The first impression is the last impression. When you meet someone, the first thing you do is greet someone. You probably say “Hi” or “Hello” or Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening. Each country and culture has different ways to greet someone. In India, we say “Namastey” to greet our elders, while in a formal meeting we say “Hi” and “Hello.” But there are some unique ways to greet someone. Different situations demand different levels of formality; you won’t greet your employer in the same way that you would use for a colleague or friend. Here in this blog, we are going to share some amazing ways to say Hello or Hi for different circumstances.
Formal ways to say Hello or Hi
1. Greetings
Saying Greeting is the formal and refined way to say Hi or Hello to someone. It is the best way to greet your seniors, boss and teachers.
2. Good morning/Good afternoon/Good evening
If you meeting someone for a formal discussion, you can simply say Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening according to the time of the day.
3. Hello…It’s nice to meet you!
When you meet someone for the first time, this is the most amazing way to greet someone. You can also say “Hi… It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
4. How have you been?
This question is asked when you are already met with the person previously. If you say “How have you been?” when you meet someone, it means you want to know if you have been well since the last time the two of you met.
5. How do you do?
It is the most formal way to greet someone. People from the older generation use this way to greet someone.
Slang English Greetings
6. Yo Man!
This is the trendiest way to greet your friends and cousins. It comes from 1990’s hip-hop slang and used by almost every Gen Y and Gen X individual. Never use this slang when you are on a formal meet.
7. Howdy?
It is an informal way to ask “how do you do?” and is commonly used in certain parts of America and Canada. If you want to impress someone with your unique way of taking, then “Howdy” can be used to greet someone. You will sound like a cowboy!
8. Sup? or Whazzup?
Sup? or Whazzup? are the abbreviation of “what’s up?” which is commonly used by teenagers these days. When you say – Sup? or Whazzup? the other person will most probably reply with “nothing” or “not much”.
9. G’day mate!
It is a casual greeting way used mostly by Australians. G’day, mate! Is the abbreviation of Good Day Mate! In Australia, “Ya” is used at the place of “You.” for example, People in Australia say “How are ya?” instead of “How are you?”
10. Hey dude/girl!
Hey dude! is used by youngsters to say hello casually. The dude was mostly used for guys, but now people use it to greet girls also. Hey girl! is an amazing way to greet a girl.
11. Hey Bro!
If you are meeting someone very close, like your male friend or cousin, you can greet with “Hey Bro!”
12. Hey buddy!
Hey, buddy is used by youngsters to say Hi and hello in a cool way. If you want to sound cool in front of your friend, then you can use Hey Buddy!
13. Welcome to the club
Saying Hi and hello is an old version of greeting someone who has recently become a part of your life. To show some closeness and familiarity, greet your newbie partner by saying “Welcome to the club.” They will feel more close and happy.
14. Hi, My Lost Buddy!
When your meet someone after a long time, you can greet him/her by referring to them as a lost buddy because you haven’t seen each other since a long ago.
Flirty Ways To Greet Someone
15. Hey Love!
This is one of the common ways to greet your lover. If you are in a love relationship with a girl or a boy, you can say Hey Love politely when you meet them. They will feel loved and happy.
16. Hi, Cutie Pie!
This is another romantic way to greet your lover when you meet him/her. If you find your partner cute and adorable, just say Hi, cutie pie! Your partner will feel happy after you say these romantic words.
17. Hello, My Sunshine!
We call someone sunshine when he/she has brightened up our lives with their presence. If you are meeting someone who has brightened up your life, then say Hello, My sunshine. It will immediately help you grab the attention of the person you love the most.
18. There Is My Bae!
Bae is the abbreviation of Before Anyone Else. The term is mostly used by lovers for each other. If you are meeting your true love and he/she appears suddenly in front of you, you just say “There is my bae” and make him/her feel special. Girls mostly love when they are called bae.
19. Welcome, my rose
Roses are known for their fragrance and beauty. This is the reason why they are known as the symbol of love. Most people call their partners rose because their presence makes their lives beautiful and aromatic. When your partner arrives to meet you, just say welcome, my rose and make him/her feel romantic.
20. What’s Up Handsome?
Grab the attention of the most handsome man in your life by saying What’s up handsome in a flirty way. A wife or girlfriend must greet her partner by saying this term in a romantic and flirty way.
21. Hey sleepyhead!
If you are meeting your partner in the morning and he/she is still sleeping, then give him/her a kiss on the forehead and say Hey Sleepyhead. It is a cute way to greet and surprise someone special.
Funny Ways to say Hello
“Hello” is still the most common greeting, whether it be with lifelong friends, casual acquaintances, or even total strangers. There are a few ways it has been altered to increase the level of intrigue, though. Additionally, a number of salutations have been created to express the same concept in a unique or humorous way.
However, relatives and friends who you often interact with are the ones who will appreciate these amusing greetings the most. Therefore, the list below will be useful if you wish to entertain your friends with interesting and catchy ways to say “Hello”:
- Hello, Sunny! What’s up? My day has already been made brighter by your sunshine!
When speaking to someone you admire, especially a girl, this greeting is ideal. Anyone who can make your day as bright as the sun would undoubtedly be pleased to hear from you. The sun is famed for its brilliance.
- It’s my pumpkin, there!
In comparison to the standard “Hello,” calling someone “Pumpkin” is a more interesting way to greet them. People who are close to both adults and youngsters can use this greeting.
- Little poulet, what are you roasting?
This salutation combines the words “Hello” with “What’s going on?” You can use it casually such as for your sisters and little girls in addition to your closest female pals.
- Howdy-doody! Please update me!
This cheery greeting can be used to welcome close friends and catch up on their latest activities.
- Ghostbusters, no. 5 What’s your origin, guys?
This salutation is ideal for using when greeting friends that might be a handful. You will all laugh a lot when it’s over since it’s enjoyable.
- Yoooouhoooo! What bird is this?
- Kitkat, hello! Why is it so sweet?
- Hello, Einstein. Any progress on the theory?
- My darling Honeybunch is arriving right now!
- Hello Hot Stuff! You started the fire here.
Tips to make your hello fun
Additionally, there are a number of methods you can employ to make any greeting really humorous, including:
- Using Accents: If you can pull off a silly accent successfully, consider using it to amuse your friend whenever you welcome them. Silly accents always have a way of making people crack up.
- Experiment with impersonations: These can make your greeting incredibly funny, especially when they’re bad ones!
- Introduce Yourself With A Joke: Telling the correct joke before you start a discussion is a surefire technique to win over the other person’s heart. It will also make your friends laugh and help the talk run fairly well.
- Add Some Foreign Words: When someone speaks a foreign language, many people find it humorous. This might be as a result of their peculiar pronunciation, intonation, or even the expression on their faces when they speak the foreign tongue. When introducing yourself to friends, consider throwing in a few foreign words; it will make them happy.
Hello in different languages
Other nations around the world, including those that speak English, also have their own distinctive ways of addressing someone with the greeting “Hello.” The following is a collection of greetings in some of the most widely spoken languages in the world:
- Portuguese – Olá, Oi
- Korean – Anyounghaseyo, Anyoung
- Arabic – Asalaamalaikum ,Ahlan
- Japanese – Konnichiwa, Yā, Yō
- German – Guten Tag, Hallo, Hi
- Chinese – Nǐnhǎo, Nǐhǎo
- Italian – Salve, Ciao
- Indonesian – Selamat siang, Halo
- Informal: Halo
- Danish – Goddag, Hej, Halløj
- Swahili – Shikamoo, Habari, Hujambo
- Dutch – Goedendag, Hoi, Hallo
- Greek – Yassas, Yassou
- Polish – Dzieńdobry, Cześć, Witaj
- French – Bonjour, Salut
- Spanish – Hola, ¿Quétal?
- Russian – Zdravstvuyte, Privet
- Hindi – Namaste, Namaskar, Hai, Helo
- Turkish – Merhaba, Selam
- Hebrew – Shalom, Hey
- Swedish – God dag, Hej, Tjena
Who invented Hello?
Despite the possibility that you might believe that “Hello” has existed for a very long time, this is untrue. Research indicates that the word didn’t exist until the 1800s, and the first time it was used in a publication was in 1827. More so, the widespread use of the greeting “Hello” in modern society is attributed to the famed inventor Thomas Edison. This is due to Edison’s advice to always say “Hello” when answering the phone when he first introduced the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell, a well-known inventor, was opposed to the notion because he thought that saying “ahoy” was a better approach to answer the phone.
The fact that “Hello” was relatively new at the time compared to “Ahoy,” which had been in use for roughly a century before to “Hello,” made this a contentious topic. Alexander Bell was even more adamant that people answer the phone with “Ahoy” rather than “Hello” since ‘Ahoy’ was genuinely a greeting, in contrast to “Hello,” which had its roots in a surprise-expressing emotion.
When the first phone book was released in 1987 by the District of Telephone Company, New Haven, Connecticut, they advised users to start a conversation by saying “hulloa.” However, over time, people started using “Hello” rather than “Ahoy” when answering the phone. The silent ‘a’ at the end of the word gave this term a similar sound to “hello,” which contributed to the word’s popularity. In the end, “Hello” defeated all of its competitors and is now considered the most common way to greet someone.
What does hello really mean?
Since saying “Hello” when we meet someone is considered to be a sort of salutation, we have all gotten accustomed to doing so. You might be surprised to learn that the word’s original use was to hail ferrymen rather than to greet visitors. This indicates that the word “Hello” was used to attract a ferryman’s attention.The phrase “to call someone’s attention to retrieve something” (halâholâ, halôn, holôn), which was formerly common among ferrymen, is also known to be an adaptation of the Old High German word.
Furthermore, the word “hello” is related to the term “holla,” which is derived from the French word “holà,” which is typically used to convey astonishment, as in “whoa there!”Hello has been compared to the British phrase “hullo,” which is also used to express surprise.So, in contrast to common notions and practice, saying “Hello” was actually meant to grab someone’s attention rather than to just exchange pleasantries. However, as most people began using it frequently to greet others after the 1800s, its new definition as a form of greeting has gained widespread acceptance.
Final words
You can use all these new words instead of Hi or Hello to greet someone. It will put a great impression on the other person. Make sure to use the words wisely and at the right place. Formal words should be used during meeting and business parties. When you are meeting your friends and cousins, use informal words to say Hello. If you are meeting your lover, then try some romantic words to make them feel special and loved.
