halò
/haˈloː/informal
In Gaelic, the English phrase hello can be expressed as halò. Wiktionary also lists latha math and hòigh.
Meaning: greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Gaelic | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| halò | /haˈloː/ | informal |
| latha math | /l̪ˠa.a ˈma/ | formal |
| hòigh | informal |
What does it mean word for word?
The formal greeting latha math literally means good day.
Which one should you use?
halò is the standard informal way to say hello, whereas latha math is more formal.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
halò and hòigh are informal, while latha math is a formal option. If you need to greet someone formally in the morning, you can also use Madainn mhath, which means good morning.
How do you pronounce it?
/haˈloː/
Did you know?
- The word halò is actually a loanword from the English 'hallo', making it a rare instance of English influencing a traditional Gaelic greeting.
- While halò is common today, traditional Gaelic greetings often focused on the time of day or the specific situation rather than a general 'hello' word.
Examples in context
- Halò, a h-uile duine.Hello everyone!The first sentence shows how to use halò when addressing a group.Tatoeba #1516599 by Cainntear, translation #854117 by piksea
- Halò.Hello.The second sentence shows a simple use of halò.Tatoeba #770521 by marloncori, translation #1858850 by LanguageExpert
- Halò, a charaid.Hello, friend.
Example conversation
Isla and Finlay meet at a cafe.
- IslaHalò, Finlay!Hello, Finlay!
- FinlayHalò, Isla! Ciamar a tha thu?Hello, Isla! How are you?
- IslaTha mi gu math, tapadh leat.I am well, thank you.
- FinlayTha sin math.That is good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries halò, latha math, hòigh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries halò, hòigh, latha, math, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
