Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hola | /ˈola/ | |
| holi | /ˈoli/ | familiar |
| holis | /ˈolis/ |
The primary way to say hello is hola, which serves as a general greeting. In more specific contexts, you might use Buenos días to say "Good morning" until around midday or Buenas tardes to say "Good afternoon" from midday until sunset.
Which one should you use?
While hola is a neutral greeting suitable for almost any situation, holi and holis are much more playful and should be avoided in professional settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hola is a neutral form. The variations holi and holis are highly informal. For more formal time-of-day greetings, use Buenos días or Buenas tardes. For informal follow-up greetings, you can use ¿Qué tal? or ¿Cómo estás?
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Guayaquil, the informal greeting ¿Qué hubo? can be used to mean "What's up?" or "How are things?"
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola/
Did you know?
- The word hola may have originated as a command to stop, stemming from the French phrase holà which translates to 'hey, stop!'
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying hola is often just the first step in a ritual where a physical gesture, like a kiss on the cheek, is expected.
- The word hola is a homophone for the Spanish word ola, which means 'wave' in the ocean.
Examples in context
- Dile hola a Jimmy.Say hello to Jimmy.This sentence shows how to use hola to direct a greeting toward someone.Tatoeba #1240331 by Shishir, translation #53376 by CP
- Tom nunca dice hola.Tom never says hello.This sentence describes the action of saying hola.Tatoeba #5939755 by arh, translation #5939656 by CK
- Di hola a tus amigos.Say hello to your friends.This sentence illustrates how to use hola when addressing a group of people.Tatoeba #741281 by Shishir, translation #70346 by CK
- 113 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro meet in the hallway.
- Sofía¡Hola, Alejandro!Hello, Alejandro!
- AlejandroHola, Sofía. ¿Cómo estás?Hello, Sofía. How are you?
- SofíaMuy bien, gracias.Very well, thank you.
- AlejandroYo también estoy bien.I am also doing well.
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.
