Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hola | /ˈola/ | |
| holi | /ˈoli/ | familiar |
| holis | /ˈolis/ |
You can pair hola with other phrases depending on the time of day or level of familiarity. For example, saying ¡Hola! Buenos días is appropriate until around 1 p.m. To ask how someone is informally, you might say ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? or ¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás?
Which one should you use?
While hola is the standard form, you may encounter holi or holis. These are playful, slangy or cute variations used in very casual settings and often in texting.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
holi is a highly informal, cute way to say 'hi' or 'hey', typically used among close friends or in text messages. Similarly, holis is a playful, slangy variation for very casual interactions. For formal greetings, you might use ¡Buenas tardes! to say 'Good afternoon!' once it is past midday.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola/
When do people say it?
Spanish speakers use different greetings based on the time of day. For instance, '¡Buenas tardes!' is a formal way to greet someone once it is past midday. If you want a greeting that can be used throughout the day without any time restrictions, you can use ¡Buenas!
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a greeting like hola is often accompanied by a kiss on the cheek or two, depending on the region.
- The word hola likely began not as a friendly greeting, but as an emphatic command like 'hey!' used to hail a ferryman or get someone's attention.
Examples in context
- Dile hola a Jimmy.Say hello to Jimmy.This sentence shows how to tell someone to say hola to a third party.Tatoeba #1240331 by Shishir, translation #53376 by CP
- Tom nunca dice hola.Tom never says hello.This sentence describes someone who never uses the word hola.Tatoeba #5939755 by arh, translation #5939656 by CK
- Di hola a tus amigos.Say hello to your friends.This sentence is an instruction to say hola to a group of friends.Tatoeba #741281 by Shishir, translation #70346 by CK
- 113 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro meet at a cafe.
- SofíaHola, Alejandro.Hello, Alejandro.
- AlejandroHola, Sofía. ¿Cómo estás?Hello, Sofía. How are you?
- SofíaMuy bien, gracias.Very well, thank you.
- AlejandroMe alegro mucho.I am very glad.
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.
