Bonjour! Ola! Salut! Learn How To Say ‘Hello’ In 21 Languages

One of the most basic things you can learn is how to say hello, right? While traveling or interacting with people from other cultures, learning to say hello in another language is a small but useful step in making connections with people. It shows that you’ve taken a few minutes to check out their language and learn at least one word (though really, I’d recommend a couple of phrases). It is often seen as a sign of respect, especially from Americans, who are often seen as unwilling and uninterested in learning about the rest of the world.

Hello in 21 Languages

(Nb: Some of these are colloquial usage, and wouldn’t be used in a formal setting. Just in case you find yourself in a formal setting – you wouldn’t want to find yourself saying a cultural equivalent of  Yo, Dude!)

• Salut, Bonjour, Tiens  – French
• Hallo – German
• Ciao – Italian
• Ahoj – Czech
• YAH sahs – Greek
• Bog – Croatian
• Hallo – Netherlands
• Üdvözlet – Hungarian
• Hej – Sweden
• Czesc – Poland
• Hola – Mexico
• Ni Hao – China
• Kon’nichiwa – Japan
• Annyeonghaseyo – North and South Korea
• Shalom – Israel
• Sah-wahd-dee khrup/kah (male/female) – Thailand
• Merhaba – Turkey
• Zdrahvdz-vuee-tyeh – Russia
• Marhaba – Egypt
• Hujambo – Kenya
• Ola – Brazil