kaixo
/kai̯ʃo/
The English phrase 'hi' is translated into Basque as kaixo.
kaixo is a common and versatile way to say 'hi' in Basque. You can also use the phrase kaixo, zer moduz? to mean 'hi, how are you?' in casual settings.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
How do you pronounce it?
/kai̯ʃo/
Did you know?
- Basque is a language isolate, meaning it has no known relationship to any other living language. This means kaixo has no cognates or 'sister words' in Spanish, French or any other language in Europe.
- While kaixo is the standard 'hi', the word agur is a linguistic chameleon that can function as both a greeting and a farewell.
- Because Basque grammar is ergative-absolutive, the way you follow up a kaixo with a sentence is fundamentally different from English. The subject of the sentence is marked differently depending on whether they are performing an action.
Examples in context
- Kaixo, zer dena?Hi, what's up?
Example conversation
Two friends meet on the street.
- IkerKaixo, Maite!Hi, Maite!
- MaiteKaixo, Iker!Hi, Iker!
- IkerZer moduz?How's it going?
- MaiteOso ondo, eta zu?Very well, and you?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries kaixo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
