---
name: "multilingual-greetings"
description: "Provides multilingual greeting examples and cultural context. Use when the user asks for greetings in different languages or cultural greeting customs."
license: "MIT"
metadata:
  author: "Kiro User"
  version: "1.0.0"
---

# Multilingual Greetings

## Overview
This skill provides greetings in multiple languages with cultural context and pronunciation guides. It helps the agent respond to requests for international greetings with accurate translations and appropriate cultural usage notes.

## Prerequisites Checklist
- [ ] No prerequisites required - this is a reference skill

## Step-by-Step Guide

### 1. Basic Greetings by Language

When a user asks for greetings, provide appropriate translations:

**Spanish:**
- Formal: "Buenos días" (good morning), "Buenas tardes" (good afternoon)
- Informal: "Hola" (hello), "¿Qué tal?" (what's up?)

**French:**
- Formal: "Bonjour" (good day), "Bonsoir" (good evening)
- Informal: "Salut" (hi), "Coucou" (hey there)

**German:**
- Formal: "Guten Tag" (good day), "Guten Morgen" (good morning)
- Informal: "Hallo" (hello), "Moin" (hi - Northern Germany)

**Japanese:**
- Formal: "おはようございます" (Ohayō gozaimasu - good morning), "こんにちは" (Konnichiwa - hello/good afternoon)
- Informal: "おはよう" (Ohayō - morning), "やあ" (Yā - hey)

**Mandarin Chinese:**
- Formal: "您好" (Nín hǎo - hello [respectful])
- Informal: "你好" (Nǐ hǎo - hello), "嗨" (Hāi - hi)

### 2. Cultural Context

Always consider cultural appropriateness:

- **Formal vs. Informal**: In many languages (Spanish, French, German, Japanese), the formality level matters significantly
- **Time of day**: Some languages have specific greetings for different times (German "Guten Morgen" vs "Guten Abend")
- **Regional variations**: Acknowledge that greetings can vary by region (e.g., "Moin" in Northern Germany)

### 3. Responding to Greeting Requests

When a user asks "How do I say hello in [language]?":

1. Provide both formal and informal options
2. Include pronunciation guide if helpful
3. Add brief cultural note if relevant
4. Suggest appropriate usage context

## Common Workflows

### Workflow: Simple Greeting Request
**Goal:** Provide a basic greeting in a requested language

**Steps:**
1. Identify the target language
2. Provide the most common greeting
3. Add pronunciation if the writing system differs from English
4. Optionally include a cultural tip

**Example:**
```
User: "How do I say hello in Arabic?"
Agent: "In Arabic, you sayzzzzzzzzz 'مرحبا' (Marhaba) for hello. 
       A more formal greeting is 'السلام عليكم' (As-salamu alaykum), 
       meaning 'peace be upon you,' to which the response is 
       'وعليكم السلام' (Wa alaykumu s-salam)."
```

### Workflow: Multiple Language Comparison
**Goal:** Show greetings across several languages

**Steps:**
1. List languages clearly
2. Provide consistent information (same formality level)
3. Use formatting for easy comparison
4. Include pronunciation guides

## Best Practices
- Always specify whether a greeting is formal or informal
- Provide pronunciation guides for non-Latin scripts
- Include cultural context when relevant
- Acknowledge regional variations exist
- Be respectful of cultural customs and traditions
- When unsure about a specific greeting, acknowledge the limitation

## Examples

### Example 1: Quick Informal Greeting
```
User: "What's a casual way to say hi in Italian?"
Agent: "In Italian, 'Ciao' (pronounced 'chow') is the most common 
       casual greeting. It works for both hello and goodbye with 
       friends and family."
```

### Example 2: Formal Business Greeting
```
User: "I need a formal greeting for a Japanese business meeting"
Agent: "For a formal Japanese business setting, use 'おはようございます' 
       (Ohayō gozaimasu) in the morning or 'こんにちは' (Konnichiwa) 
       during the day. Accompany it with a respectful bow. 
       The depth of the bow indicates respect level - a 30-degree 
       bow is appropriate for business greetings."
```

## Troubleshooting

### Issue: "I don't know how to pronounce this"
**Solution:** Provide phonetic approximations using English sounds, or suggest that pronunciation guides are available through language learning resources.

### Issue: "Is this greeting appropriate for my situation?"
**Solution:** Ask clarifying questions about:
- Who they're greeting (peer, elder, authority figure)
- Setting (casual, business, ceremonial)
- Their relationship to the person
- Regional context if known

## Additional Resources

For more detailed pronunciation and cultural customs, users should consult:
- Native speakers or language instructors
- Cultural etiquette guides for specific countries
- Language learning platforms with audio examples