Hello in different languages: 32 greetings to hear and say

Hello in different languages is one of the happiest first steps into the wider world for a young child. A greeting is short, useful and full of feeling, and children love the surprise that "hello" can sound like Vanakkam, Hola or Konnichiwa. On this page your child taps 32 colourful speech bubbles and hears each greeting spoken aloud in its own language, followed by a friendly line such as "That is hello in Tamil" and where people speak it. No reading is needed, and every word is spoken.

What your child learns from greetings in different languages

At 3 to 6 years, children are not meant to learn 32 languages. What they can learn is bigger and more lasting: that people everywhere greet each other, that the same kind feeling has many sounds, and that the language of a classmate or grandparent is worth hearing. Greetings for kids are also good listening practice. Each word has its own rhythm and sounds, and copying them trains the ear and the mouth.

• Ages 3-4: enjoys tapping bubbles and copying two or three favourites, usually the greeting from home plus one fun one such as Hola or Ciao.
• Ages 4-5: starts to link a greeting with a language name ("Vanakkam is Tamil") and can find a greeting by sound in Listen & find with 2-3 choices.
• Ages 5-6: remembers 6 to 10 greetings, knows some are from India and some from other countries, and can play with 4 choices.

How to play the hello game for kids

There are two modes in the tab bar above the game.

1. Say hello: 32 speech bubbles fill the screen. Tap one and the greeting plays in a clear recorded computer voice in that language. Then your child hears which language it is and where it is spoken. Tap as many as you like, in any order.
2. Listen & find: your child hears a greeting and taps the bubble that matches it. Younger children see 2 choices and older children up to 4, set by the age in the grown-up settings.

The game never says "wrong". A mistaken tap names the bubble your child chose, then the right bubble glows, then Golu, our purple glass marble, points to it. Each round ends with a marble in the Goli Jar, saved on your device. The अ+A button in the header sets whether explanations come in Hindi first, English first or one language only; the greetings themselves are always spoken in their own language. Grown-up settings (behind a quick check) also offer calm motion, fewer choices and captions.

Hello in 32 languages: a chart with pronunciation

This chart lists every greeting in the game, with the language and where it is mostly spoken. Print this page if you want a hello chart in different languages for a classroom wall.

What these greetings really mean

Not every greeting is a word-for-word "hello", and it is good to tell children the truth in simple words.

• Namaste (नमस्ते) and the many forms of Namaskar are respectful greetings, often said with joined palms. Children in India see this every day.
• Vanakkam meaning: it is the everyday respectful greeting in Tamil, also said with joined hands.
• Kem chho meaning: in Gujarati it literally means "how are you?", and people use it as a warm hello.
• Apa khabar in Malay also literally means "how are you?" or "what news?".
• Sat Sri Akal meaning: it is a Sikh and Punjabi greeting that praises God as the eternal truth.
• Assalam-o-Alaikum meaning: it means "peace be upon you". The usual reply is "Wa-alaikum-assalam", "and peace be upon you too".
• Ciao in Italian works for both hello and goodbye, which children find funny.

Many greetings come with a gesture: joined palms in India and Thailand (the Thai wai), a small bow in Japan and Korea, a handshake or wave in many places. Showing the gesture with the word helps children remember it.

Hello in Indian languages: start close to home

India has many languages, and a child in Delhi, Chennai or Kolkata will meet classmates, neighbours and relatives who greet in different ways. Twelve of the 32 bubbles are hello in Indian languages, from Hindi and Tamil to Odia and Urdu. A good plan is to start with the greeting your family uses, then add the language of your state, then the greeting of a friend or neighbour. Ask your child "How does Aunty next door say hello?" and find it in the game. For more Indian context, visit the national symbols of India page together.

How to teach greetings in different languages at home

Five to ten minutes a day is plenty. Keep it playful and social, because greetings are made for people.

1. A hello of the day: pick one bubble at breakfast and use that greeting all day with everyone at home.
2. Doorbell game: your child "visits" a toy's house, knocks, and greets the toy in a chosen language. The toy answers the same way.
3. Hello around the world with a map: point to India, Japan or Spain on a globe or a map while you say the greeting. Our maps for kids page is a gentle first step into maps.
4. Family voices: ask grandparents to greet your child in their language, and record it on your phone.
5. Manners link: a greeting is a kind habit. Pair this page with good manners for kids, where saying hello, please and thank you are part of the game.

Children remember sounds better when they move. Wave for Hello, join palms for Namaste, bow for Konnichiwa and give a big smile for Hola.

Keep it calm, kind and inclusive

Praise trying, not perfect pronunciation: "You said Annyeong-haseyo, that is a long one!" If your child gets frustrated, go back to Say hello and simply tap bubbles for fun. In bilingual homes, this page is a lovely way to show that every language at home is valued. For children with speech delay, choose two or three short greetings (Hola, Ciao, Hallo) and repeat them often; for autistic children, the steady layout and predictable voice help, and there is no timer. Keep screen sessions short and sit with your child. Toddlers under 2 learn greetings best from real faces and voices rather than a screen.

When your child is ready for more, try counting in different languages, or talk about how people feel when they are greeted warmly with emotions for kids. You can also greet relatives by name using family members name in Hindi and English. Every game on this site is free, with no sign-up, no ads and no tracking, and works in any browser.

How to use this page at home

Say it, then find it

Play for a few minutes, then look for the same thing away from the screen: hello in different languages on the shelf, in the kitchen, on the way to school. A child learns a word properly when they meet it twice, once on the screen and once in their hand.

Ten minutes is enough

Short and happy beats long and tired. Stop while your child still wants more, and come back tomorrow: the same page on five short days teaches far more than one long sitting. Nothing here is scored, so there is no reason to push.

Use both languages

Tap the language button at the top to hear the words in your home language first and the second language after. Hearing the same picture named in two languages is one of the few things research agrees builds attention as well as vocabulary.