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Meaning of hello in English

hello
exclamation, noun
us
/heˈloʊ/ uk
/heˈləʊ/
(also mainly UK hallo); (hullo)
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A1
used when meeting or greeting someone:
Hello, Paul. I haven't seen you for ages.
I know her vaguely - we've exchanged hellos a few times.
say hello I just thought I'd stop in and say hello.
a big hello And a big hello (= welcome) to all the parents who've come to see the show.
A1
something that is said at the beginning of a phone conversation:
"Hello, I'd like some information about flights to the U.S., please."
something that is said to attract someone's attention:
The front door was open so she walked inside and called out, "Hello! Is there anybody in?"
informal
said to someone who has just said or done something stupid, especially something that shows they are not noticing what is happening:
She asked me if I'd just arrived and I was like "Hello, I've been here for an hour."
old-fashioned
an expression of surprise:
Hello, this is very strange - I know that man.
More examplesFewer examples
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Welcoming, greeting & greetings
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Grammar

Greetings and farewells: hello, goodbye, Happy New Year
When we see someone we know, we usually exchange greetings: …
Saying hello
When we see someone we know, we usually exchange greetings: …
Saying goodbye
When we leave people, we usually say something as we leave: …
(Definition of hello from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

hello | Intermediate English

hello
exclamation, noun [ C ]
us
/heˈloʊ, hə-/
plural hellos
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used when meeting or greeting someone:
"Hello, Paul," she said, "I haven’t seen you for months."
I know her vaguely – we’ve exchanged hellos a few times.
Come and say hello to my friends (= meet them).
Hello is also said at the beginning of a telephone conversation.
Hello is also used to attract someone’s attention:
She walked into the shop and called out, "Hello! Is anybody here?"
(Definition of hello from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of hello

hello
She said that the highlight of her day was when she went up to say hello to one of the families.
From Huffington Post
We learned to hear sorrow in one "hello," and how to sit with each other without words.
From Huffington Post
They say they hear him saying words like "hello," even if others are skeptical, and say he responds to their attention.
From ABC News
Usually, they get a response, and the second baseman will find his friends and say hello.
From ESPN
Though he played a criminal on television, they say he was one of the nicest men and always waved hello.
From CNN
Almost everybody stops by to say hello and chat.
From Chicago Tribune
Hello, this is your friendly government authority here.
From Gizmodo
Hello, please allow me to introduce myself, sir.
From CNN
Walk up to him or her and do three things: smile, say hello, and listen.
From Huffington Post
What are the characteristics of the way you say, "hello," (or anything else for that matter) that makes you recognizable over the phone?
From Phys.Org
Hello didn't become "hi" until the telephone arrived.
From NPR
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
What is the pronunciation of hello?
 

Translations of hello

in Chinese (Traditional)
喂，你好（用於問候或打招呼）, （打電話時的招呼語）你好，喂, （引起別人注意的招呼語）…
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in Chinese (Simplified)
喂，你好（用于问候或打招呼）, （打电话时的招呼语）你好，喂, （引起别人注意的招呼语）…
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in Spanish
hola, sí, aló…
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in Portuguese
alô, olá, oi…
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in Italian
हॅलो, बोलायला सुरुवात करायच्या आधी अभिवादन करायला वापरलेला शब्द…
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こんにちは（挨拶や呼びかけに使う）, もしもし（電話の呼びかけ）, こんにちは…
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Merhaba!', 'Selâm!', Alo!'…
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bonjour, allô, Hé…
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hola…
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Hallo!…
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ஒருவரை சந்திக்கும் போது அல்லது வாழ்த்தும்போது பயன்படுத்தப்படுகிறது, தொலைபேசி உரையாடலை தொடங்கும்போது கூறும் ஒரு சொல்…
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हैलो / अभिनंदन हेतु प्रयुक्त, हैलो, फोन वार्ता के आरंभ में प्रयुक्त…
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નમસ્તે, કેમ છો?, હલ્લો…
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hej, dav, hallo…
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hej!, hallå!, vad nu då?…
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hello…
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Hallo!…
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hallo, hei, morn…
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ہیلو (مخاطب کرنے کے لئے بولا جانے والا لفظ), ہیلو (فون کرتے وقت پہلا اندازِ تخاطب)…
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алло!, привіт!…
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привет! здравствуй(те)!, алло!…
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నమస్తే/హలో, హలో…
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أهلاً وسَهْلاً, مَرْحَباً, ألو…
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হ্যালো, কারও সঙ্গে দেখা করা বা অভিবাদন করার সময়ে ব্যবহৃত হয়, এমন কিছু যা ফোনের কথোপকথনের শুরুতে বলা হয়…
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ahoj, no nazdar…
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halo!…
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สวัสดี (คำทักทาย…
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xin chào, biểu lộ sự ngạc nhiên…
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cześć, halo…
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안녕, (전화를 받을때) 안녕, 여보세요…
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ciao, salve, pronto (al telefono)…
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