"You had me at ‘Hello’" may be a love story cliché, but it also makes a valid point about the importance of how we greet others. The words we choose and the way we deliver them set the tone for the entire conversation, and in turn, shape our relationship with the other person. We may use a formal "Hello" in certain situations, and a more informal "Hey" or "Hi" in others. Knowing how to greet someone and which greeting to use is the first step in learning a new language. No sweat; we’ve got you covered.

1. French

Formal: Bonjour
Informal: Salut

2. Spanish

Formal: Hola
Informal: ¿Qué tal? (What’s up?)

3. Russian

Formal: Zdravstvuyte
Informal: Privet

4. Chinese

Formal: Nǐn hǎo
Informal: Nǐ hǎo

5. Italian

Formal: Salve
Informal: Ciao

6. Japanese

Formal: Konnichiwa
Informal: Yā, Yō

7. German

Formal: Guten Tag
Informal: Hallo, Hi

8. Portuguese

Formal: Olá
Informal: Oi

9. Korean

Formal: Anyoung haseyo
Informal: Anyoung

10. Arabic

Formal: Asalaam alaikum (Peace be upon you)
Informal: Ahlan