Hola
everyday
In Caribbean Spanish people say Hola to greet someone, and each island has its own casual greeting. Cubans say ¿Qué bolá? and Dominicans say ¿Qué lo qué?
Meaning: greeting (interjection)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| Hola | everyday |
| ¿Qué bolá? | informal, Cuba |
| ¿Qué lo qué? | informal, Dominican Republic |
Is it said differently in some regions?
The casual forms are close to "what's up?" ¿Qué bolá? belongs to Cuba and ¿Qué lo qué? to the Dominican Republic, so use them only with friends.
How do you pronounce it?
Speakers in the Caribbean often weaken the s at the end of a syllable, so buenos días can sound like "bueno día".
Did you know?
- Caribbean Spanish is known for dropping or softening the s at the end of syllables.
Examples in context
- Hola, ¿cómo estás?Hello, how are you?
- ¿Qué bolá, hermano?What's up, brother?
- ¿Qué lo qué, mi amigo?What's up, my friend?
Example conversation
Carlos from Havana and Rafael from Santo Domingo meet at a conference.
- Carlos¿Qué bolá, Rafael?What's up, Rafael?
- RafaelHola, Carlos. ¿Qué lo qué?Hello, Carlos. What's up?
- CarlosTodo bien, gracias.All good, thanks.
