halò
/haˈloː/informal
In Gaelic, hello is said 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. For a formal greeting before noon, you may also use Madainn mhath, which means 'good morning'.
How do you pronounce it?
/haˈloː/
Did you know?
- The root of math can be traced all the way back to the Proto-Indo-European word meh₂-, linking Gaelic greetings to languages as distant as Sanskrit or Latin.
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 is a simple way to use halò.Tatoeba #770521 by marloncori, translation #1858850 by LanguageExpert
- Halò, a charaid!Hello, friend!
Example conversation
Angus and Eilidh meet on a street corner.
- AngusHalò, a Eilidh!Hello, Eilidh!
- EilidhHalò, a Angus!Hello, Angus!
- AngusCiamar a tha thu?How are you?
- EilidhTha mi gu math, tapadh leat.I am well, thank you.
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.
