hallo
/ˈhalo/
The English phrase "hi there" is translated into German as hallo.
hallo is a friendly and informal greeting used to say hello to someone.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhalo/
Did you know?
- The word hallo was originally a shout used to call a ferryman to the river bank to fetch a passenger.
- In Northern Germany, people often replace hallo with moin, which is derived from the word for 'morning' but is used at any time of day or night.
- While hallo is common, people in Bavaria and Austria often use servus, which literally means 'servant' and implies 'I am your servant'.
Examples in context
- „Hallo! Ich bin Ben.“ – „Schön, dich kennenzulernen, Ben! Was ist denn nun los mit dir? Warum schaust du so traurig und verdrossen drein?“"Hi there, I'm Ben." "Nice to meet you Ben. So, what is the matter? Why do you look sad and annoyed?"This example is useful for seeing how to use hallo when introducing yourself.Tatoeba #10291447 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10290244 by jimkillock
- Hallo, David! Wie läuft es?Hello, David! How's it going?
- Moin, Stefan! Alles fit?Hi, Stefan! Everything all right?
- Grüß Gott, Franz. Wie war dein Wochenende?Greetings, Franz. How was your weekend?
- Hallo, wie geht es dir?Hi there, how are you?
- Hallo! Schön, dich zu sehen.Hi there! It is nice to see you.
Example conversation
Laura and Felix meet unexpectedly on a street.
- LauraHallo, Felix!Hi there, Felix!
- FelixHallo, Laura. Wie läuft's?Hi there, Laura. How's it going?
- LauraAlles bestens, danke.Everything is great, thanks.
- FelixDas freut mich zu hören.I am happy to hear that.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry hallo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hallo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
