How to Say Hello, Goodbye, Please, and Thank You in Multiple Languages

More than one person would say that respecting the people you meet and the cultures you experience is one of the more important things to do while traveling. Others might say that dressing appropriately is also on the short list. Note: Check out these packing tips.

Learn the key words and concepts like how to say please and goodbye in different languages below. If you want more information on the many languages and cultures of our many programs, review our country books.

Table of Contents

• Why should we learn how to say please in different languages?
• Select Ways of Showing Respect in a Local Language
• How many different languages are spoken globally?
• In which countries is “por favor” in common use?
• What are languages where hello and goodbye are the same or similar?
• How To Say Please, Thank You, Hello, And Goodbye in Every Country

Why should we learn how to say please in different languages?

One way to show respect for the people and places you visit is to learn basic words and phrases like hello and please in the local language. Communicate in the local tongue when you can. Even a single word.

Be a smart traveler: using their native words, like ‘please,’ in conversation. Being able to express simple courtesies in the local language goes a long way toward creating stronger bonds with the community you are visiting. You can even take it a step further by knowing how to refer to a person and say their name politely. Adding the correct phrase at the end of a name, like Tanaka-san in Japan, can be the first step to making new friends.

Please review the translations of the culturally appropriate greetings and key phrases for your destination country below. The brief notes include how to pronounce the 4 fundamental phrases in each different language.

Select Ways of Showing Respect in a Local Language

Below, we describe the culturally appropriate greetings and key phrases for select destinations:

Australia

• Greeting: Hi (or G’day!)
  • Naming: first name
  • Ex. Hi Sam
• Goodbye: Goodbye
• Please: Please
• Thank you: Thank you

Balkans

• Greeting: Poštovana
  • Naming: first name
  • Ex. Poštovana Zack
• Goodbye: Zdravo
• Please: Molim
• Thank you: Hvala

Cambodia

• Greeting: Sui’sday (informal) / Chum Reap Suor (formal)
  • Naming: first name (if they’re younger than you are) / Bong first name (if they’re older than you are)
  • Ex. Chum Reap Suor Bong Lexi
• Goodbye: Lear-hiey
• Please: Som
• Thank you: Or-kun

China

• Greeting: Ni Hao
  • Naming: first name
  • Ex. Ni Hao Amanda
• Goodbye: Zai jian
• Please: Qing
• Thank you: Xie xie

Costa Rica

• Greetings: Hola
  • Naming: first name
  • Ex. Hola Joey
• Goodbye: Adios
• Please: Por favor
• Thank you: Gracias

Practice your Spanish on the Pura Vida Service program in Costa Rica.

Cuba

• Greeting: Hola or Estimado (for men) / Estimada (for women)
  • Naming: Srta first name (women), Sr first name (for men)
  • Ex. Estimado Sr Harry
• Goodbye: Adios
• Please: Por favor
• Thank you: Gracias

Dominican Republic

• Greeting: Hola or Estimado (for men) / Estimada (for women)
  • Naming: Srta first name (women) / Sr first name (for men)
  • Ex. Estimada Srta Kate
• Goodbye: Adios
• Please: Por favor
• Thank you: Gracias

Fiji

• Greeting: Bula, Bula Vinaka (formal)
  • Naming: first name
  • Ex. Bula Bethany
• Goodbye: Moce
• Please: Kerekere
• Thank you: Vinaka

Learn these greetings on the Sun, Sand, and Island Service program in Fiji.

France

• Greeting: Bonjour
  • Naming: first name
  • Ex. Bonjour, Marie
• Goodbye: Au revoir
• Please: S’il vous plaît
• Thank you: Merci

Italy

• Greeting: Ciao
  • Naming: first name
  • Ex. Ciao, Giovanni
• Goodbye: Arrivederci
• Please: Per favore
• Thank you: Grazie

Master Italian phrases on the Northern Italy Adventure program.

India and Nepal

• Greeting: Namaste
  • Naming: first name
  • Ex. Namaste Sudarshan
• Goodbye: Namaste
• Please: Krupya
• Thank you: Dhanyavad

Japan

• Greeting: こんにちは (Konnichiwa)
  • Naming: first name
  • Ex. こんにちは、たけし (Konnichiwa, Takeshi)
• Goodbye: じゃね (Ja ne) (In Japanese: さようなら or Sayounara means a final goodbye)
• Please: ください (Kudasai)
• Thank you: ありがとう (Arigatou)

Learn Japanese greetings and phrases on the Tokyo Fusion program.

Laos

• Greeting: Sabaidee
  • Naming: first name
  • Ex. Sabaidee John
• Goodbye: Sohk dee deuh
• Please: Kaluna
• Thank you: Khop Jai

Mongolia

• Greeting: Sain Baina Uu
  • Naming: first name
  • Ex. Sain Baina Uu Amanda
• Goodbye: Bayartai
• Please: Guij baina
• Thank you: Ba-yar-laa

Morocco

• Greeting: Salam
  • Naming: Mr. first name (men) / Ms. first name (women)
  • Ex. Salam Ms. Chaima
• Goodbye: B’salama
• Please: ‘Afak
• Thank you: Shukran

Myanmar

• Greeting: Mingalabar
  • Naming: Ko first name (men) / first name (women)
  • Ex. Mingalabar Ko Chit Oo
• Goodbye: Thwa me naw
• Please: Jay zu pyu bee
• Thank you: Jay zu beh

Peru

• Greeting: Hola
  • Naming: first name
  • Ex. Hola Kelly
• Goodbye: Adios
• Please: Por favor
• Thank you: Gracias

South Korea

• Greeting: 안녕하세요 (Annyeonghaseyo)
  • Naming: first name + nim (님)
  • Ex. 안녕하세요, 지수님 (Annyeonghaseyo Jisoonim)
• Goodbye: 안녕히 가세요 (Annyeonghi gaseyo)/ 안녕히 계세요 (Annyeonghi gyeseyo)
• Please: N/A : In the Korean langague, one will say please by incorporating it into the verb form

  • Ex. 커피 주세요. (keopi juseyo) – Coffee please.

• Thank you: 감사합니다 (Gamsahamnida)

Learn these basic Korean greetings and proper pronunciation on the Seoul Searching program.

Tanzania

• Greeting: Hujambo (to one person) / Hamjambo (to multiple people)
  • Naming: Mr. first name (men) / Ms. first name (women) or Mama (older women) / Baba (older men)
  • Ex. Hamjambo Mr. Patrick and Ms. Tuse
• Goodbye: Kwaheri
• Please: Tafadhali
• Thank you: Asante

Thailand

• Greeting: Sawasdee Kah (if you’re a women) / Sawasdee Krap (if you’re a men)
  • Naming: Khun first name (for people around your age), P’first name (for people older than you)
  • Ex. Sawasdee Ka Khun Bryan
• Goodbye: Laa korn
• Please: Karunaa
• Thank you: Korp kun krap / kah

Practice your Thai with locals on the Thai Elephant Conservation Project program.

USA

• Greeting: Hello / Hi / Hey (informal)
  • Naming: first name
  • Ex. Hey Dani
• Goodbye: Goodbye / Bye (informal)
• Please: Please
• Thank you: Thank you / thanks (informal)

ASL Sign Language

• Greeting (Hello): With a flat hand, move your hand away from your forehead in a small arc
• Goodbye: With a flat hand, wave your hand side to side
• Please: With a flat hand, move your hand in a circular motion across your chest
• Thank you: With a flat hand, start with your hand near your lips and move it forward away from your face

How many different languages are spoken globally?

According to Ethnologue, there are over 7,000 languages spoken globally. These are not spread out equally. Papua New Guinea has the largest number, with 840 established languages alone. Indonesia has 707, Nigeria 517, India 447, and China 302 languages. The United States comes in at number 9, with 219 spoken languages in the country.

In which countries is “por favor” in common use?

Spanish is an official language in 20 different countries. It’s of course not difficult to understand why “por favor” is such a common way to say please. The list of countries that use “por favor” includes: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezu

What are languages where hello and goodbye are the same or similar?

As complex as languages can be, sometimes people are efficient, and expressions can mean both hello and goodbye. But be careful, it’s wrong to assume that using a correct word always shows respect. Context is key! For example, in South Korea, hello (Annyeonghaseyo) and goodbye (Annyeonghi gaseyo) can be shortened to simply “Annyeong”. “Annyeong” is often used amongst friends to mean both hello and goodbye. You might be tempted to use this abbreviated form all of the time, but saying only “Annyong” to someone older than yourself can be very rude. Here are 18 other countries that have a single word to express both hello and goodbye together.

• Austria: Austrian German. “Servus” (hello/goodbye).
• Catalonia: Catalan. “Hola” (hello/goodbye).
• Estonia: Estonian. “Tere” (hello/goodbye).
• Finland: Finnish. “Hei” (hello/goodbye).
• France: French. “Salut” (hello/goodbye).
• Galicia: Galician. “Ola” (hello/goodbye).
• Hawaii: Hawaiian. “Aloha” (hello/goodbye).
• Italy: Italian. “Ciao” (hello/goodbye).
• Luxembourg: Luxembourgish. “Moien” (hello/goodbye).
• Malta: Maltese. “Ħelow” (hello/goodbye).
• New Zealand: Maori. “Kia ora” (hello/goodbye).
• Samoa: Samoan. “Talofa” (hello/goodbye).
• Swahili: Swahili. “Jambo” (hello/goodbye).
• South Korea: Korean. “Annyeong”
• Tahiti: Tahitian. “Ia ora na” (hello/goodbye).
• Tonga: Tongan. “Mālō” (hello/goodbye).
• Vanuatu: Bislama. “Halo” (hello/goodbye).
• Wales: Welsh. “Helo” (hello/goodbye).

We Are More Than One Person: Asking for Things In Our Connected World

Saying the “please” in different languages is a universal courtesy found in various languages across the globe. In English, it’s a simple yet powerful word that conveys politeness and respect. In Spanish, “por favor” holds similar weight, encouraging cooperation and kindness. French speakers use “s’il vous plaît.” This usage reflects the national emphasis on etiquette and formality. German’s “bitte” embodies a similar sentiment, while Italian’s “per favore” adds a touch of elegance. Each language offers its own unique expression of politeness. Each showcases the diverse ways humanity connects through language and culture.

Now you know how to say please in different languages. Go forth, be extra polite, and curry favor with your new words. Next up, maybe you can even learn this new language.

How To Say Please, Thank You, Hello, And Goodbye in Every Country

Want to be prepared for a conversation, no matter what country you are traveling in? Below are the basic phrases from every country in the world and the official language(s) they speak. Some countries have multiple official languages, like Bolivia with 37! Globally, here are the top 5 official languages : English – 58, French – 30, Arabic – 25, Spanish – 20, and Portuguese – 9.