HELLO | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary AI Assistant Dictionary Translate Grammar Thesaurus +Plus Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Games Cambridge Dictionary +Plus My profile +Plus help Log out {{userName}} Cambridge Dictionary +Plus My profile +Plus help Log out Log in / Sign up English (UK) 1 ? true : false } }), searchAutoComplete.changeToLayoutContainer(); tap:AMP.setState({ stateSearch: { autocomplete: stateSearch.dataset != 'wordlists' && stateSearch.term.length 1 } })" / English 1) ? '/autocomplete/amp?dataset=' + stateSearch.dataset + '&q=' + stateSearch.term : 'https://'" 0 && stateHdr.searchDesk ? 'pa pdd chac-sb tc-bd bw hbr-20 hbss lpt-25' : 'hdn'" {{word}} {{#beta}} Beta{{/beta}} {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{^selected}} {{name}} {{/selected}} {{/preferredDictionaries}} Meaning of hello in English hello exclamation, noun uk Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /heˈləʊ/ us Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /heˈloʊ/ (also mainly UK hallo); (hullo) Add to word list Add to word list 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 call by 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 US, 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 Cathy poked her head round the door to say hello. When he said hello, I felt my face turn bright red. Hello - could I speak to Ann, please? After we'd said our hellos, it all went quiet and nobody knew what to do. Oh, hello - what are you doing in here? SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases Welcoming, greeting & greetings afternoon air kiss aloha ayup bid someone/something adieu cheerio god hooroo hullo lady many happy returns (of the day) idiom merry merry Christmas! idiom morning namaskar namaste night salutation tip yo See more results » You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics: Linguistics: interjections Meeting people Grammar Greetings and farewells: hello, goodbye, Happy New YearWhen we see someone we know, we usually exchange greetings: … Saying helloWhen we see someone we know, we usually exchange greetings: … Saying goodbyeWhen 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 | American Dictionary hello exclamation, noun [ C ] us Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /heˈloʊ, hə-/ plural hellos Add to word list Add to word list 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 Both deal with single-word "primitive" verbal units, such as hello and ouch and psst. From the Cambridge English Corpus She would always say hello and remember people's names. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 People came in to say hello when they were buying their bread and milk. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 People are beginning to move from here to there, with a hello and a goodbye, and a hello and a goodbye. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 We are saying goodbye to the rate support grant system and hello to the revenue support grant system. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 We will say hello to old friends who love what we have to offer, and with a bit of luck we will make some new friends, too. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 We do so in particular in those shortage areas where, because of the new bursary system and "golden hello" payments for those entering the profession, we have seen a turnaround. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0 We deserve a chance to reconnect with the fans to say goodbye to the old era and hello to the new. From Wikipedia This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license. He considered helping people to be a thing as natural as saying hello or wishing one good health. From Wikipedia This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license. The word has many meanings or uses: hello, goodbye, yes. From Wikipedia This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license. He said the children had stopped to say hello to him, and seemed cheerful. From Wikipedia This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license. She finally brings enough courage to say hello to him. From Wikipedia This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license. As she walks up to him to say hello, she suddenly changes before his eyes. From Wikipedia This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license. The next morning he meets a rooster to whom he says hello but the rooster retreats. From Wikipedia This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license. He brushes them off, despite them still trying to talk to him, calling hello as he leaves. From Wikipedia This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license. See all examples of hello 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）… See more 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）… See more in Spanish hola, sí, aló… See more in Portuguese alô, olá, oi… See more in more languages in Marathi in Japanese in Turkish in French in Catalan in Dutch in Tamil in Hindi in Gujarati in Danish in Swedish in Malay in German in Norwegian in Urdu in Ukrainian in Telugu in Bengali in Czech in Indonesian in Thai in Vietnamese in Polish in Korean in Italian हॅलो, बोलायला सुरुवात करायच्या आधी अभिवादन करायला वापरलेला शब्द… See more 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… See more Merhaba!', 'Selâm!', Alo!'… See more bonjour, allô, Hé… See more hola… See more Hallo!… See more ஒருவரை சந்திக்கும் போது அல்லது வாழ்த்தும்போது பயன்படுத்தப்படுகிறது, தொலைபேசி உரையாடலை தொடங்கும்போது கூறும் ஒரு சொல்… See more हैलो / अभिनंदन हेतु प्रयुक्त, हैलो, फोन वार्ता के आरंभ में प्रयुक्त… See more નમસ્તે, કેમ છો?, હલ્લો… See more hej, dav, hallo… See more hej!, hallå!, vad nu då?… See more hello… See more Hallo!… See more hallo, hei, morn… See more ہیلو (مخاطب کرنے کے لئے بولا جانے والا لفظ), ہیلو (فون کرتے وقت پہلا اندازِ تخاطب)… See more алло!, привіт!… See more నమస్తే/హలో, హలో… See more হ্যালো, কারও সঙ্গে দেখা করা বা অভিবাদন করার সময়ে ব্যবহৃত হয়, এমন কিছু যা ফোনের কথোপকথনের শুরুতে বলা হয়… See more ahoj, no nazdar… See more halo!… See more สวัสดี (คำทักทาย… See more xin chào, biểu lộ sự ngạc nhiên… See more cześć, halo… See more 안녕, (전화를 받을때) 안녕, 여보세요… See more ciao, salve, pronto (al telefono)… See more Need a translator? 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Translator tool   Browse hellhound hellion hellish hellishly hello hello stranger idiom hellscape helluva helm {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}} More meanings of hello All say hello golden hello hello stranger idiom See all meanings Idioms and phrases hello stranger idiom Word of the Day comfort zone UK Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /ˈkʌm.fət ˌzəʊn/ US Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio /ˈkʌm.fɚt ˌzoʊn/ a situation in which you feel comfortable and in which your ability and determination are not being tested About this Blog Hitting the nail on the head: idioms with ‘hit’ July 22, 2026 Read More graduation creep" layout="responsive" graduation creep" class="lc1" / New Words graduation creep July 20, 2026 More new words has been added to list To top AI Assistant Contents EnglishAmericanExamplesTranslations AI Assistant Facebook Instagram X © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2026 Learn Learn Learn New Words Help In Print Word of the Year 2021 Word of the Year 2022 Word of the Year 2023 Word of the Year 2024 Word of the Year 2025 Develop Develop Develop Dictionary API Double-Click Lookup Search Widgets License Data About About About Accessibility Cambridge English Cambridge University Press & Assessment Consent Management Cookies and Privacy Corpus Terms of Use AI Terms of Use Facebook Instagram X © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2026 {{#displayLoginPopup}} Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Learn more with +Plus Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content: Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge Tools to create your own word lists and quizzes Word lists shared by our community of dictionary fans Sign up now or Log in Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Learn more with +Plus Create word lists and quizzes for free Sign up now or Log in {{/displayLoginPopup}} {{#displayClassicSurvey}} {{/displayClassicSurvey}} Cambridge Dictionary +Plus My profile +Plus help Log out AI Assistant Dictionary Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English Translations Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. 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Sign up or Log in My word lists Add hello to one of your lists below, or create a new one. {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}} {{message}} {{/message}} {{^message}} Something went wrong. {{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}} 5 && !stateSidebarWordList.expended) ? 195 : (stateSidebarWordListItems.length * 39)" [src]="stateSidebarWordListItems" {{name}} 5 && !stateSidebarWordList.expended) ? 'hao hp lmt-25' : 'hdn'" More Go to your word lists {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}} {{message}} {{/message}} {{^message}} Something went wrong. {{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}} Tell us about this example sentence: The word in the example sentence does not match the entry word. The sentence contains offensive content. Cancel Submit Thanks! 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