Is "hello and hi" an acceptable way to greet elders in your country?

Question

Is it okay to greet elders by saying hi or hello in your country?

Answer 1

Greeting elders with "hello and hi" is far from acceptable in my country. I come from a very traditional and religious country that regards morals in high esteem. This not to say that saying hello or high is immoral as done elsewhere. You can only greet your friends and perhaps younger ones that way. 

We greet with "Good morning or evening" depending on the time of the day and most times you accompany the salutation with Sir/Ma. Some certain parts of the country have the culture of even bowing to elders while greeting. It is a little strange when I hear people from other countries say hello to their elders although it is common acceptable practice for them as ours is here. 

Comments

Yes. I mostly use " Good morning or Good evening" based on the time of the day to greet elders. Thanks for your answer. 

Answer 2

I don't think its a courteous language to use when approaching elders. Especially "hi" seems more of a slang unlike "hello". " Good evening, good morning, good afternoon" are the right kind of greetings we ought to use towards the elderly. The good thing with the curriculum in my country, it tackles all through from kindergarten upto a certain level so that the child grows knowing how use etiquette esoevit greeting.

The moment you great an elder person, "hi" a lot of things start lingering their mind. Some of them will obviously think you're spoilt and don't know the right language to use. This might even spoil your reputation as person especially if you're that kind of a person who seems to care a lot. Besides, they might even think that you're not learned. Even such  a simple thing you don't know how it should be.

Courtesy will never cost us anything, let's uphold respect for the elders.

Answer 3

Wher I am living we either greet a person with Bonjour or Irarana. Both of these greetings is a way to say hello. There really isn't a slang here to use to say hello or even hi. But when I travel to a country that speaks English I have used hello or even hi when I have greeted a person. 

I think if a person is older than you, it is more appropriate to say hello to them than hi. Hi, would be used more to greet a friend or even a person younger than you. I sort of reserve the greeting HI for a friend I know rather than greeting a person on the road. I personally don't see much wrong with this other than the fact it is how a person was raised. It is wise to know that older people would find this offensive and not like it so much. 

Answer 4

actually, it depends upon the citizen of the country .but the most effective way to greet elders of other country is to welcome in their local greeting language .hi, hello is okay but to become genuine my way is preferable .loke good morning good evening .etc. in my country namaste Raam  Raam is the local way to greet elder which connect to the Indian directly .like this you can start the chat  with the elders in a respected country which will seem more effective and efficient way.


for example, if you are in India if y say raam raam then y can direct start a good conversation with Indian people 

Answer 5

Hello is definitely fine to address anyone no matter what age in the UK. Hi is more casual but it wouldn't offend an older person if you addressed them that way.  It's pretty laid back here when it comes to greeting people. If it was a formal occasion they might be greeted with good evening but for the most part greetings are usually quite casual here.

The younger generation might greet each other with "alright?" but I wouldn't feel comfortable speaking to an older person that way even though I'm sure they wouldn't mind. I suppose I would be considered an older person being in my sixties and people greet me in all sorts of ways but if I don't know them well they are more likely to say hello.

Answer 6

Greeting an elderly in my country with hi or hello is an offensive thing to do,not when we have a tradition here in some part of the country where a junior person is expected to kneel and great an elderly person .

In my state though we don't kneel to greet but you must greet with great respect by standing still when greeting an elder.

But come to think of,I think it unwise for the junior ones to just say hi in the passing to their parents or elderly ones.This doesn't shows decorum or respect for Seniors no matter ones culture or tradition. There are things that are not naturally right even if we see nothing wrong with it in our location or culture. Respect should be accorded to the elderly.

Answer 7

I find hello and hi is normal translated to Arabic , as we used to say hi or hello to anyone, in the morning we say good morning and in the evening we say good evening.

Answer 8

Hello and hi are seen as disrespect for elders here in nigeria, we are mostly expected to greet in our native language, but hi and hello is a good way of greeting friends.

Answer 9

It is acceptable from where I'm from. You could say hi and hello in a polite way. The elderly people in my family and those that are in my circle, I would say they're not very traditional anymore, so they accept hi and hello as a greeting.

Answer 10

Hi and hello are very 2 common usually words. It is said to get recall us or to wish to talk. Both are foreign language culture. We use to great all by saying namaste.

Answer 11

Yes it's okay, but in our country, it sounds better if you include "po". That's a Filipino tradition that is used to show respect whether you're talking to elders and even with strangers

Answer 12

It depends on the specific country and culture. In some cultures, it is considered acceptable and even respectful to greet elders with a simple hello or hi. In other cultures, it may be considered disrespectful or even rude. It is best to research the specific culture and observe the customs of the elders you are interacting with.

Answer 13

Different countries may dictate what is considered "acceptable" for different groups of people. In general, it is acceptable to greet elders in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada by saying "hello" or "thank you" in addition to "how are you?" In some countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, it is also common to say "how are you?" as well.

Answer 14

Common courtesy is a great way to let your elders know they're special. Greet them by shaking their hand, giving them a warm hug, or whatever they're most comfortable with. When you're with your elders, talk to them in your normal speaking voice and avoid using words or phrases that could offend or confuse them.

Answer 15

Saying hello or hi as a way of greeting an elder is not acceptable in my country and it t is considered as disrespectful for a child to greet an elder with hi or hello