Hallo, Leute
/haˈloː ˈlɔɪ.tə/ [ˈlɔe̠.t(ʰ)ə/word by word
The English phrase "hello, guys" is translated into German as Hallo, Leute.
Hallo, Leute is an informal greeting used to say hello to a group of friends or acquaintances. While the English "guys" is often used in a gender-neutral way in casual speech, the German term Leute is also a gender-neutral way to address a group of people.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Leute literally means "people".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Hallo, Leute is an informal way to address a group and is much more common in casual settings than using more formal greetings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In northern Germany, you may hear the regional variation Moin, Jungs to greet a group of friends. In Bavaria and parts of Austria, the popular informal greeting Griaß euch is used to say "Hello to all of you".
How do you pronounce it?
/haˈloː ˈlɔɪ.tə/ [ˈlɔe̠.t(ʰ)ə]. The second of six syllables is stressed.
Did you know?
- The greeting Hallo has roots in an old command used to hail ferrymen across a river, originating from the Old High German word holōn, meaning 'to fetch'.
- In Northern Germany, you can replace Hallo with Moin to greet your friends, a term derived from 'good morning' that is used at any time of day.
- In some formal contexts, addressing a group as Leute can be perceived as overly blunt or slightly dismissive depending on the tone.
Examples in context
- Hallo allerseits, vielen Dank für Ihre Anwesenheit.Hello everyone, thank you all for being here.
- Hallo, Leute, wie geht es euch?Hello, guys, how are you doing?
- Moin, Jungs, habt ihr Zeit für ein Treffen?Hi, guys, do you have time for a meetup?
- Griaß euch, seid ihr bereit für eine gute Zeit?Hello, everyone, are you ready for a good time?
- Hallo, Leute, wie geht's?Hello, guys, how are you?
- Hallo, Leute, kommt ihr mit?Hello, guys, are you coming along?
Example conversation
Julian walks into a room where Sarah and her friends are gathered.
- JulianHallo, Leute!Hello, guys!
- SarahHi Julian, komm rein!Hi Julian, come in!
- JulianWas macht ihr hier?What are you guys doing here?
- SarahWir feiern eine Party.We are having a party.
