Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hola | /ˈola/ | |
| holi | /ˈoli/ | familiar |
| holis | /ˈolis/ |
The most common and versatile way to say hello is hola. Depending on the time of day, you can also use more specific greetings: Buenos días for good morning, Buenas tardes for good afternoon and Buenas noches for good evening or good night. If you want to ask how someone is doing, you can use the informal phrase ¿Cómo estás? which means "How are you?"
Which one should you use?
While hola is the standard greeting for almost any situation, holi and holis are much more childish or affectionate.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The forms holi and holis are highly informal and are considered cute or playful, often used in texting or among close friends in very casual social settings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cuba, a popular informal greeting is ¿Qué bola? In Miami, you may encounter the slang greeting ¿Qué bolá asere?, which blends the Cuban ¿Qué bola? with the slang term asere, meaning friend.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola/
Did you know?
- Some linguists have noted a possible, though unproven, connection between the sound of 'hello' and the Arabic expression وَٱللّٰه, which means 'by God!'
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a greeting like hola is often accompanied by a single kiss on the right cheek between women or between a man and a woman.
Examples in context
- Dile hola a Jimmy.Say hello to Jimmy.Tatoeba #1240331 by Shishir, translation #53376 by CP
- Tom nunca dice hola.Tom never says hello.Tatoeba #5939755 by arh, translation #5939656 by CK
- Di hola a tus amigos.Say hello to your friends.Tatoeba #741281 by Shishir, translation #70346 by CK
- 113 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía meet at a cafe.
- MateoHola, Sofía. ¿Cómo estás?Hello, Sofía. How are you?
- SofíaHola, Mateo. Estoy muy bien.Hello, Mateo. I am very well.
- Mateo¿Quieres un café?Do you want a coffee?
- SofíaSí, me encantaría.Yes, I would love to.
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.
