Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hola | /ˈola/ | |
| holi | /ˈoli/ | familiar |
| holis | /ˈolis/ |
The phrase is used as a greeting. While hola is a neutral way to greet someone, more playful or slangy versions exist for specific social contexts.
Which one should you use?
hola is a neutral greeting suitable for almost any situation. In contrast, holi and holis are strictly for casual and playful contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hola is neutral and can be used in most settings. For more formal greetings, you might use Buenos días (Good morning), Buenas tardes (Good afternoon/evening) or Buenas noches (Good evening/night). The forms holi is a cute, diminutive way to say hello used among close friends or on social media, while holis is a slangy, very informal variation primarily used in text messaging or casual speech. For informal conversation, you may also use Qué tal (How's it going?) or ¿Cómo estás? (How are you?).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola/
Did you know?
- The word hola likely traces its roots back to a command to 'stop' or 'hey!' rather than a friendly salutation. It is thought to have evolved from the French expression holà, which was used to hail a ferryman or command someone to halt.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a greeting like hola is often accompanied by a physical gesture, such as a single cheek kiss or a handshake, depending on the gender and closeness of the speakers. Using the word without the customary physical contact can sometimes feel incomplete or overly distant.
- Though hola is universal, some regions use buenas as a shorthand for all the formal time-of-day greetings, effectively replacing hola in semi-formal settings.
Examples in context
- Dile hola a Jimmy.Say hello to Jimmy.This sentence is useful for practicing how to direct someone to say hola to a third person.Tatoeba #1240331 by Shishir, translation #53376 by CP
- Tom nunca dice hola.Tom never says hello.This sentence shows the use of hola in a negative context.Tatoeba #5939755 by arh, translation #5939656 by CK
- Di hola a tus amigos.Say hello to your friends.This sentence is useful for practicing how to direct someone to say hola to a group.Tatoeba #741281 by Shishir, translation #70346 by CK
- Buenos días, señorita. ¿Cómo está usted hoy?Good morning, miss. How are you today?
- Buenas tardes, señora. ¿Puedo ayudarla en algo?Good afternoon, ma'am. Can I help you with something?
- Buenas noches, señorita. Me alegra verla aquí.Good evening, miss. I'm glad to see you here.
- ¡Hola amiga! ¿Cómo has estado?Hello friend! How have you been?
- ¡Qué tal, chica! ¿Todo bien?How's it going, girl? Everything alright?
- ¿Cómo estás, guapa? ¿Qué has hecho hoy?How are you, beautiful? What have you done today?
- 113 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel see each other at a cafe.
- María¡Hola, Daniel!Hello, Daniel!
- DanielHola, María. ¿Cómo estás?Hello, María. How are you?
- MaríaMuy bien, gracias.Very well, thanks.
- DanielMe alegro de verte.I am glad to see you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries hola, holi, holis, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, holis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
