Introduction
The largest and most populous of earth’s continents, Asia it is a multidimensional continent, each part representing an amalgamation of different cultures. Asia — over 2,300 Asia is home of nearly a third of the languages spoken on earth… an amazing panorama into the diversity in human communication. In all languages people use to greet one another, cultural values are intertwined with these social norms as well as historical experiences. This article explores different ways of saying “hello” in Asian languages, from cultural considerations to interesting idiosyncrasies.
East Asia
1. Chinese (Common version) — 你好 nǐ hǎo
One such example is Mandarin, which with more than 1 million speakers one of the official languages in China. 简体Chinese- In Mandarin, “hi” is most commonly written as 你好 (Nǐ hǎo). Ni (你) + Hao(好) = You- goodYou means you and ni hao is how are. Therefore, “你好” word for a word translates to form that is direct you good. It is universal and can be used just about anywhere, from informal to formal settings.
2. Japanese – こんにちは (Konnichiwa)
Konnichiwa: The general greet of the day in Japan, where Konnichi means today or this but translates to Hello. It comes from a full phrase, こんにちは (Konnichi wa), which would then be translated as Today·(subject) is···. In the old days, this was used as “今日はいい天気ですね(Konnichi wa ii tenki desu ne)” and meant “It[s a nice day today isn’t it? Nowadays though, “konnichiwa” has largely become a generic greeting (comparable to ‘day’ in English) — depending on intonation and use case however, it could still sound somewhat formal.
3. Korean — Annyeonghaseyo
— The most used greeting in Korea that we all know of, 안녕하세요 (Annyeonghaseyo). I use this every time, irrespective of Morning/Night. Translated, Annyeong means peace/well-being and has a polite ending attached to it (haseyo). The less formal version is “Annyeong” with friends and family.
South Asia
4. Hindi – नमस्ते (Namaste)
A traditional greeting within India and for Hindi-speaking peoples is “नमस्ते” (Namaste). It is a Sanskrit word which means “bow” and “to you”. It usually involves a slight bow made with both palms pressed together and fingers touching — which itself is called the “Anjali Mudra.” Say Namaste- It is said not only as a Hello, but to also give respect and acknowledge others spirit.
5. Bengali – নমস্কার (Nomoshkar)
Nomoshkar — the word used for Bibek in Bengali; a formal way to address someone also means good morning and hello. As “Namaste” comes from the Sanskrit root, so does “Nomoshkar,” which means to respect. It is widely used in both social and professional contexts.
6. Tamil – வணக்கம் (Vanakkam)
Vanakkam: This is the traditional greeting in Tamil; and it is mainly spoken by people from Tamil Nadu, a state of India. In fact, the word “Vanakkam” is a combination word that evolved from adding two separate Tamil words to each other: +(recv)= Vanakku KoduSYS V (the root of vannangu) means ‘to bow(blend)’+%KODU(sys line for do(sentence terminated))ISEI I-Indicates repeatingA simple explanation would be -give your respect(wellcomed with blended closed hands) once-have blessings…Stream=L0118050(TAMI)-Code=+|%ScheduleCopyright SYS StdDateFormat(SYSSTM)|PSpace=false%STREAM IN LANGUAGE L.Additional Info306uffix van in assignment #18000 within field 760_|tvan nenkkai = atioIT Stream:L011100YT=vano-ORIGIN & HISTORY-TamilLanguage# ~;prefix van_(pref.iron-gift-)_.←1506-c;cf.vanihat-.→900ac-level-a;.StringUtils.replaceAll(String,+|†Π?}”, Directory):nkki‐™DateFirstPublished_//May7thRecentSearchW010may17_Stream_L01(8085)_Tcode_yadO+_Final_markup_Publisher_ET Template_OT….TM->HistoryOTIR_NikkiSArLanguagesType1_SYSTeluguMacro {M64}WF [%Tech Introduction…]WorkflowTeReoApplication/X The gesture that goes with Vanakkam — apologies if my writing leaves something to be desired, so far all of these interesting sounding words end up looking the same in written text 😐 … is placing your hands together as though praying but instead bringing them near your chest. Similar to how one would hold their hands while saying: Prestige apartheid!
Southeast Asia
7. Thai – สวัสดี (Sawasdee)
Standard novar in Thailand. Hi! (สวัสดี/Sawasdee = hello.) Sawasdee Sawat: (According to whom they needed a need in 1930s- Somewhat forced it was to standardize the Thai language) The salutation is typically framed with the ‘Wai,’ a bow in which hands are pressed together at chest level. How much the bow, and where I put my hands was based on a thing called “social status” which determined who were superior to me in SJ environement.
8. Vietnamese – Xin chào
The majority common way to say hello in Vietnamese is “Xin chào.” Xin is please and chào means greet. And the uses of this greeting are formal and informal both. At a higher level it would be “Chào ông” or chao bà, where similarly the greetings are used as respectful form to express greeting in formal language.
9. Indonesian: Halo or Selamat siang
In Indonesia, “Halo” means hello (informal; like if in English it was ‘hello ho! Though if you wish to greet someone now when it is during the day, “Selamat siang” which means good afternoon; Below is another meaning of it; so in Malay can describe either safe, or congratulations. Other greetings specific to the time include “Selamat pagi” (Good morning) and “Selamat malam” (Good evening).
Central Asia
10. Kazakh – Сәлеметсіз бе? (Sälemetsiz be?)
In Kazakhstan, “Сәлеметсіз бе? (Sälemetsiz be?) is widely used. Sälem — something like a greeting, Siz is polite form of “you”. The phrase “Sälemetsiz be?” Can translate to “You good?” It is used in both formal and informal settings, also between friends a way to say it much more relaxed without respect for example among the young people or with cousins, siblings will be just (Сәлем) Sälem.
11. Uzbek – Ассалом алейкум (Assalomu alaykum)
Uzbekistan — Assalomu alaykum (To many Uzbek Пайғамбар шериктаси),vtColorPopMatrix This term is of Arabic lineage and resembles an Islamic farewell utilized by Muslim-majority nations. This is a salutation in Islam … “Assalomu alaykum” means “Peace be upon you”; and the usual response thereto amounts to this: и вам мир (ibili veered) — that’s oh how it happens.
West Asia (Middle East)
12. Arabic – effect on writing : As-Salam Alaikum from right to left
In most parts of West Asia, especially in the Arab region, is generally used (السلام عليكم As-salamu alaykum). Asalam-o-Alaikum: This is an Arabic Islamic greeting which translates to “peace be upon you” used by Muslims around the globe. And you respondوعليكم السلام “Wa alaykum as-salam” which means (And upon you be peace ) As this salutation is a Sunatan and can be used both religiously or worldly.
13. Turkish – Merhaba
In Turkish, the most popular way to say \u201c\u0130yi geceler. The term”Merhaba”is used in the same time as originate from arabic “مرحبى”(Marhaban) sense is welcome. Merhaba is a word that people use in informal and formal settings, so if you are just beginning to learn Turkish this will likely be one of the first words you pick up as somebody visiting Turkey.
14. Hebrew – שלום (Shalom)
Israel… Ahlan-wa-salan )Hymmlnk)_nellve Alright Now ‘mean li No t ” Birans in Israel Me “בוקמש Hmwel!? Shalom is the Hebrew word for “peace” and carries both a greeting and farewell connotation. The word is imbued with deep meaning, a reference to Jewish values of peace and wholeness. Shalom- for a more casual or formal use
Conclusion
One of the most respectful gestures is to greet somebody in their native language. Country-specific greetings in Asia mirror long-kept social values from peace to respect and onwards. Whether it is a respectful ” Nǐ-ho” in China, the humble,” Namaste greeting of respect from India or the gentle Shalom nestled within Israel these greetings give us a feel for just how diverse saying hello can be stretching across Asia. In addition to building one’s vocabulary, learning these greetings can also give you some insight into the many wonderful cultures that make Asia so special.