeting for 21 different languages, so you’re ready for almost any situation.
21 Ways To Say Hello Around The World
| Language | Formal | Informal |
| French | Bonjour | Salut |
| Spanish | Hola | ¿Qué tal? |
| Russian | Zdravstvuyte | Privet |
| Chinese | Nǐn hǎo | Nǐ hǎo |
| Italian | Salve | Ciao |
| Japanese | Konnichiwa | Yā, Yō |
| German | Guten Tag | Hallo, Hi |
| Portuguese | Olá | Oi |
| Korean | Anyoung haseyo | Anyoung |
| Arabic | Asalaam alaikum | Ahlan |
| Danish | Goddag | Hej, Halløj |
| Swahili | Shikamoo | Habari, Hujambo |
| Dutch | Goedendag | Hoi, Hallo |
| Greek | Yassas | Yassou |
| Polish | Dzień dobry | Cześć, Witaj |
| Indonesian | Selamat siang | Halo |
| Hindi | Namaste, Namaskar | Hai, Helo |
| Norwegian | God dag | Hei |
| Turkish | Merhaba | Selam |
| Hebrew | Shalom | Hey |
| Swedish | God dag | Hej, Tjena |
More Ways To Greet People
While you don’t need stress yourself out about it, there are even more intricacies to saying hello that exist in every language. The way of greeting someone can change depending on time of day, or your relationship with the person you’re saying hello to. For more detail on all that, we’ve created a number of language-specific guides that go deeper on all these topics:
Beyond the words, there’s still more to greetings. Various people use a mixture of body language and physical contact to greet each other, from handshakes to hugs to cheek kisses. I know, I know, this can seem like a lot of cultural insight to absorb and you haven’t even gotten past “hello.” Our best advice is to try to mirror other people, and know that no one is going to be too mad if you make small mistakes. Learning to greet someone is all about making a connection, so do your best.