Hello world
/ˈhɛˌloʊ wɜrld/
A1
Definition
"Hello world" is a friendly greeting phrase that means "hello" to everyone in the world. It is also the first phrase many people learn to display when they start programming computers, because it is simple and shows that the program works.
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See It in Action
A general greeting to everyone
- •She said "hello world" when starting her speech.
- •The artist painted "hello world" on a big wall to greet all visitors.
- •"Hello world!" is a way to say hi to everyone.
The first program phrase in computer coding
- •When learning Python, the first code I wrote was to print "hello world."
- •The teacher told us to write a "hello world" program to test our computers.
- •"Hello world" programs help beginners understand how coding works.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "hello world" like "hi" (A1 word), but for everyone everywhere, not just one person
- ✓Picture someone waving and saying hello to a big crowd or the whole planet
- ✓It's the feeling of starting something new and wanting to say "I am here!"
- ✓Sounds like "HEL-lo world" → imagine a loud, clear voice greeting the whole earth
- ✓Remember the first computer program you see that prints "hello world" on the screen — a simple start for learners
- ✓NOT like a personal "hello" to one friend; this is a general greeting to all people or the entire world
- ✓NOT like a complicated sentence — very easy and basic
Try Other Words
- •Greetings: words to say hello (Use when you want a more general or formal way to say hello)
- •Welcome message: a friendly message to greet people (Use in websites or programs when introducing visitors)
- •Print statement: in programming, a command to show words on the screen (Use when talking about the action of displaying "hello world" in code)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "hello" (a greeting) + "world" (the earth, all people)
- •Etymology: "hello" comes from old English greetings meaning to call attention; "world" means the earth or all people living on it
- •Historical development: "hello" became popular as a telephone greeting in the late 1800s; "hello world" became famous in programming as the first test message
- •Modern usage: Used both as a friendly phrase to greet everyone and as a simple test message in computer programming lessons
Reflect & Connect
•Why do you think "hello world" is used as the first phrase in computer programming?
•How would you feel if you said "hello world" to a large group of people? Would it feel different than saying "hello" to one person?
Fill in the blanks
1.When you start learning to code, the first program often prints "hello world" to show the ___ is working.
2.Saying "hello world" is like greeting ___ people at once.
3.Unlike saying "hi" to a friend, "hello world" is a ___ greeting to everyone.
4.In programming, "hello world" is usually shown on the screen using a ___ statement.
5.You might say "hello world" at the beginning of a ___ or a presentation.
6.The phrase "hello world" helps beginners understand how to ___ messages on a computer.
7.When someone says "hello world," they want to ___ attention from many people.