hallo Freunde
The English phrase 'hello friends' is translated into German as hallo Freunde.
hallo Freunde is a friendly greeting used to address a group of people who are friends.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the greeting hallo (hello) and the plural noun Freunde (friends).
Which one should you use?
Use hallo Freunde when addressing a group of male friends or a mixed-gender group. If you are addressing a group consisting exclusively of female friends, use hallo Freundinnen instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
Freunde is the plural form of Freund.
Did you know?
- In some German dialects, especially in the south, people might swap hallo for servus when greeting friends. This word comes from Latin for 'slave' but evolved into a greeting of equality.
- The greeting hallo originated as a call to a ferryman on the opposite bank to fetch a boat. It comes from the Old High German word holā, meaning 'to fetch'.
- While Freunde means 'friends', Germans rarely use it as a general greeting for acquaintances. Calling someone a Freund often implies a much deeper, lifelong bond than the English word 'friend'.
Examples in context
- Guten Tag, liebe Freunde!Good day, dear friends!
- Hallo, Freunde!Hello, friends!
- Servus, Leute!Hi, folks!
- Moinsen, ihr Lieben!Hey, you lovely ones!
- Hallo Freunde, wie geht es euch?Hello friends, how are you?
- Hallo Freunde, schön euch zu sehen.Hello friends, nice to see you.
Example conversation
Julia arrives at a cafe where Lukas and their other friends are sitting.
- JuliaHallo Freunde! Habt ihr schon bestellt?Hello friends! Have you already ordered?
- LukasHi Julia! Nein, wir haben auf dich gewartet.Hi Julia! No, we were waiting for you.
- JuliaDas ist lieb von euch.That is sweet of you.
- LukasSetz dich einfach zu uns.Just sit down with us.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hallo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
