hallo
/ɦaləu/
Hello in Afrikaans is hallo.
hallo is the direct equivalent of the English greeting hello and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. You might also use Goeie dag (good day) or Goeiemôre (good morning) for more formal greetings, or Hoe gaan dit? to ask someone how they are.
Meaning: greeting (intj)
Which one should you use?
While hallo is a versatile greeting, you may encounter more specific options: use Goeiemôre specifically in the morning and Goeie dag to mean good day. In relaxed or casual settings, particularly among younger generations, you might hear Hi or the informal Haai.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hallo is appropriate for both formal and informal contexts. For more formal situations, Goeie dag is a suitable greeting. For highly casual or relaxed settings, such as among younger people, Hi or Haai are used.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɦaləu/
Did you know?
- In South Africa, you might greet an older stranger as tannie or oom. These words mean 'aunt' and 'uncle' but are used as respectful titles for any elderly person, regardless of whether they are related to you.
- While hallo is common, many Afrikaans speakers use the word howzit as a greeting. It is a contraction of hoe is dit and functions as both 'hello' and 'how are you' in a single word.
- In the formal greeting goeie dag, the word goeie is an adjective that adjusts its form to match the noun it precedes. This is a lingering trace of the more complex grammatical systems found in the language's ancestors.
Examples in context
- Hallo!Hello!This example shows the use of hallo as a standard greeting.Tatoeba #4201636 by daviddenboer, translation #373330 by CK
- Hallo, hoe gaan dit?Hello, how are you?
- Hallo almal, ek is hier.Hello everyone, I am here.
Example conversation
Stefan and Liezel meet at a coffee shop.
- StefanHallo Liezel, hoe gaan dit met jou?Hello Liezel, how are you?
- LiezelHallo Stefan, dit gaan baie goed.Hello Stefan, it is going very well.
- StefanEk is bly om jou te sien.I am glad to see you.
- LiezelEk ook, kom sit asseblief.Me too, please come sit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries hallo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
