10 Words for… HELLO

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To celebrate World Hello Day, we chose hello for this month’s 10 Words blog post.

What is World Hello Day? 

World Hello Day was started in response to the 1983 conflict between Egypt and Israel with the intention of promoting and encouraging communication as a vital tool for keeping peace. Over the years, World Hello Day has been observed in 180 different countries.

How can I take part in World Hello Day? 

The goal of World Hello Day is for each participant to greet ten people over the course of the day. This can be in person, over the phone, or via written communication. Some people like to get in touch with world leaders using social media. 

To help you take part, here are ten different ways to greet people in English: 

1.    Good morning/afternoon/evening/night – a formal greeting that distinguishes the time of day 
2.    Good to see you! – a way of greeting someone that shows enthusiasm 
3.    Hey/hi/hiya – three variations on a common informal way to greet people 
4.    How are you doing? – a way of greeting someone, not necessarily an enquiry about their life and wellbeing
5.    How’s it going? – a way of greeting someone, not necessarily an enquiry about their life and wellbeing
6.    Howdy! – a very informal way of greeting someone
7.    Long time no see! – a way to greet someone you haven’t seen for a long time
8.    Nice/Pleased to meet you! – a way of showing enthusiasm when greeting someone for the first time
9.    What’s up? – a way of greeting someone, not necessarily an enquiry about their life and wellbeing
10.  You alright? – a way of greeting someone, not necessarily an enquiry about their life and wellbeing

What word do you use to greet people in your language or dialect? Say hi in the comments! 

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21 Nov 2019
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