hola
/ˈola/
The English phrase 'hello' is translated into Spanish as hola. Wiktionary also lists holi and holis.
Meaning: greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hola | /ˈola/ | |
| holi | /ˈoli/ | familiar |
| holis | /ˈolis/ |
Depending on the time of day, you might use more specific greetings: Buenos días for good morning, Buenas tardes for good afternoon or evening and Buenas noches for good evening or night. For informal situations, you can also use ¿Qué onda? to mean 'What's up?' or ¿Cómo va todo? to ask 'How's everything going?'
Which one should you use?
While hola is the standard greeting, holi and holis are much more diminutive and playful in tone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In contrast, holi is a cute or highly informal way to say hello, often used in texting or among close friends. Similarly, holis is a playful, slangy variation used in very casual social settings.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola/
Did you know?
- The Spanish greeting hola likely shares an ancestor with the Old High German word for hailing a ferryman across a river.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a greeting like hola is often accompanied by a single kiss on the cheek, or two in some regions.
- The word hola is a homophone for the Spanish word ola, which means 'wave' at the beach.
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 another person.Tatoeba #1240331 by Shishir, translation #53376 by CP
- Tom nunca dice hola.Tom never says hello.This sentence shows how to use 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 shows how to use hola when addressing a group of friends.Tatoeba #741281 by Shishir, translation #70346 by CK
- Buenas tardes, señora López. Mucho gusto en conocerla.Good afternoon, Mrs. Lopez. Nice to meet you.
- Buenas noches, compañero. ¿Cómo ha sido su día?Good evening, colleague. How has your day been?
- Hola, amigo/a. ¿Cómo estás?Hello, friend. How are you?
- ¿Qué onda, compa? ¿Me cuentas las últimas noticias?What's up, buddy? Fill me in on the latest news!
- ¡Hey! ¿Cómo va todo? Hace tiempo que no hablamos.Hey! How's everything going? It's been a while since we last spoke.
- 113 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro meet in a cafe.
- LucíaHola, Alejandro.Hello, Alejandro.
- AlejandroHola, Lucía. ¿Cómo te va?Hello, Lucía. How is it going?
- LucíaTodo bien, gracias.Everything is fine, thanks.
- AlejandroMe alegra escucharlo.I am glad to hear that.
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.
