Saying Hello and Goodbye

People in the World
Written By Elm Place

Thanks for joining us!
This episode was written by Jean and voiced by Kara and T.
Episode art was drawn by Jean.
It was originally released in July 2024.

— We love these picture books about saying hello —

Click on each photo for a link to the book

– Listen to some of our favorite
hello & goodbye songs on this Spotify playlist –

And we’d love to hear from you about any hello or goodbye songs that you love!

You can reach out through our Contact page,
email us at hello@elmplace.co,
or find us on Instagram at @elmplace_co

— Saying Hello & Goodbye Episode Summary —

Hello! —

  • Bonjour! Konnichiwa! Guttentag! Ni hao! Namaste! Jabari! G’day mate! Hola! Hello!

  • Did some of those words sound familiar or new to you?  They all mean about the same thing – they are ways to say hello, in different languages of the world. People all around the world have ways to greet each other.  

  • Saying hello is a friendly thing to do. It shows people that you see them, that you care about them, that you respect them.  

  • When you say hello, it can be nice to look at the person’s eyes. That way it shows the person that you see them and that you care about connecting with them. And they will probably look back at your eyes too.

Hi without words —

  • People also use gestures to say hello, like hand-shakes, waves, fist bumps, elbow bumps, secret handshakes, and head bows.

  • Some people like to give and receive hugs, and some don’t. You can ask the person you’re greeting, or leaving, if they’d like to have a hug.

  • You can also say hello using sign language. In American Sign Language, you make one hand flat, hold it up and face your palm out toward the person you’re greeting. Then you put it at your foreheads, near your ear, and wave it away from your head. You can smile as you’re doing the sign, to show that you’re being friendly.

Words that mean both hello AND goodbye —

  • In Italy, people say ciao!

  • Shalom is a Hebrew word that is used when meeting and parting. It also means “peace”.

  • And aloha is a Hawaiian word for hello and goodbye that is also used to share love and compassion with people.

Elm Place
Previous

Sequoia Trees
Next

Baseball