hola chico
/ola t͡ʃiko/from spelling rules
The English phrase "hello boy" translates to Spanish as hola chico.
hola chico is a casual greeting used when speaking to a boy or a young man. When addressing a very young boy, you might use the terms pequeño to mean "little one" or niñito to mean "little boy".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hola chico is an informal phrase used primarily among peers or by adults addressing a child or young man. For a more formal way to say "Good morning, young man", you can use Buenos días, joven. A colloquial alternative for "What's up, kid!" is ¡Qué pasa, pibe!
Did you know?
- The term chico is thought to be borrowed from the Yucatec Maya word chiʼik.
- While chico means 'boy' in this greeting, it can also be used as a romantic term of endearment between partners, regardless of their actual age.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, chico is not just a description of age but can be used as a general filler word to get someone's attention, similar to 'hey man'.
Example conversation
Lucía greets her younger neighbor on the street.
- LucíaHola chico, ¿qué tal todo?Hello boy, how is everything?
- AlejandroHola Lucía, todo bien.Hello Lucía, everything is good.
- Lucía¿A dónde vas ahora?Where are you going now?
- AlejandroVoy al parque con mi hermano.I am going to the park with my brother.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chico, hola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
