Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hola | /ˈola/ | |
| holi | /ˈoli/ | familiar |
| holis | /ˈolis/ |
The term hola is the standard way to say hello. It can be used as a standalone greeting or paired with other phrases, such as Hola, ¿cómo estás? (Hello, how are you?).
Which one should you use?
While hola is the standard greeting, holi and holis are much more casual variations.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more formal time-based greetings, you can use Buenos días (Good morning) until around noon, Buenas tardes (Good afternoon) to acknowledge the afternoon or Buenas noches (Good evening/night) for the evening or night. For highly informal situations, such as texting or talking to close friends, you can use the cute or playful forms holi or holis.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola/
When do people say it?
In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to pair hola with a time-of-day greeting, such as Hola, buenos días (Hello, good morning). If you want to ask how someone is doing in an informal way, you can use ¿Qué tal? (How's it going?).
Did you know?
- The root of hola is related to an Old High German word used specifically to hail a ferryman.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying hola is often accompanied by dos besos, which are one or two light kisses on the cheeks.
- In certain Latin American countries, hola is frequently followed by ¿qué onda?, which literally translates to 'what wave?'
Examples in context
- Dile hola a Jimmy.Say hello to Jimmy.This sentence is useful for practicing how to say hello to someone.Tatoeba #1240331 by Shishir, translation #53376 by CP
- Tom nunca dice hola.Tom never says hello.This sentence shows how to use the word in a negative context.Tatoeba #5939755 by arh, translation #5939656 by CK
- Di hola a tus amigos.Say hello to your friends.This sentence demonstrates greeting a group of people.Tatoeba #741281 by Shishir, translation #70346 by CK
- Buenos días, señora. ¿Cómo está?Good morning, ma'am. How are you?
- Buenas tardes, señor. ¿En qué puedo ayudarle?Good afternoon, sir. How can I assist you?
- Buenas noches, señora. Espero que haya tenido un buen día.Good evening, ma'am. I hope you had a good day.
- Hola, ¿cómo estás?Hello, how are you?
- ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? Hace mucho que no nos vemos.Hi! How's it going? It's been a long time since we last saw each other.
- Saludos a todos. ¡Qué bueno verte por aquí!Greetings, everyone. It's great to see you here!
- 113 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel meet at a café.
- SofíaHola, Daniel. ¿Cómo estás?Hello, Daniel. How are you?
- DanielHola, Sofía. Todo bien, gracias.Hello, Sofía. Everything is good, thanks.
- Sofía¿Quieres sentarte conmigo?Do you want to sit with me?
- DanielSí, 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.
