hallo
/ɦɑˈloː/
The English phrase "howdy" can be translated into Dutch as hallo.
hallo is an informal greeting used to say hello to someone.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɦɑˈloː/
Did you know?
- The word hallo shares a phonetic ancestor with the English 'halloa', a cry used historically to signal a hunt or to drive animals.
- In Flanders, the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium, you are more likely to hear dag used as a general greeting instead of hallo.
- In some professional Dutch settings, hallo is considered too casual, and people prefer goedendag, which literally means 'good day'.
Examples in context
- Hallo! Hoe gaat het met je?Hello! How are you?
- Hoi, alles goed?Hi, everything alright?
- Hallo, hoe gaat het?Hello, how are you?
- Hallo, leuk je te zien!Hello, nice to see you!
- Hallo allemaal, goedemiddag!Hello everyone, good afternoon!
Example conversation
Emma and Levi meet in a park.
- EmmaHallo Levi, hoe is het?Hello Levi, how is it going?
- LeviHallo Emma, met mij gaat het goed.Hello Emma, I am doing well.
- EmmaWat fijn dat je hier bent.How nice that you are here.
- LeviJa, het is een mooie dag.Yes, it is a beautiful day.
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.
