Hola
standard
The standard "hello" across Latin America is Hola. On the phone the word changes, and ¿Bueno? is used in Mexico while Aló is used in countries such as Chile and Peru.
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| Hola | standard |
| ¿Bueno? | Mexico, phone |
| Aló | South America, phone |
Hola is the safe greeting for any person and time of day. Add buenos días, buenas tardes or buenas noches for a more polite start.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Spain answers the phone with diga or dígame, so aló and bueno are good signs of Latin American speech.
Did you know?
- The Spanish hola is written with a silent h, so it sounds like "OH-la".
Examples in context
- Hola, ¿cómo estás?Hello, how are you?
- ¿Bueno? Habla Pedro.Hello? This is Pedro.
Example conversation
Marta calls her friend Rosa, who lives in Lima.
- RosaAló, ¿quién habla?Hello, who is speaking?
- MartaHola, Rosa. Soy Marta.Hi, Rosa. It is Marta.
- RosaHola, Marta. ¿Cómo estás?Hi, Marta. How are you?
