aloha
/aloa/from spelling rules
The Hawaiian greeting used to say hello or goodbye is aloha in Spanish.
aloha is used to express the Hawaiian greeting of hello or goodbye.
How do you pronounce it?
/aloa/
Did you know?
- Despite the similar sound to the Spanish word 'hola', 'aloha' remains a distinct foreign entity in the Spanish lexicon with no etymological link to the Spanish greeting.
- The word aloha is often used in Spanish-speaking tourism marketing to evoke a sense of exoticism and relaxation rather than as a functional part of the language.
- While aloha is used in Spanish to refer to the Hawaiian greeting, it is not a native Spanish word and does not follow Spanish phonetic rules for stress or vowel length.
Examples in context
- Hola, señor. ¿Cómo está usted?Hello, sir. How are you?
- ¡Aloha, amigo!Aloha, friend!
- Me gusta decir aloha al llegar.I like to say aloha upon arrival.
- Ella nos dijo aloha antes de irse.She said aloha to us before leaving.
Example conversation
Two friends are meeting at a Hawaiian-themed restaurant.
- Alejandro¡Aloha, Lucía!Aloha, Lucía!
- Lucía¡Hola, Alejandro! ¿Cómo estás?Hi, Alejandro! How are you?
- AlejandroMuy bien, gracias por venir.Very well, thanks for coming.
- Lucía¡Qué alegría verte!I am so happy to see you!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
