Every language course teaches you "Hello." None of them teach you how people actually greet their friends. Formal greetings open doors; slang greetings build relationships. If you want to connect authentically with speakers of another language, knowing the casual, everyday greeting is one of the most powerful tools you can have.
This guide covers how people genuinely say "What's up?" — the casual, friendly check-in — in ten major world languages. Not the textbook version. The real version, with cultural context and pronunciation guidance for English speakers.
Why "What's Up?" Is the Perfect Phrase to Learn First
The phrase "What's up?" is deceptively simple. It literally asks about nothing in particular — it's an invitation to connect, a signal of familiarity, a confirmation that you see the other person as a peer. Every culture has its equivalent, but they're shaped by completely different values, histories, and social norms.
In some cultures, the equivalent phrase literally asks "Did you eat?" In others it asks about your wellbeing, your path, or just signals presence. Learning how a culture says "What's up?" gives you a window into how that culture thinks about relationships.
1. Spanish — ¿Qué onda? / ¿Qué pasa?
💡 Regional note: In Argentina, you'll hear ¿Qué hacés? (keh ah-SEHS) — "What are you doing?" — as an equally common casual greeting. Colombians often say ¿Quiubo?, a contraction of ¿Qué hubo? meaning "What was up?"
2. Japanese — 最近どう？/ 調子どう？
💡 Cultural note: In Japanese social culture, greetings often function as conversation lubricants rather than genuine questions. Responding with extreme detail to 調子どう？ can feel awkward — a brief, positive response is the norm.
3. French — Ça roule ? / Quoi de neuf ?
4. Arabic — إيه الأخبار؟ / كيفك؟
💡 Important: Arabic dialects differ so much that greetings are often regionally specific. Egyptian Arabic is the most widely understood thanks to Egyptian media, but Gulf, Moroccan, and Levantine greetings each have their own distinct forms.
5. Korean — 요즘 어때? / 잘 지냈어?
6. Portuguese — E aí? / Tudo bem?
7. German — Was geht? / Alles klar?
8. Hindi — क्या हाल है? / क्या चल रहा है?
9. Russian — Как дела? / Что нового?
10. Turkish — Ne haber? / Nasılsın?
💡 Cultural note: Turkish greetings often come with genuine hospitality expectations — Ne haber? asked by an older relative may lead to a long conversation about family. Among young friends it's more like a quick nod of acknowledgment.
Quick Reference: "What's Up?" Around the World
- Spanish (Mexico): ¿Qué onda? — keh OHN-dah
- Spanish (Spain): ¿Qué pasa? — keh PAH-sah
- Japanese: 調子どう？— CHOH-ji doh
- French: Ça roule ? — sah ROOL
- Arabic (Egyptian): إيه الأخبار؟ — EH el-AKH-bar
- Korean: 요즘 어때? — YOH-jeum UH-teh
- Portuguese (Brazil): E aí? — ee ah-EE
- German: Was geht? — vahs GAYT
- Hindi: क्या चल रहा है? — KYAH chal RA-ha hey
- Russian: Как дела? — KAK di-LAH
- Turkish: Ne haber? — neh HA-ber
The Deeper Point: Greetings as Cultural Signals
Every greeting on this list does more than convey information. It signals familiarity, social distance, and respect. Using the wrong register — too formal with a friend, too casual with a stranger — is one of the most common ways language learners break rapport unintentionally.
The best way to get it right is to listen first. Watch how locals greet each other before you deploy a new phrase. Slang greetings especially carry strong signals about social class, age group, and regional identity — use them with awareness.
Once you have the basics down, the next step is building out the phrases that come after the greeting — the follow-up slang, expressions of surprise, and ways to say goodbye. Each language has a whole ecosystem of casual expression that connects at the greeting.
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