kaixo
/kai̯ʃo/
Hello in Basque is kaixo.
kaixo is the standard way to say hello in Basque.
Meaning: greeting (intj)
Which one should you use?
While kaixo is the standard greeting, aupa is an informal and enthusiastic way to say hello.
How do you pronounce it?
/kai̯ʃo/
Did you know?
- Basque is a language isolate, meaning kaixo has no known relationship to any other language in the world. It does not share an ancestor with Spanish, French or any other European tongue.
- While kaixo is the general greeting, the informal aupa is also used as a shout of encouragement for athletes or teams, similar to 'go for it' or 'come on'.
- In very formal settings, Basque speakers may bypass kaixo entirely and use a phrase like egun on for 'good day', as the standard 'hello' can feel too casual for certain authorities.
Examples in context
- Kaixo mundua!Hello, world!This example demonstrates the use of kaixo.Tatoeba #1078377 by bcmoney, translation #398746 by AlanF_US
- Kaixo, zer moduz zaude?Hello, how are you?
- Kaixo, zer moduz?Hey, how are you?
- Kaixo guztiei!Hello everyone!
Example conversation
Nerea and Xabi meet on the street.
- NereaKaixo, Xabi!Hello, Xabi!
- XabiKaixo, Nerea!Hello, Nerea!
- NereaZer moduz?How is it going?
- XabiOndo, eskerrik asko.Good, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries kaixo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
