wave hello
/weɪv həˈloʊ/
Meaning
This phrase means to move your hand from side to side in the air to greet someone from a distance. It is a friendly, non-verbal way to say hello when you see someone you know but cannot speak to them immediately.
Examples
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I saw Sarah across the street and decided to wave hello.
I saw Sarah across the street and decided to wave hello.
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The little boy smiled and waved hello to the police officer.
The little boy smiled and waved hello to the police officer.
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She didn't have time to stop, so she just waved hello from her car.
She didn't have time to stop, so she just waved hello from her car.
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When you see Mr. Davis, make sure to wave hello to him.
When you see Mr. Davis, make sure to wave hello to him.
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They always wave hello when they walk past our house.
They always wave hello when they walk past our house.
Common Mistakes
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✗ I waved hello at him.
✓ I waved hello to him.
In English, we wave hello 'to' someone to greet them, although 'wave at' can be used for the physical action of waving alone.
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✗ She made a wave hello to me.
✓ She waved hello to me.
The word 'wave' is used directly as a verb in this expression, so adding 'made a' is unnatural.
Related Expressions
Practice
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I saw my neighbor in the garden, so I decided to ___.
💡 Move your hand to greet them from a distance.
Show answer
wave hello
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Don't just walk past them; at least ___ to show you see them.
💡 Use a friendly hand gesture to greet them.
Show answer
wave hello