hello

hello — exclamation

1. a word you say when you meet someone, start a conversation, or begin an email —

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Definition

a word you say when you meet someone, start a conversation, or begin an email — it is the standard friendly way to greet another person in English.

Example

Kenji smiled and said hello to his new neighbour at the door.

greeting someone when meeting face-to-face

Hello, Mrs. Chen! It is so nice to see you again at the market.

polite greeting with a person's name

Common collocations
  • say hello
  • shout hello
  • wave hello
  • a quick hello
Synonyms
  • hi

    more casual than hello; the most common everyday alternative

  • hey

    very informal; used among friends and people of similar age

  • good morning

    more formal and time-specific; used in professional or polite settings

Antonyms
  • goodbye

    hello begins an interaction; goodbye ends one

Usage Note

Common in both formal and informal contexts. It is slightly more formal than 'hi' or 'hey', but less formal than 'good morning' or 'good afternoon.'

Common Mistakes

In a job interview, he said, Hey, what is up?
In a job interview, he said, Hello, it is nice to meet you.
'Hey' and 'what is up' are too casual for formal situations.

2. a word you say when you pick up a phone call or begin a phone conversation, usua

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Definition

a word you say when you pick up a phone call or begin a phone conversation, usually followed by identifying yourself or asking who is calling.

Example

Lakan picked up the phone and said, 'Hello, who is calling please?'

phone greeting asking who is calling

Hello, this is the dentist office on Oak Street. How can I help you?

phone greeting identifying your business

Common collocations
  • answer with hello
  • say hello on the phone
  • a simple hello
Synonyms
  • hi

    occasionally used on the phone but less standard than hello

  • good morning

    used as a more formal telephone greeting, especially in business

Usage Note

In British English, people often state their phone number or name after hello. In American English, answering with a simple 'Hello?' without identifying yourself is also normal in personal calls.

Common Mistakes

He answered the business line by saying, Yeah, who is it?
He answered the business line by saying, Hello, thank you for calling ABC Services.
A professional phone greeting should include the company name and a polite opening.

3. a word you call out loudly to get someone's notice — for example, to check if an

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Definition

a word you call out loudly to get someone's notice — for example, to check if anyone is present, to ask for help, or to stop someone who is walking away.

Example

Hello! Is there anybody in the back of the shop working today?

calling out to see if anyone is present

Ziad called out hello to see if anyone was home in the old house.

Common collocations
  • call out hello
  • hello there
  • shout hello
Synonyms
  • hey

    more informal; often used to get the attention of someone you know

  • excuse me

    more polite; used when approaching a stranger for help in a quiet setting

Usage Note

Often said with a raised voice. When you do not know the person, adding 'there' ('Hello there!') can make the call sound friendlier and less abrupt.

Common Mistakes

Hello, can you hear me?' (when the person is right in front of you ignoring you — better to use a clearer call)
Hello! Are you listening?
When trying to catch someone's attention from a distance, say 'hello' louder and add a short question.

4. a word said with a rising tone to point out that someone has just said something

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Definition

a word said with a rising tone to point out that someone has just said something foolish, made an obvious mistake, or is clearly not focused on what is happening around them.

Example

Lucía said, 'Hello!' when her brother walked straight into the glass door.

said sarcastically when someone makes an obvious mistake

You just dropped your wallet on the floor — hello, are you even awake?

Common collocations
  • hello (rising tone)
  • hello? (questioning)
Synonyms
  • hey

    can carry a similar tone of disbelief or frustration ('Hey, watch where you are going!')

  • excuse me

    used more politely to point out a mistake; less sarcastic than hello in this sense

Usage Note

The tone of voice is important here — a rising, questioning pitch on 'hello' signals sarcasm or frustration, not a friendly greeting. This sense is common in spoken English but rare in writing except in dialogue.

Common Mistakes

Writing 'hello' in this sense in a formal email (readers will be confused).
Reserve this use for informal spoken situations with people you know well, or for dialogue in stories.

5. a word you say when you are pleasantly surprised by something unexpected — such

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Definition

a word you say when you are pleasantly surprised by something unexpected — such as running into an old friend, discovering something impressive, or seeing a big change.

Example

Well, hello! I did not expect to see you here at the library today.

well hello — expressing surprise at an unexpected meeting

Hello! That cake is twice the size of the one I ordered last week.

Common collocations
  • well hello
  • hello (with surprise)
Synonyms
  • oh

    a neutral exclamation of surprise without the friendly tone of hello

  • wow

    expresses stronger admiration or amazement than hello

  • well

    often used together with hello ('Well, hello!') to create the surprised tone

Usage Note

Often combined with 'well' to form 'Well, hello!' which adds a tone of amused or delighted surprise. The surprise can be positive (admiration) or neutral (unexpected discovery).

Common Mistakes

Hello, I am surprised to see you' (too literal — English speakers do not combine 'hello' and 'surprised' in one sentence this way).
Well hello! What a surprise to see you here.
The word hello itself carries the surprise, so you do not need to add 'I am surprised.'

hello — noun

Word family

  • hi
    exclamationA1
  • hey
    exclamationA1

Synonym discussion

Sense: exclamation/1

All four words can begin a conversation, but they differ in formality and social closeness. 'Hello' is the neutral, all-purpose option — suitable in job interviews, shops, and emails as well as among friends. 'Hi' is slightly more casual and is the most frequent everyday greeting in American and British English; it works in almost any informal or semi-formal situation. 'Hey' is distinctly informal and best reserved for people you know well — using it with a boss or a stranger may come across as too casual or rude. 'Good morning' (and its time-based siblings 'good afternoon' / 'good evening') is the most formal option, used in professional settings, with older people, or at the start of a speech. For example, you would say 'Hello, nice to meet you' to a new colleague, 'Hi, how are you?' to a neighbour, 'Hey, what is up?' to a close friend, and 'Good morning, Mr. Tanaka' to your teacher.

hello ↗hi ↗hey ↗good morning

Common collocations

Phrases

  • say hello to
  • wave hello
  • shout hello
  • a quick hello
  • exchange hellos
  • give a hello
  • send a hello

Etymology

Old High GermanEnglish

Hello first appeared in print around the 1820s as a variant of 'hallo' and 'hollo' — words used to call out to someone or urge on hunting dogs. These older forms trace back to Old High German 'halâ, holâ', an exclamation roughly meaning 'come here!' used to hail someone. The word gained its modern role as a greeting only in the mid-1800s. Its huge boost in popularity came with the invention of the telephone in the 1870s: Thomas Edison suggested 'hello' as the standard way to answer a call, and it quickly spread around the world.