Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hola | /ˈola/ | |
| holi | /ˈoli/ | familiar |
| holis | /ˈolis/ |
The word hola is the most common greeting across Latin America.
Which one should you use?
While hola is the standard greeting, holi and holis are much more colloquial and should be avoided in professional or formal settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hola is suitable for both formal and informal situations. In contrast, holi is a cute or highly informal way to say hello, often used among close friends or in texting and holis is a playful, slangy variation used in very casual social settings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, people often use the informal greeting ¿Qué onda? to say what's up. In Costa Rica, the informal phrase ¡Pura vida! can be used to say hello, goodbye or to express positivity. In Colombia, the informal greeting ¿Qué hubo? is commonly used.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola/
When do people say it?
Spanish speakers have various ways to greet depending on the time of day or level of intimacy. For formal greetings, you might use Buenos días (good morning) until around midday or Buenas tardes (good afternoon) from midday until early evening. For informal inquiries about someone's well-being, you can use ¿Qué tal?, ¿Cómo estás? or the casual ¿Cómo te va? (how's it going?).
Did you know?
- The Mexican greeting ¿Qué onda? literally translates to 'What wave?', yet it is used exactly like the English 'What's up?'
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, people often skip hola in favor of buenas, a shortened version of buenos días or buenas tardes that works at any hour.
Examples in context
- Dile hola a Jimmy.Say hello to Jimmy.This sentence shows how to use hola when telling someone to greet a third person.Tatoeba #1240331 by Shishir, translation #53376 by CP
- Tom nunca dice hola.Tom never says hello.This sentence illustrates using hola in the context of someone's speaking habits.Tatoeba #5939755 by arh, translation #5939656 by CK
- Di hola a tus amigos.Say hello to your friends.This sentence demonstrates how to use hola when instructing someone to greet their friends.Tatoeba #741281 by Shishir, translation #70346 by CK
- 113 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel meet on the street.
- SofíaHola, Daniel.Hello, Daniel.
- DanielHola, Sofía. ¿Cómo estás?Hello, Sofía. How are you?
- SofíaMuy bien, gracias.Very well, thanks.
- DanielMe 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.
