hola, hermano
/ˈola eɾˈmano/word by word
The English phrase 'hello bro' is translated into Spanish as hola, hermano.
hola, hermano is an informal greeting used to address a male friend or a brother. While hermano literally means 'brother,' in many Spanish-speaking contexts, it is used figuratively to mean 'bro' or 'dude' among friends.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hola, hermano is an informal greeting used between males who share a close bond or are actual siblings. Other informal variations include ¡Hola, colega! (Hello, buddy!), ¿Qué onda, hermano? (What's up, brother?) and ¡Saludos, compadre! (Greetings, pal!).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you might hear the casual expression ¡Qué pasó, viejo/a? to mean 'What's up, old friend?' In Chile, the informal expression ¿Cómo estai, po weón? is used to mean 'How are you, dude?'
How does it change in a sentence?
The word hermano is the masculine form. If you are addressing a female friend as 'sis,' you would use hermana.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola eɾˈmano/
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Hola, hermano, ¿cómo estás?Hello, bro, how are you?
- Hola, hermano, ¿vienes con nosotros?Hello, bro, are you coming with us?
Example conversation
Mateo arrives at his sister's house.
- MateoHola, hermano, ¿qué haces aquí?Hello, bro, what are you doing here?
- LucíaVine a traerte un regalo, Lucía.I came to bring you a gift, Lucía.
- Mateo¡Qué detalle! Pasa a la casa.How thoughtful! Come inside.
- LucíaGracias, vamos a entrar.Thanks, let's go in.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (hola, hermano) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hermano, hola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
