How to Say 'Hello' in 100 Different Languages

The world is becoming a smaller place. Thanks to new technology and better modes of travel, we’re all able to connect faster than ever before. And that’s why learning a second language may be a great idea, especially for jet setters. 

“Besides the obvious convenience of being able to communicate your basic traveling needs, learning another language could be the difference between a fun vacation and a life-changing experience,” Esteban Touma, a Babbel Live Teacher and language learning expert, shares with Travel + Leisure. “Sure, you can visit some tourist spots and see the highlights, but the best way to really connect with others and experience a different culture is the language. Even maintaining basic conversations will make your host country a more welcoming place.”

And if you’re an adult who’s never learned a second language, Touma says that shouldn’t stop you from trying. 

“It takes effort and patience, but in general, I think the reason why people think it’s hard is because it’s such a different learning experience than anything else,” Touma says. “And as adults, it’s harder for us to keep an open mind. It’s not like learning chemistry or the history of the place you’re visiting, but rather, it’s like learning how to play tennis. You can study the rules, you can practice your serves, but the best way to learn it is to go out there and swing that racket, even if at first you’ll just lob the ball and miss the court. Just try to have fun.” 

Don’t have time to learn an entire language before your trip? That’s OK. Just make sure to master this one word: Hello.

“It’s certainly the first thing you should learn,” Touma shares. “Just approaching someone and having this, the most basic of interactions, will open you up to a new reality.” 

Here are 100 ways to say hello in different languages, translated by Google Translate and checked in part by our friends at Babbel, so you’re ready for wherever your travels take you next. 

Related: The Best Language Learning Apps to Download Before Your Next Trip

100 Ways to Say Hello in Different Languages

Afrikaans: Hallo
Where it’s spoken: South Africa

Albanian: Përshëndetje
Where it’s spoken: Albania, Kosovo

Amharic: ሰላም (pronounced "salam")
Where it’s spoken:  Ethiopia

Arabic: مرحبا (pronounced "marhaba") 
Where it’s spoken: Middle East, North Africa

Armenian: Բարև (pronounced "barev")
Where it’s spoken: Armenia

Azerbaijani: Salam
Where it’s spoken: Azerbaijan

Basque: Kaixo
Where it’s spoken: Northern Spain and Southern France

Bengali: নমস্কার (pronouncd "nomoshkar")
Where it’s spoken: Bangladesh

Bhutanese: Kuzu zangpo la
Where it’s spoken: Bhutan

Bosnian: Zdravo
Where it’s spoken: Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgarian: Здравейте (pronounced "zdraveĭte") 
Where it’s spoken: Bulgaria 

Burmese: ဟယ်လို (pronounced "hailo")
Where it’s spoken: Myanmar

Cambodian/Khmer: ជំរាបសួរ (pronounced "chomreabsuor")
Where it’s spoken: Cambodia

Cantonese Chinese: 哈囉 (pronounced "ha lo") 
Where it’s spoken: Hong Kong, Macau

Chichewa: Moni 
Where it’s spoken: Malawi

Croatian: Bok 
Where it’s spoken: Croatia

Czech: Ahoj
Where it’s spoken: Czech Republic

Danish: Hej
Where it’s spoken: Denmark

Dutch: Hallo
Where it’s spoken: Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname

English: Hello 
Where it’s spoken: Globally 

Estonian: Tere 
Where it’s spoken: Estonia

Farsi/Persian: سلام (pronounced "salam")
Where it’s spoken: Iran, Afghanistan

Fijian: Bula 
Where it’s spoken: Fiji

Finnish: Hei 
Where it’s spoken: Finland

French: Bonjour 
Where it’s spoken: France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland

Georgian: გამარჯობა (pronounced "gamardjoba")
Where it’s spoken: Georgia

German: Hallo 
Where it’s spoken: Germany, Austria, Switzerland

Greek: Γεια σας (pronounced "geia sas") 
Where it’s spoken: Greece, Cyprus

Hausa: Sannu 
Where it’s spoken: Nigeria, Niger

Hawaiian: Aloha 
Where it’s spoken: Hawaii 

Hebrew: שלום (pronounced "shalom")
Where it’s spoken: Israel

Hmong: Nyob zoo
Where it’s spoken: Southeast Asia, United States

Hungarian: Szia 
Where it’s spoken: Hungary

Icelandic: Halló
Where it’s spoken: Iceland

Igbo: Ndewo 
Where it’s spoken: Nigeria

Indonesian: Halo 
Where it’s spoken: Indonesia

Italian: Ciao
Where it’s spoken: Italy

Japanese: こんにちは (pronounced "konnichiwa") 
Where it’s spoken: Japan

Kannada: ಹಲೋ (pronounced "halo") 
Where it’s spoken: Karnataka (India)

Kazakh: Сәлеметсіз бе (pronounced "salemetsiz be") 
Where it’s spoken: Kazakhstan

Khmu: ສະບາຍດີ (pronounced "sabaidee") 
Where it’s spoken: Laos

Kinyarwanda: Muraho 
Where it’s spoken: Rwanda

Kiribati: Moa oti 
Where it’s spoken: Kiribati

Korean: 안녕하세요 (pronounced "annyeonghaseyo") 
Where it’s spoken: South Korea

Kyrgyz: Салам (pronounced "salam") 
Where it’s spoken: Kyrgyzstan

Lao: ສະບາຍດີ (pronounced "sabaidee") 
Where it’s spoken: Laos

Latvian: Sveiki 
Where it’s spoken: Latvia

Lithuanian: Sveiki 
Where it’s spoken: Lithuania

Luganda: Wabula
Where it’s spoken: Uganda

Macedonian: Здраво (pronounced "zdravo")
Where it’s spoken: North Macedonia

Malagasy: Manao ahoana
Where it’s spoken: Madagascar

Malay: Hai
Where it’s spoken: Malaysia, Indonesia

Malayalam: നമസ്കാരം (pronounced "namaskaram")
Where it’s spoken: Kerala (India)

Mandarin Chinese: 你好 (pronounced "nǐ hǎo")
Where it’s spoken: China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia

Maori: Kia ora  
Where it’s spoken: New Zealand

Marshallese: Yokwe
Where it’s spoken: Marshall Islands

Mongolian: Сайн байна уу (pronounced "sain baina uu")
Where it’s spoken: Mongolia

Ndebele: Sawubona
Where it’s spoken: South Africa, Zimbabwe

Nepali: नमस्ते (pronounced "namaste")
Where it’s spoken: Nepal

Norwegian: Hei
Where it’s spoken: Norway

Nyanja: Moni
Where it’s spoken: Zambia

Oromo: Akkam
Where it’s spoken: Ethiopia

Polish: Cześć
Where it’s spoken: Poland

Portuguese: Olá
Where it’s spoken: Portugal, Brazil

Punjabi: ਸਤ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ (pronounced "sat sri akaal")
Where it’s spoken: Punjab (India and Pakistan)

Romanian: Salut
Where it’s spoken: Romania

Russian: Здравствуйте (pronounced "zdravstvuyte")
Where it’s spoken: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan

Samoan: Talofa
Where it’s spoken: Samoa

Serbian: Здраво (pronounced "zdravo")
Where it’s spoken: Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sesotho: Lumela (pronounced "dumela")
Where it’s spoken: Lesotho

Setswana: Dumela
Where it’s spoken: Botswana

Shona: Mhoro
Where it’s spoken: Zimbabwe

Sinhala: හෙලෝ (pronounced "helo")
Where it’s spoken: Sri Lanka

Slovak: Ahoj
Where it’s spoken:Slovakia

Slovenian: Živijo
Where it’s spoken: Slovenia

Somali: Salaam alaykum
Where it’s spoken: Somalia

Spanish: Hola
Where it’s spoken: Spain, Latin America

Sranan Tongo: Odi
Where it’s spoken: Suriname

Swahili: Habari
Where it’s spoken: East Africa

Swati: Sawubona
Where it’s spoken: Swaziland

Swedish: Hej 
Where it’s spoken: Sweden, Finland

Tagalog/Filipino: Kamusta
Where it’s spoken: Philippines

Tahitian: Ia ora na
Where it’s spoken: French Polynesia

Tajik: Салом (pronounced "salam")
Where it’s spoken: Tajikistan

Tamil: வணக்கம் (pronounced "vanakkam")
Where it’s spoken: Tamil Nadu (India), Sri Lanka

Telugu: నమస్తే (pronounced "namaste")
Where it’s spoken: Andhra Pradesh (India)

Thai: สวัสดี (pronounced "sawatdee")
Where it’s spoken: Thailand

Tigrinya: ሰላም (pronounced "salam")
Where it’s spoken: Eritrea

Tongan: Mālō e lelei
Where it’s spoken: Tonga

Turkish: Merhaba
Where it’s spoken: Turkey

Turkmen: Salam
Where it’s spoken: Turkmenistan

Ukrainian: Вітаю (pronounced "vitayu")
Where it’s spoken: Ukraine

Urdu: سلام (pronounced "salam")
Where it’s spoken: Pakistan

Uzbek: Salom
Where it’s spoken: Uzbekistan

Vietnamese: Xin chào
Where it’s spoken: Vietnam

Wolof: Salam
Where it’s spoken: Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania

Xhosa: Molo
Where it’s spoken: South Africa

Xitsonga: Avuxeni
Where it’s spoken: South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zimbabwe

Yoruba: Bawo ni
Where it’s spoken: Nigeria, Benin

Zulu: Sawubona
Where it’s spoken: South Africa