Spain Full Member 233 Hi, I've heard some English people say hiya, meaning hi, and I wonder if it's used in all english-speaking countries or is British English. 'Hi' is much more common than 'hiya' in NAmE, in fact so common that it is almost the standard greeting in most normal situations. 'Hiya' (short for 'how are you') does imply more informality. Does it sound odd if a non-native speaker says it? Not if you say it confidently and in the right situation. Is it too informal? Yes, if you are talking to the Queen of England, or an important business client. No, if you are greeting your good pal. We don't usually say 'hiya' the first time we meet someone, only for later meetings. Best wishes, Clive  El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo And I guess,you wouldn't say "howdy" at the first meeting as well, right? Anonymous: Hi is short for Hiya and originally came from the Hindustani greeting "Hiya". No doubt brought back by British troops, maybe, in the 18th or 19th century, when Britain occupied the Indian sub continent. Say it if you wish, we Brits will still smile at you. Welcome to English Forums, Sandman! I don't hear "hiya" very often. In southern BrE, interestingly, it seems to be one of those words that are used by women more often than men. MrP Veteran Member 12,806   ...opella forensis / adducit febris... You could be right, and I think it is used more in some parts of the north,? Places like Liverpool, perhaps? Sandman. New Member 02 Ah yes! I can hear it in a northern accent too. Veteran Member 12,806 ...opella forensis / adducit febris... I personally have never heard anyone use the term 'Hiya' in my fewdecades of existence in the contiguous 48 states of America. My onlyexposure to 'hiya' is from movies and books around the time of WorldWar II. I've never used it myself and don't plan on using it either. Ifsomeone said it to me today, I suppose I might find it amusing butsurely nonstandard. As for 'howdy', I've heard that most of my life. I spent most of mylife in the American West and 'howdy' is a very acceptable form ofgreeting there. No Lie: our mayors and governors say howdy out there!So if you're ever out west (except south of Bakersfield California) andsomeone says howdy to you, it would be polite to say howdy in return.While offending a duchess might gain you a wintry look, offending acowboy usually takes two to four weeks to convalesce from.  Hope this is helpful. --Lionheart Ohio, USA New Member 18More
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