Hallo
everyday
In Pennsylvania Dutch you can say Hallo for "hello". Many people also greet each other with the question Wie geht's?
Meaning: greeting (interjection)
Ways to say it
| Dutch | Note |
|---|---|
| Hallo | everyday |
| Wie geht's? | greeting question |
Hallo is used in person and on the phone. Wie geht's? starts a short chat in the same way "how are you?" does in English.
Which one should you use?
Pennsylvania Dutch is a German dialect, so Hallo is the same word as in standard German.
Did you know?
- Pennsylvania Dutch grew out of the German dialects brought by settlers from the Palatinate region in the 1700s.
Examples in context
- Hallo, wie geht's?Hello, how are you?
Example conversation
Eli greets Sarah at the market in Lancaster.
- EliHallo, Sarah.Hello, Sarah.
- SarahHallo, Eli. Wie geht's?Hello, Eli. How are you?
- EliGut, un du?Good, and you?
