Canadian Slang For Hello (Explained!)

Canadians use a variety of slang greetings in place of hello, such as “what’s up”, “yo”, “hiya”, and “heyo”. Most of these slang terms are shared with their neighbors in the United States, and Canadians are just as likely to use standard words like hello as they are any slang terms in place of it.

What slang someone might use for a simple thing like hello is perhaps as dependent on context as any common language can be.

Whether they are old or young, male or female, what ethnic group they may belong to, all of this can have a bit effect on what term someone might use.

Let’s find out more.

How do Canadians say hello?

Canadians say hello in a variety of different ways.

First and foremost, it is worth clarifying they do of course use the word hello as much as they use any other slang greeting.

That said, as I mentioned, demographic plays a big part.

Older generations are more likely to use “hello”, and within that, women are more likely to use it than men.

One of the most common slang terms for hello in Canada is “what’s up”, or “wassup”.

You may recognize this if you are from the States, or even if you’re familiar with American slang more broadly.

It’s very similar to the British “You alright?” and it’s a very common convention of languages to greet one another with a question about how you are doing.

This one is more common with the younger generations, though, both male and female.

“Yo” is also a very common term used in Canada.

Again, you’ll have heard this one before in American slang generally, but it has a particular place in Canadian slang, too.

As you might expect, this one is also more common with the younger generations, but is in fact still in use among older Canadians to a degree.

You also have the standard variations on the word hello itself.

Common greetings in Canada include things like “hiya” and “heyo”.

Other than that, you might hear variations of “how you doing?” or “how are you?” as a way of saying hello.

Again, these are universal, and are good in less familiar settings. That is the other point of context.

How well you know someone will determine how you say hello to them.

“Hi, how are you?” might sound formal, but “hi” still counts as slang—this is a great way to greet someone in a more formal setting.

In any case, let’s find out where these terms come from.

Why do Canadians say “what’s up”?

Canadians have used the phrase “what’s up” as a greeting for a rather long time.

As far as we can see, the earliest uses of this phrase date back to the 19^th Century in English fiction.

It tended to be a way to refer to fancy and special events, which were “up”.

Eventually, this spread to North America, and was in fact massively popularized by the cartoon character Bugs Bunny.

Bugs’ catchphrase, “Eh, what’s up, doc?” became something that kids everywhere were saying to each other on the playground.

Thus, combined with the English sense of it being a greeting, it eventually became one of the most popular ways to say hello in Canadian slang.

So, you have Bugs Bunny to thank for the prevalence of this phrase, particularly in North America!

Why do Canadians say “yo”?

“Yo” is another very common one used only in the most informal settings.

Canadians across surprisingly wide demographics do use this term.

That said, it is, unsurprisingly, still most commonly used among the younger generations.

So, where does this very common term come from? Its origins stretch far back in time.

It was originally derived from the Middle English yo, which was simply a form of yes.

In modern use, it is thought to derive from being a common response to roll calls during World War One.

After that, though, it was certainly popularized by Italian Americans in Pennsylvania.

Italians often used quick, monosyllabic sounds like this to convey emotion and feeling, and so “yo” was a quick and fast way that you could yell hello at someone.

This passed on quickly to Canada, further popularized by its use in hip-hop and other musical styles.

Since then it has only become more and more common in Canada, one of those bedrock slang terms that many people don’t really think about.

Why do Canadians say “hiya”?

Finally, where did Canadians get “hiya”?

This is another one which first gained traction in the U.S. and spread to Canada.

In the 1940s, as early as we can tell, “hiya” was derived from a shortening of the phrase “how are ya?” which even today is still a common greeting.

Again, the common language and shared culture between the two countries meant that Canadians quickly adopted the term, and it was in widespread use in Canada by at least the 1950s.

This one is pretty informal in Canada today, and not something you would use in a professional setting.

That said, it’s great as a friendly way to greet someone you don’t know.

So, while in all likelihood Canadians will probably just say “hello”, there are a variety of slang terms in the Canadian lexicon for the greeting.

Most of them are shared with the United States to some degree, if not with the rest of the English speaking world.

Nonetheless, they have taken on their own unique Canadian character.

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