hallo
/ˈhalo/
The English phrase 'hi' can be translated into German using hallo. Wiktionary also lists 'n Tag and sali.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hallo | /ˈhalo/ /haˈloː/ |
|
| 'n Tag | /ʔɛn taːk/ (word by word) | |
| sali | Alemannic German | |
| hoi | /hɔʏ̯/ | Alemannic German |
| grüezi | Alemannic German |
These terms are used as friendly, informal greetings.
What does it mean word for word?
'n Tag is a shortened, colloquial form of einen guten Tag, which literally means 'a good day'.
Which one should you use?
While hallo is a standard informal greeting, it is slightly more neutral than the very casual hoi or sali.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Alemannic-German speaking regions like Switzerland and parts of Southwestern Germany, you may hear sali or hoi for 'hi'. In Swiss German, grüezi is a polite, formal greeting. In the Tyrolean dialect, Pfiat di is used as an informal greeting meaning 'Goodbye'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhalo/
When do people say it?
When greeting someone for the first time, it is common to add their honorific title and last name, such as Guten Tag, Herr Schmidt or Hallo, Frau Müller.
Did you know?
- While hallo is used globally, the Swiss greeting grüezi is a contraction of Gott grüeze Sie, which means 'May God greet you'.
- The greeting hallo was originally a way to call out to a ferryman on the opposite riverbank. It comes from an imperative used to 'fetch' someone, much like 'hey there' used to hail a boat.
- In Switzerland and Southwestern Germany, sali is used as a friendly greeting, which is a localized adaptation of the French greeting salut.
Examples in context
- Hallo, bist du Tom?Hi, are you Tom?This sentence shows how to use hallo to ask if someone is Tom.Tatoeba #4047079 by g_j, translation #4036990 by Hybrid
- Er sagt mir nie hallo.He never says hi to me.This sentence shows the use of hallo in the context of someone not saying hi to you.Tatoeba #2653128 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2653115 by Hybrid
- Hallo, wie geht's dir?Hi, how are you?This sentence demonstrates using hallo to ask how someone is doing.Tatoeba #4776757 by Germic, translation #473177 by exjimmy
- 98 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Maximilian meet in a hallway at work.
- LauraHallo, Maximilian!Hello, Maximilian!
- MaximilianHallo, Laura. Wie läuft es?Hello, Laura. How is it going?
- LauraGanz gut, danke.Quite good, thanks.
- MaximilianDas freut mich zu hören.I am glad to hear that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries hallo, hoi, grüezi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (N, Tag) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 'n, Tag, hallo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
