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How to Say How Are You in 100 Different Languages
When travelling to a foreign country, it’s important to be able to greet the locals in their language. “How are you?” is a phrase that you’ll need to know in almost every language.
After you learn how to say hello, how are you should be the first phrase you learn to help you connect with locals.
It’s also usually an easy phrase to help you start adjusting to the language itself.
I’ve been able to connect with more locals abroad thanks to learning basic phrases like how are you. It allowed me to learn more about my host at Amal Non-Profit in Morocco and to become besties with the local cookie shop when I lived in Italy (…it definitely wasn’t because I was in there every day buying cookies or anything).
To help you become a better traveller, I’ve compiled the ways to say how are you in 100 different languages, with basic pronunciation help so the locals can understand you.
Need help learning a new language? I recommend iTalki! I’ve tried ALL the apps, but iTalki is the only way I’ve managed to learn as much as living in the local country.
How Are You in Different Languages with Pronunciation
1. English = How are you? / What’s up?
Where to Say It: The second most spoken language in the world, itโs an international language for expats to use and be understood. Itโs the official language of Canada, the UK, the United States, Australia, New Zealand.
2. French = รa va?
Where to Say It: Most popular in France, French is also widely spoken in other countries around the world. Youโll be understood in Quebec and most of Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Morocco, Tunisia, and Alergia. Additionally, French is spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cรดte dโIvoire, Cameroon, Guinea, Gabon, and Mauritius. You’ll want to pick up a phrasebook to help with the complex grammar.
How to Pronounce it: sah vah
3. Spanish = ยฟCรณmo estรกs?
Where to Say It: Spanish is the native language of Spain and Mexico. In most of South America and Central America, Spanish is the primary language. It is also the second most common language in the United States.
How to Pronounce it: coh-moh ess-tah
If you’re planning a trip to Spain and looking to learn even more Spanish, I highly recommend picking up this pocket phrasebook. It is the perfect guide to keep in your pocket/purse and use on the go and it’s affordable!
4. Italian = Come stai?
Where to Say It: Italy.
How to Pronounce it: co-may sty
Learn the top 1000 common Italian phrases with this book to help you get to know locals – and maybe find love in Italy!
5. Portuguese = Tudo bom?
Where to Say It: Portuguese is the language of Portugal and Brazil. It is still spoken in former colonies, like Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Sao Tome, and Macau. Youโll also find linguistic roots in the Philippines.
How to Pronounce it: too-doo bohm
6. Maori = Kei te pฤhea koe?
Where to Say It: New Zealand.
How to Pronounce it: kay the pee-yah koi
Maori pronunciations are really complicated. Avoid being laughed at for confusing your “f”s with “wh”s. This book helped me a lot.
7. Australian = How you going?
Where to Say It: This informal greeting is used in Australia and New Zealand to say how are you.
8. Greek = Pos รญse?
Where to Say It: It can be used to greet people in Greece and Cyprus.
How to Pronounce it: pos e-se
9. Serbian = ะะฐะบะพ ัะธ?
Where to Say It: This Slavic language is spoken in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Croatia. It is similar to many other Slavic languages.
How to Pronounce it: kako si
10. Croatian = ะะฐะบะพ ัะธ?
Where to Say It: Croatian is best used in Croatia, but is also spoken in some parts of Bosnia and Serbia.
How to Pronounce it: kako si
11. Russian = ะะฐะบ ะดะตะปะฐ?
Where to Say It: Russian is the most common language in Eastern Europe. Say it in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and other Eastern European countries.
How to Pronounce it: kak dela
12. Mandarin = Nว hวo ma?
Where to Say It: As the most spoken language in the world, itโs useful to know how to say how are you in this language everywhere. Itโs primarily spoken in China. If you’re visiting, you should pick up some books to learn Chinese Madarin before you arrive.
How to Pronounce it: nee how mah
13. Cantonese = Nรฉih hรณu ma
Where to Say It: Many people think โChineseโ is a language, but Cantonese and Mandarin are very different. Cantonese is mostly spoken in Southern China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
How to Pronounce it: nee how mah
14. Hindi = Tuma kaise ho?
Where to Say It: Hindi is one of the official languages of India, but is most commonly spoken in Northern India.
How to Pronounce it: toom kay-seh ho
15. Japanese = Genki desu ka?
Where to Say It: Japan.
How to Pronounce it: gen-kee-des-kah
16. Turkish = Ne haber?
Where to Say It: Turkish is spoken in Turkey and Cyprus. Youโll also find it in parts of Azerbaijan.
How to Pronounce it: nee hah-behr
17. Korean = Eotteohke jinaeseyo?
Where to Say It: North Korea and South Korea.
How to Pronounce it: oh-toh-kay chin-i-sey-oh
18. Slovak = Ako sa mรกte?
Where to Say It: Primarily spoken in Slovakia.
How to Pronounce it: ah-ko sah ma-sh
19. German = Wie gehts?
Where to Say It: Greet people this way in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
How to Pronounce it: wee geht
This phrasebook helped me massively when I was trying to shop in Germany.
20. Dutch = Hoe gaat het?
Where to Say It: Spoken by millions in the Netherlands and northern Belgium.
How to Pronounce it: hoo hat et
21. Polish = Jak sei macz?
Where to Say It: The official language of Poland, Polish is said to be one of the hardest languages to learn.
How to Pronounce it: yak she mash
22. Thai = Sร -baai dee mฤi?
Where to Say It: Sole language of Thailand.
How to Pronounce it: sah-bai dee may
Want to learn Thai? I recommend this pocket phrasebook that you can easily carry with you. This way you won’t be stranded in a market with no idea how to order dinner – or what you’re ordering!
23. Hungarian = Hogy vagy?
Where to Say It: Hungary is mostly spoken in Hungary, but parts of the Balkans also speak it.
How to Pronounce it: hoy vay
24. Czech = Jak se mรกลก?
Where to Say It: Mainly spoken in the Czech Republic.
How to Pronounce it: yak she mash
Need help learning a new language? I recommend iTalki! I’ve tried ALL the apps, but iTalki is the only way I’ve managed to learn as much as living in the local country.
25. Bengali = Apni kemon achen?
Where to Say It: The official language of Bangladesh.
How to Pronounce it: apnee keh-mon ach
26. Urdu = Yaxshimusฤฑz?
Where to Say It: National language of Pakistan, with similarities to the Hindi language.
How to Pronounce it: yak-shee-muszh
27. Persian = Chetori?
Where to Say It: Persian or Farsi is spoken is Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Bahrain.
How to Pronounce it: cheh-toree
28. Ukrainian = ะฏะบ ัะธ ะฟะพะถะธะฒะฐัั?
Where to Say It: Spoken in the Ukraine.
How to Pronounce it: jak ty poลพyvajesh
29. Swedish = Hur mรฅr du?
Where to Say It: Language of Sweden and the Aland Islands.
How to Pronounce it: hoor more doo
30. Afrikaans = Hoe gaan dit?
Where to Say It: Say good morning this way in South Africa and Namibia. Some parts of Botswana and Zimbabwe also speak Afrikans.
How to Pronounce it: ho han dit
31. Romanian = Ce mai faci?
Where to Say It: Spoken in Romania and Moldova.
How to Pronounce it: che mai fachee
32. Hebrew = Eich data?
Where to Say It: Historically, the language of those in Israel and of the Jewish faith.
How to Pronounce it: aich ah-tah
33. Armenian = Eenchbes ek?
Where to Say It: Republic of Armenia and in Armenian Diaspora communities.
How to Pronounce it: inch-bes ek
34. Arabic = Kayfa แธฅฤlak?
Where to Say It: There are many dialects of Arabic throughout North Africa and the Middle East. Say hell in this Arabic in Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, and Yemen.
How to Pronounce it: kay-fah hah-look
35. Punjabi = Tuhฤแธฤ kฤซ hฤl he?
Where to Say It: This 10th most spoken language in the world is a language spoken in India.
How to Pronounce it: too-hah-dah kee hahl hee
36. Javanese = Piye kabare?
Where to Say It: Spoken in Java, Indonesia.
How to Pronounce it: pi-yeh kah-bar
37. Malay/Indonesian = Apa kabar?
Where to Say It: Youโll find this language in Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. It is the official language of Malaysia and Brunei.
How to Pronounce it: ah-pah kah-bar
38. Vietnamese = Anh khแปe khรดng?
Where to Say It: Primarily spoken in Vietnam.
How to Pronounce it: ban kwey hong
39. Basque = Zer moduz?
Where to Say It: Spoken in the Basque regions of Spain, located in Northern Spain and Southern France.
How to Pronounce it: zer modooz
40. Bavarian = Via ged’s?
Where to Say It: Regional dialect in Bavaria, Germany and Western Austria.
How to Pronounce it: vee-yah gheds
41. Tagalog = Musta?
Where to Say It: Tagalog is the primary language of the Philippines.
How to Pronounce it: moos-tah
42. Swahili = Habari?
Where to Say It: Swahili is mainly in Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. It is the secondary language in East Africa.
How to Pronounce it: hah-bar-ee
43. Uzbek = Qalaysiz?
Where to Say It: Uzbek is the national language of Uzebekistan.
How to Pronounce it: kwa-lay-seez
44. Azerbaijani = Necษsin?
Where to Say It: Say hello this way in Azerbaijan. Youโll also find it in Northern Iran, southern Dagestan, Kvemo Kartli in Georgia, Eastern Turkey, and some parts of Iraq.
How to Pronounce it: neh-jan-san
45. Kurdish = Chawa ye?
Where to Say It: Spoken by 30 million people in Western Asian, including Kurdistan, Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and Syria.
How to Pronounce it: cha-wah yeh
46. Nepali = Timilฤ lai kasto cha?
Where to Say It: Sole language of Nepal and one of the languages of India.
How to Pronounce it: tee-mee-lai kas-to chuh
47. Haitian Creole = Sak pase?
Where to Say It: Spoken in Haiti, along with French.
How to Pronounce it: sahk pass-eh
48. Belarusian = Jak spravy?
Where to Say It: Spoken in Belarus and parts of Russia, Ukraine, and Poland.
How to Pronounce it: yak spra-vee
49. Chichewa = Muli bwanji?
Where to Say It: Also called Nyanja, this Bantu language us spoken in Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.
How to Pronounce it: moo-lee bwan-jee
50. Fijian = Vacava tiko?
Where to Say It: Native language of Fiji.
How to Pronounce it: vathava tee-koh
51. Hawaiian = Pehea ‘oe?
Where to Say It: Spoken in Hawaii.
How to Pronounce it: peh-hee-ah oh-eh
52. Samoan = Ua mai oe?
Where to Say It: Greet people in the Samoan Islands this way.
How to Pronounce it: oh-ah may oi
53. Tongan = Fฤfฤ hake?
Where to Say It: Language of the Kingdom of Tonga.
How to Pronounce it: feh-feh hak-eh
54. Yiddish = Vi geyt es?
Where to Say It: Historical language of the Ashkenazi Jewish peoples.
How to Pronounce it: vee geht es
55. Welsh = Sut mae?
Where to Say It: Spoken in Wales and routinely mocked in greater Britain for its abundance of consonants.
How to Pronounce it: sut may
56. Norwegian = Hvordan har du det?
Where to Say It: Norway.
How to Pronounce it: hwur-dan har doo deh
57. Lithuanian = Kaip sekasi?
Where to Say It: Lithuania.
How to Pronounce it: kayp sah-kah-say
58. Latvian = Kฤ tev iet?
Where to Say It: Official language of Latvia.
How to Pronounce it: kah teh-vee eht
59. Icelandic = Hvaรฐ segirรพรบ?
Where to Say It: Spoken only in Iceland.
How to Pronounce it: Click here!
60. Scottish Gaelic = Ciamar a tha thu?
Where to Say It: Native to the Gaels of Scotland. It is now rarely spoken in Scotland.
How to Pronounce it: kim-mer uh ha oo
61. Irish = Conas atรก tรบ?
Where to Say It: The Irish Gaelic language is spoken in Ireland.
How to Pronounce it: kun-ass a-taw too
62. Estonian = Kuidas lรคheb?
Where to Say It: Estonia.
How to Pronounce it: kooi-das laab
63. Bosnian = Kako si?
Where to Say It: Bosnia.
How to Pronounce it: kah-ko see
64. Tibetan = Kayrang kusu debo yimpay?
Where to Say It: Official language of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the Peopleโs Republic of China. Spoken across the Himalayas.
How to Pronounce it: Keh-rahng ku-su de-bo yin-peh
65. Lao = Sรกbaฬai-diฬi baw?
Where to Say It: Main language of Laos.
How to Pronounce it: sa-bah-dee bo
66. Georgian = แ แแแแ แ แฎแแ ?
Where to Say It: Georgia (the country, not the US state).
How to Pronounce it: rogora khar
67. Sesotho = O kae?
Where to Say It: Basotho in Lesotho, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
How to Pronounce it: oh kay
68. Esperanto = Kiel vi?
Where to Say It: Artificial language created to be a widely spoken language in the world.
How to Pronounce it: kyel vee
69. Maltese = Kif intom?
Where to Say It: Matla, Gozo, and Comino in the Mediterranean.
How to Pronounce it: kif in-tohm
70. Bahaman = What da wybe is?
Where to Say It: Bahamas.
How to Pronounce it: what dah whyb is
71. Igbo = Kedแปฅ?
Where to Say It: Nigeria.
How to Pronounce it: keh-doo
72. Luxembourgish= Wรฉi geet et?
Where to Say It: Luxembourg.
How to Pronounce it: wy gee et
73. Navajo = ฤฤ สผ?
Where to Say It: Southwestern United States by the Navajo peoples.
How to Pronounce it: aah
74. Swiss German = Wie goots?
Where to Say It: Upper German dialect name thatโs spoken in Switzerland, Lichtenstein, parts of Germany, and Alsace, France.
How to Pronounce it: wye goots
Need help learning a new language? I recommend iTalki! I’ve tried ALL the apps, but iTalki is the only way I’ve managed to learn as much as living in the local country.
75. Tahitian = Maita’i oe?
Where to Say It: Spoken in the Society Islands in French Polynesia.
How to Pronounce it: may-tay oh-ay
76. Albanian = Si jeni?
Where to Say It: Albanian is the predominant language of Albania and Kosovo. You will find it in other regions of the Balkans as well.
How to Pronounce it: see yen-ee
77. Catalan = Com estร s?
Where to Say It: Official language of Andorra and the co-official language of some Spanish communities, like Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.
How to Pronounce it: cohm est-ass
78. Galician = รa va-ti?
Where to Say It: Northwestern Spain.
How to Pronounce it: sa vah-tee
79. Mongolian = Sonin saikhan yu baina?
Where to Say It: Mongolia, parts of Russia, and parts of Kyrgyzstan.
How to Pronounce it: soh-nin sah-han yoo ben
80. Wolof = Jaam nga am?
Where to Say It: Senegal.
How to Pronounce it: jaahm nga am
81. Wu (Shanghainese) = Nรณng hล va?
Where to Say It: A variety of Wu Chinese spoken in the city of Shanghai and itโs surrounding areas.
How to Pronounce it: nyong ho vah
82. Tamil = Eppadi irukeenga?
Where to Say It: Southern India, Sri Lanka, and Singapore.
How to Pronounce it: eppadi irukeenga
83. Pashto= Ta sanga yee?
Where to Say It: Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran.
How to Pronounce it: tah sang-ah yee
84. Kannada = Hegiddฤrฤ?
Where to Say It: Southwestern India.
How to Pronounce it: hegiddiya
85. Hausa = Kana lafiya?
Where to Say It: Hausa is the native language of Niger and Northern Nigeria. It is also used in some countries in West and Central Africa.
How to Pronounce it: kana lah-fee-ya
86. Burmese = Ne-kaรนn-lร ?
Where to Say It: Myanmar, especially by the Bamar people.
How to Pronounce it: nay-kaung lah
87. Amharic = Inidemini nehi?
Where to Say It: This is an informal way to say hello in the Amharic language. Itโs the language of Ethiopia, where hello also means โpeace be with youโ. You can also use it in Egypt and Eritrea.
How to Pronounce it: in-dem-in-ee ne-hee
88. Breton = Mat an traoรน?
Where to Say It: Brittany in the Northwest of France.
How to Pronounce it: mat an tra-oo
89. Oromo = Akkam jirta?
Where to Say It: This Cushitic language is spoken by millions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Egypt.
How to Pronounce it: ah-kam jir-tah
90. Manipuri = ๊ฏ๊ฏ๊ฏ๊ฏฉ๊ฏ๊ฏค๊ฏ๊ฏค๊ฏ๊ฏ๊ฏฆ?
Where to Say It: Manipur in India.
How to Pronounce it: kษm-dษu-bi-ri-bษ-ge
91. Cebuano = Kumusta man ka?
Where to Say It: The Philippines.
How to Pronounce it: kuh-moo-sta man kah
92. Malagasy = Fahasalamana?
Where to Say It: Madagascar.
How to Pronounce it: fah-ah-sal-ah-mah-na
93. Santali = แฑชแฑฎแฑซ แฑแฑฎแฑ แฑ แฑขแฑฎแฑฑแฑแฑ แฑฏแฑฎแฑญแฑ ?
Where to Say It: West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Orissa in India.
How to Pronounce it: aam ched lekah menama
94. Khmer = รnรขk sรดkh sรขbay tรฉ?
Where to Say It: Cambodia.
How to Pronounce it: anakโ sokhasabbayโ te
95. Sinhalese = Kohomadha?
Where to Say It: Sri Lanka.
How to Pronounce it: ko-ho-mah-daj
96. Somali = Iska warran?
Where to Say It: Somalia.
How to Pronounce it: iskah wah-ran
97. Taiwanese Hokkien = Lรญ hรณ-bรฒ?
Where to Say It: Taiwan.
How to Pronounce it: li ho-boh
98. Tswana = O tsogile jang?
Where to Say It: Botswana and South Africa.
How to Pronounce it: oh tso-gee-leh jang
99. Quechua = ยฟAllillanchu?
Where to Say It: Peru.
How to Pronounce it: eye-eee-anch-ooo
100. Xhosa = Unjani?
Where to Say It: Bantu language of South Africa.
How to Pronounce it: oon-jah-nee
Closing Thoughts on Saying How Are You in Different Languages
Saying “How are you?” in different languages is a great way to connect with locals while travelling.
By learning how to say this phrase in 100 different languages, you’ll be able to greet people from all over the world.
Not only will this make your travels more enjoyable, but it can also help you learn more about other cultures.
Practice more languages with iTalki! iTalki will help you get ready to move abroad to any country by learning the language.
Get connected with real people who will help you learn a new language like you would while living abroad.
Click here to get started with iTalki today!
Read More About Languages Abroad
- How to Say Hello in 100 Different Languages
- How to Say Yes and No in 100 Different Languages
- How to Say How Are You in 100 Different Languages
- How to Say Goodbye in 100 Different Languages
- How to Say Thank You in 100 Different Languages
- How to Say Cheers in 100 Different Languages + Pronunciation
- How to Say I Love You in 100 Different Languages
- New Zealand Slang: From Sweet As to Swear Words
- Guide to 100+ Canadian Slang: Unique Canadian Sayings and Phrases You Need to Know
- How to Say Water in 100 Different Languages + Pronunciations
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Canada Travel Planning Guide
🚑 Should I buy Canada travel insurance?
100% YES! โ Canada has “free” healthcare but it’s only for citizens! Foreigners visiting need travel insurance in case anything happens on their visit. I recommend World Nomads – starting at just $5 a day!
💧Can you drink the water in Canada?
Yes โ In all major cities in Canada, you can drink the tap water. There are very few, rural areas that you can’t. However, you should never drink river or lake water anywhere in the country! I recommend a Brita Water Bottle for long hikes and backcountry camping to stay safe and hydrated.
🚙💨 Is it safe to rent a car in Canada?
Yes โ Renting a car is a necessity in most of Canada! If you want to go on road trips or adventures outside of the major cities, you’ll need to rent a car. (Read more)
📲 Will my phone work in Canada?
Maybe โ Some American companies work in Canada, but many will not. If your phone doesn’t work in Canada, I recommend getting a Canadian SIM card so you can get around and stay in contact with loved ones. We don’t have a lot of free WIFI in Canada, so you’ll need your phone for maps.
🏩 Whatโs the best way to book my Canada accommodations?
My go-to for Canadian hotels is Booking.com. For hostels, I use Hostel World. If you want a home-y feeling, check out VRBO (which is cheaper and safer than Airbnb).
Or get free accommodations with Trusted Housesitters!
✈️ Whatโs the best site to buy Canada flights?
For finding cheap Canadian flights, I recommend Skyscanner.
🎫 Do I need a visa for Canada?
Likely Not โ US, UK, and EU passport holders don’t need Canadian visas. However, some other countries do (check here!). And if you plan to stay for more than 4 weeks (an average tourist visa length), you will need to look into visas to live in Canada.
