Hola bella
/ola beʝa/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'hello bella' is translated into Spanish as Hola bella.
This phrase is used to say 'hello beautiful'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Using bella as a noun or a form of address is informal and carries a flirtatious or highly affectionate tone.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word bella is the feminine form of the adjective bello, so this phrase is specifically addressed to a woman.
Did you know?
- The word hola may have originated from the French word holà, which was used as a command to tell someone to 'stop'.
- While bella means 'beautiful', calling a stranger Hola bella in many Spanish-speaking cultures can be seen as 'catcalling' rather than a simple greeting.
- The word bella comes from the Latin 'bellus', which originally meant 'handsome' or 'charming' for boys, not just 'beautiful' for girls.
Examples in context
- Buenos días, BellaGood morning, Bella
- Buenas tardes, BellaGood afternoon, Bella
- ¡Hola, Bella!Hello, Bella!
- ¿Qué tal, Bella?What's up, Bella?
- ¡Hola, qué alegría verte, Bella!Hi, great to see you, Bella!
- ¡Hey, Bella! ¿Cómo te va?Hey, Bella! How's it going?
- Buenos días, Bella. ¿Cómo está usted?Good morning, Bella. How are you?
- ¡Hola, Bella! ¿Qué tal?Hello, Bella! How's it going?
- Hola bella, ¿cómo estás?Hello beautiful, how are you?
- Hola bella, qué bueno verte.Hello beautiful, it is good to see you.
- Hola bella, te ves muy bien.Hello beautiful, you look very good.
Example conversation
Alejandro greets Lucía at a cafe.
- AlejandroHola bella, ¿te sentarás conmigo?Hello bella, will you sit with me?
- LucíaHola Alejandro, claro que sí.Hello Alejandro, of course.
- AlejandroTe ves muy bien hoy.You look very good today.
- LucíaMuchas gracias, eres muy amable.Thank you very much, you are very kind.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
