The Diverse Dozen! How to Say Hello in 12 Different Languages

The Diverse Dozen! How to Say Hello in 12 Different Languages How to Say Hello in 12 Different Languages In  2015, Adele’s comeback single “Hello” skyrocketed to #1 on the Billboard charts and broke Vevo’s record for the most viewed video.Pretty dope, huh?  So let’s talk about that at length in this post.  Ha! Nopeâ€"just kidding.Were not here to discuss Adele or her record-breaking single, but rather the simple yet profound word “hello”â€"often the very first vocabulary word uttered in any  language course, podcast, textbook  or  YouTube instructional video.There’s really more to “hello” than meets the eye. It All Starts with One HelloAll cultures have that wordâ€"that one word in the language that breaks the ice, demolishes walls, generates smiles and creates an instant, if momentary, bond between total strangers. It’s nothing short of magic, really, how a simple greeting could generate so much goodwill in the streets or make somebody drop anything theyre doing and give another their  complete attention.It comes in different forms and sounds in different langua ges. It could come with a bow, a nod, a handshake or a wave, but they all somehow signify the same thingâ€"a recognition of another, a way of saying, “I see you.”Just as learning any new language starts with “hello,” a friendship that lasts a lifetime could start with a simple “hello!”We look into 12 ways of saying just that in this post. So that’s 12 ways of turning complete strangers into friends, 12 ways of endearing yourself to others in different parts of the planet from Madrid to Calcutta, 12 ways of doing magic.How to Say Hello in 12 Different Languages1.  ??! (Ni hao)Language: Chinese (Mandarin)The Chinese greeting is ??, pronounced as ni hao.? means “you” and ? means “good.”As you may well know, Chinese is a tonal language full of dips, rises and curves in intonation. The two characters (??) are pronounced using the third  of four tones where you pronounce the syllable initially with a falling tone and round it up with a rising tone. Hence the symbol ( v).You have to be careful with Chinese pronunciation because you might call somebody’s mother a horse (as both mother and horse are pronounced as ma  but with different tones).You also need a special hello when you want to be polite. So, instead of greeting with  ni hao, youll say ??  (nín hao).Now, that pronunciation may just have a one letter difference in pinyin, but it speaks volumes! The second greeting is more formal and should be used when greeting a person more senior than you. Otherwise, youd come off as haughty and disrespectful.  Chinese is big on respect, and not just for persons of authority, but most especially for elders.When you want to ask a person how they are, you say ???? (ni hao ma?).The ma  at the end turns the whole thing into a question form. So from the literal, “you good,” it now becomes “are you good?” In fact, it would be quite easy to spot Chinese questions in conversation because they often end those sentences with a ma.Your answer to this pa rticular one should be a quick ??? (wo hen hao xièxie). Which means “I’m fine, thank you.”Many Chinese greetings might  seem odd when taken literally. For example, instead of asking how are you?  Chinese speakers will often say, “?????  (ni chi le ma?) which means “Have you eaten?”No, they’re not really asking about your stomach per se. It’s a way of showing care for you and your well-being, so don’t go on a soliloquy about what you had for breakfast or that you’re going to the grocery store  to get some stuff. Simply say, ?????  (chi le,  ni ne?)  which means, “I’ve eaten, how about you?”That’s small talk, Chinese style.2.  ??? (Konnichiwa)Language: JapaneseKonnichiwa is the general, widely-used term to say hello  in Japanese. You can use it at any time during the day or night, and it would be appropriate for both formal and informal settings.But if you want to be time-specific, you can use “???????? (ohayo gozaimasu)  in the morning, “???” (konni chiwa)  in the afternoon and ??? (konbanwa) in the evening.When meeting a person for the first time, you want to say ????? (hajimemashite),  which roughly translates as “nice to meet you.”Bowing is deeply ingrained in the Japanese culture. While handshakes often signify warmth and welcome, the bow is a sign of respect and dates back to the 5th century.The Japanese bow in many different settings. It punctuates and lubricates social interaction. They bow when meeting a person, to say hello and goodbye, when thanking, apologizing, asking for a favor and when beginning and ending a meeting or event (like when ending a Skype chat!).When meeting a person, the general rule is that the higher the status of the person you’re meeting, the lower you should bow. We’ve got the ?? (eshaku), which is a kind of bow you give to acquaintances, coworkers and people of equal social rank. An eshaku is approximately a 15 ° waist bow. For greeting people who are higher in status than you, like bos ses, elders and government officials, you do the ?? (keirei)  which is around 45 °.You should remember that when you bow, that’s not an excuse for your back to get lazy and slouch. That’s not really a picture of respect, is it? So don’t curve your spine. Bend from the waist and keep your spine straight.In addition to status dynamics involved, by bowing you’re placing yourself in a vulnerable position to prove that you have no ill intent to the other person. Just as shaking hands proves you’re not concealing a weapon or blade in your palm, by bowing and exposing your neck, you put yourself, in a way, at the mercy of the other person.3.  ????? (Anyeonghaseyo)Language: KoreanIf youve listened to any Korean conversation before, you’ve probably heard ????? (anyeonghaseyo). That’s because it’s the standard Korean greeting for practically any occasion and any time of the dayâ€"morning, afternoon or  night. They have alternatives to anyeonghaseyo but they rarely ever use the se.You can use anyeonghaseyo when you greet practically anybody. You can use it with friends and elders alike. It’s a polite greeting which roughly means “please be well.”But make no mistake, just because you can anyeonghaseyo  with practically anybody doesn’t mean the Korean culture is relaxed on seniority, elder respect and honorific expressions. On the contrary. Of the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans, I’ve seen that it’s the Koreans who most strictly observe the rules of elder respect and seniority.For example, it’s really not rude to ask about someone’s age when you first meet them because its the only clear way of establishing whos older and younger between the two of you. And once established, this will affect virtually every interaction youll have with each other. You may be  the same age, but if they were  born a week ahead of you then theyre  your senior, and you should be using honorific expressions when interacting with them. Another interesting note is that Koreans tend to romantically pair themselves, as much as possible, with someone their age because they don’t want to fraternize with someone their junior.Okay, going back to anyounghaseyo, if you want to dial down the formality a bit, especially when you’re with friends and people that you know well, you can drop the haseyo  and simply say “anyeong.”But what if you want to dial up the formality, like when you welcome an esteemed guest at your house or when the boss of your boss happens to walk into the elevator? You drop the  â€œhaseyo”  and exchange it with  hashimnikka.  So the expression becomes a very formal and a very polite anyeonghashimnikka.  It still means “please be well,” but in a more formal form.4.  BonjourLanguage: FrenchLet’s say you just landed in Paris and are psyched to see all the sights. You just hopped off the taxi a few seconds ago and are now in the hotel lobby, excitedly walking towards that lady over at the reception. How would you greet her ? (Or how would you have greeted your taxi driver?)Bonjour! That’s how.It’s the French word for “hello.”Bon  means goodâ€"as in bon appétit (good appetite) and bon voyage (good journey).Jour  means dayâ€"as in soupe du jour (soup of the day)â€"and so bonjour  literally means “good day.” The term is flexible and can be used both for formal and informal settings. Moreover, it can be conveniently blurted out in the mornings and in the afternoons. So you don’t have to have that awkward English experience of, for example, greeting someone with “good morning!” and then looking at your watch, realizing your mistake and saying, “oh, I’m sorry, I meant good afternoon.”How about at night? Well, you simply say, “bonsoir.”Soir  means evening. And with just your bonjour  and bonsoir, you’ve got the whole 24 hours covered.Another way of saying hello is salut.  The final letter is silent, just like in Champs-élysées or Paris. (The French don’t pronounce the s  in Paris.) Salut  is appropriate for more informal settings and is often used with one’s close friends. Think of it like the English word “hi.”Now let’s say you’ve just done a whirlwind tour of Paris and you’re slumped lifelessly on the hotel bed when, suddenly, the phone rings. How do you answer it?  Well, when you answer the phone, remember that you dont use bonjour or  bonsoir.  Use allô, with the stress on the second syllable!5.  HolaLanguage: SpanishThere are 21 countries in the world that speak Spanishâ€"that is, as their official languageâ€"and there are still more Spanish-based languages like those in Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Guam and Northern Marianas. In total, Spanish is spoken natively by  around 442 million folks on the planetâ€"at least.In fact, Spanish is the second  most widely used language in the world, after Chinese. English comes third.Spanish is a widespread language today because  when Spain was a world superpower in the 16th to the 18th centuries, its explorers traveled far and wide in search of spices and gold and they established numerous  colonies from  Latin America to Asia.So now you’ve got a case where learning to say “hello” in Spanish has become a requirement for modern life. There’s a big chance that you’ll be meeting and hanging out with a native speaker in your  lifetime.But not to worry, saying “hello!” in Spanish is simple enough. We almost all know to say hola.  Just remember that the letter h  is silent in this case, just like it is  in the English word “heir.”To be time-specific, you can use  buenos dias (good morning), buenas tardes (good afternoon) and buenas noches (good night). But, of course, you can use hola  in both formal and informal settings, at any time of day or night.This is often the first word you say to any native speaker, pairing it with two cheek kisses (starting with their  right cheek).Spanish is largely a cheek-kissing language. In Latin America, for example, cheek kissin g is a pretty much standard greeting between a man and a woman or between two women. In Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, male friends greet and congratulate each other with cheek kisses.If you are uncomfortable with such a gesture, then a firm handshake or a friendly wave is just as good. What is required, though, is that great smile of yours that’s worth a thousand cheek kisses.6.  HalloLanguage: GermanSaying hello in German is really very easy. It’s Hallo.Simple. Hallo!This is an informal way to greet one’s friend or folks you’re familiar with. But when it comes to greeting someone formally, like a business associate or someone who’s a bit more senior than you, the trio of Guten Morgen! (good morning), Guten Tag! (good day) and  Guten Abend! (good evening) would be more appropriate.German, like many other languages, distinguishes between informal and formal communications. Only use informal language when talking with someone you really know and someone who really knows you.  Just to be safe with anyone else outside that group, and especially in  business situations, use the Guten trio and pair them with a firm handshake.Remember also that, just like their English cousins, these three greetings are time-sensitive. Guten Morgen  is only good until about 12 noon, Guten Tag  is appropriate until around 6 p.m. and after that its all about  Guten Abend.In real-life situations, conversations often don’t end after the hellos. You wouldn’t want to break the ice with a hearty German Hallo or Guten Morgen then act all silent and weird, right?Move the conversation forward by asking “how are you?” For informal settings, ask  â€œwie geht es dir?” For  those in positions of authority or those folks you don’t know well enough, the more formal “wie geht es Ihnen?” is more appropriate.Listen also for those very lines so that you can courteously reply if you get asked. Reply with, “Gut, danke.” (Im fine, thank you.)And when you get asked how you are, it is only proper you ask how they are in return. Say, “Und Ihnen?” (And you?)In fact, make that part of the previous line. When you get asked how you are, say, “Gut, danke. Und lhnen?” (I’m fine, thank you. And you?)7.  CiaoLanguage: ItalianCiao, (pronounced chow, as in food) is probably the most recognized Italian greeting. It’s an informal interjection and can mean both “hello” and “goodbye”â€"just like aloha  in Hawaiian, shalom  in Hebrew or salaam  in Arabic.If you’re saying it to a group of friends, you would say, “ciao a tutti.” Tutti  means everybody, so the phrase literally translates to “hello to everybody.”Ciao does have a colorful history. It’s from a Venetian phrase that literally means, “I am your slave.” (Really, its more like, “I am at your service.”) But that’s not why you shouldn’t use ciao  with your boss, teacher or anybody who’s your elder. Ciao  is informal and reserved only for close friends and for people who yo u already know.When meeting people for the first time, the safest route, and this goes for practically any language, is to go formal. Italian does have three time-specific ways for more formally greeting others.In the morning, you say “buongiorno.” Buon  means “good” and giorno  means morning. Literally, it translates to “good morning.”In the afternoon, it becomes buon pomeriggio,  (although some may use  buongiorno  even in the afternoon). In the evening, it becomes buonasera. Buona  means good (feminine form) and sera  means evening. At night (later than the brief early evening time) you will hear  buena notte (good night).Note that these expressions can also be used when leaving to say “goodbye.”When in Italy, you answer the phone by saying none of the aboveâ€"instead, say “pronto.” It means “prepared.” You’re not being discourteous or demanding, you’re merely telling the other person that you’re prepared to listen to her speak. After talking, you en d the conversation by sayingâ€"um, what else?â€"“ciao!”8.  ?????? (Namaste)Language: HindiIf youre in the Indian subcontinent, you can get away with greeting everybody with just one word: Namaste.Hindi greetings are not time-specific, so you can use this one any time of the day or night. You use it to begin and end interactions with both friends and strangers, young and old.Namaste comes from the Sanskrit words namah and te, which mean “bow” and “to you” respectively. Namaste is a greeting of respect and humility. You’re not only acknowledging the presence of the other person, but also acknowledging the totality of his humanity. Theres a strong spiritual element and namaste reminds people of the divine that exists in everybodyâ€"the life force, the “god-in-me” that exists in every person they meet.The expression is paired with a slight bow of the head. Place both palms in front of the chest in a prayer-like position. As you say namaste, bow your head slightly. This gesture is called the pranamasana  gesture.And talking of gestures, probably the most misunderstood of Indian actions is the head wobble. It’s this nonverbal signal where they shake their head side-to-side. Westerners have a hard time deciphering this one correctly because the Indian head wobble looks very much like saying “no.”Say, an American asks his guest, “Would you like some ice cream?”The Indian friend displays a smile and a head wobble.What would he make of that? It’s like he’s saying “no.”  Or worse, it looks like a “maybe.” It’s like the other person is weighing his options, looking at pros and cons.But the glisten in his eyes says  something else entirely.In reality, the head wobble is an expression of agreement. It’s a “yes.” Indians use it to say “yes,” “okay” and “I understand.” What is exactly meant depends on context, but its generally a very positive kind of gesture, and the more vigorous the wobbling, the more positive it is.So remember that the next time you invite an Indian friend over for dinner. If his head wobbles, he’s going to come.9.  ?e?a sa? (Yassas)Language: GreekSay yassas to say hello in Greece.Greeks are very informal and easygoing with their greetings, so much so that a handshake may not be offered. There are no required bows or cheek kisses.But don’t misinterpret this. The Greeks are actually very friendly and open. Visit the country for one day and youll find this to be true. They’re just used to having tourists around, so they usually just get out of their visitors’ ways as they also go about their ordinary days.Make the first move and youll soon have somebody eager to help you get  where you need to go or tell you what you need to know. And if you throw a little Greek into the mix, like, kalimera  (good morning), kalispera  (good afternoon), kalinita  (good evening) and efxaristo  (thank you), you’ll really open yourself  up to a  friendly,  rousing conversation.10.  Salv eLanguage: LatinLatin  was the dominant language of the Roman Empire from  6th century BC to 600 AD.When the Roman Empire collapsed, Latin evolved in the former constituent nations into the various languages that we know today. Romance languages like French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Romanian consider Latin as their parent tongue.Much of the classical literature we study in school was originally written in Latin. Examples are the timeless classics penned by Virgil and Cicero. Latin, although not spoken as widely as before (save perhaps by the Vatican, which considers it one of its official language), exerts a solid but indirect influence in the modern world. For example, it’s said that as many  as half of English words are derived from Latin.That being said, would you like to know what it would be like to greet someone during Roman times?  You’d say, salve.That’s hello when talking to one person. If you were talking to several people, you’d say, salvete.That’s what they would say to you if you lived in Gaul (France) in those times. That’s what the Apostle Paul would have said when he visited churches across the Roman Empire. That’s what much of Western Europe used to say.11.  ?????  (Ainngai)Language: InuktitutInuktitut is an Eskimo-Aleut language spoken in Arctic territories and the topmost span of North America including Alaska and Northern Canada.The nearest equivalent to  hello in the language is ainngai, which can be used to signify both “hello” and “goodbye.”“Good morning” is roughly translated as ullaasakkut, while “good afternoon” and “good evening” are unnusakkut  and unnuaqsakkut  respectively. Literally, they mean “In the morning/ afternoon/ evening”The Inuit culture doesn’t have a traditional class structure. One’s social standing  aligns directly with  one’s special abilities that help the community survive under extreme climatic  conditions. For example, a great hunter is a prized member of socie tyâ€"so is a great seamstress.In the Inuit culture, private property is very limited. Everything except one’s hunting gear and clothes are considered communal property.It’s also interesting to note that Inuktitut has no word equivalent for “please.” Uttering the English word “please” in these territories makes the speaker come off as being arrogant and demanding. Just something to keep in mind in case you wind up up North in one of your travels.12.  OsiyoLanguage: Tsalagi (Cherokee)Interestingly, the English name  for this language,  Cherokee, comes from the word chelokee,  which means “speaker of another language.” (And speakers of another language they are!)The Cherokee are a Native American tribe indigenous to Southeastern states like Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.Osiyo  is how the Cherokee say hello.If you hear someone say “dohitsu?”  it means he is asking how are you. (You’ll find that in the Cherokee language, many times, a single word can be a full sentence.)Your reply to  dohitsu  should be to say  â€œosda, ihina?” This roughly means, “I’m fine, and you?”The Cherokee are a warm and welcoming people, and you may  find yourself needing to say, “wado” (thank you) many times to their hospitality.Well, that’s it for now.Youve got a dozen diverse ways to say a hearty “hello.” Dont stop thereâ€"feel free to get out there and learn even more about these languages.Ciao!