háu
The Lakota word for "hi" is háu.
háu is a common way to say "hi" among friends, family and peers.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Which one should you use?
The form háu is used specifically when addressing a male.
Did you know?
- While you might use 'hi' to start a conversation, a Lakota speaker might use háu more as an affirmative 'yes' to show they are listening or agreeing.
- In traditional Lakota settings, a greeting may be followed by a period of silence before the actual conversation begins, which is a sign of respect.
- Because Lakota is an agglutinative language, a simple greeting can be expanded into a complex sentence by adding prefixes and suffixes to describe the state of the speaker.
Examples in context
- Háu, kiciya.Hi, friend.
- Háu, tȟatȟáŋka.Hi, buffalo.
Example conversation
Darrell and Joyce meet on the street.
- DarrellHáu, Joyce!Hi, Joyce!
- JoyceHáu, Darrell!Hi, Darrell!
- DarrellTȟáŋkašniyaŋ?How are you?
- JoyceWašté!Good!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry háu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
