What does hallo mean?
Hallo is an informal English greeting used when meeting someone, answering a telephone, or calling out to attract attention. It is especially associated with British English and also familiar in South African English, while speakers in the United States generally understand it but rarely use it. Unlike a formal “good day,” hallo is warm and casual, and it is often used with a smile, a wave, or an enthusiastic exclamation. Its history links it to hollo and holla, older forms that ultimately connect with French holà, “ho there.” The word shares its final-syllable stress with hello, but hallo has become more strongly identified with British speech. For readers meeting the word in older books, subtitles, or regional dialogue, knowing that it is simply a familiar alternative to hello is especially useful.
An informal greeting or exclamation used to greet someone, answer the telephone, or attract attention.
"Hallo, have you had a good day?"
Common in British and South African English but less frequent than hello in most varieties, including American English.
A greeting, call, or cry expressed by saying “hallo.”
"The actor received a warm hallo from the crowd."
The noun is much less common than the interjection and is chiefly found in literary, historical, or regional contexts.
The plural is uncommon because hallo is normally used as an interjection rather than as a count noun.
"The crowd’s hallos echoed across the square."
Say hallo and you have crossed the Atlantic in one syllable.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hallo come from?
Hallo developed in the 19th century as an alteration of hollo, itself a variant of holla. These forms ultimately draw on French holà, formed from ho, an attention-getting sound, and là, meaning “there.” The resulting greeting became especially established in British English and was later carried into other varieties, particularly South African English.
Related word forms
How hallo is actually used
Hallo is friendly, familiar, and somewhat more traditional than hello in British English. In American English it may sound regional, old-fashioned, or deliberately theatrical.
Easily confused with hallo
Both are informal greetings, but hallo is especially associated with British and South African English, while hello is the more frequent form in most English-speaking countries.