Haitian Creole Greetings: "Alo" and Beyond

The standard way to say "hello" in Haitian Creole (Kreyòl Ayisyen) is "Alo", pronounced ah-loh (similar to English "hello" but with a shorter 'o'). It is used for answering the phone or greeting someone informally.

Common Greetings

Haitian Creole	Pronunciation	Meaning / Context
Alo	ah-loh	Hello (phone/informal)
Bonjou	bohn-zhoo	Good morning / Good day (used until noon)
Bonswa	bohn-swah	Good evening / Good afternoon (used after noon)
Sak pase?	sahk pah-seh	What's up? / How are you? (informal)
Koman ou ye?	koh-mahn oo yeh	How are you? (more formal)

Cultural Notes

• Greetings are important in Haitian culture; it is polite to greet everyone upon entering a room.
• Bonjou and Bonswa derive from French bonjour and bonsoir.
• Response to Sak pase? is often N'ap boule (We're burning/We're doing great) or Mwen byen (I'm fine).