Hola
everyday
In Uruguay you can greet anyone with Hola. A short Buenas is a very common casual hello, used when entering a shop or meeting someone. It is also called Buenos días.
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| Hola | everyday |
| Buenas | casual, Uruguay |
| Buenos días | morning |
Buenas works at any time of day. Uruguayans often follow the greeting with a question such as ¿cómo andás?
Is it said differently in some regions?
Uruguay uses vos with its own verb forms, so a friendly follow-up is ¿Cómo andás?, not ¿cómo andas?
Did you know?
- Don before a first name is a respectful title for an older man, as in Don Carlos.
Examples in context
- Hola, ¿cómo andás?Hello, how are you?
- Buenas, ¿tienen pan?Hello, do you have bread?
- Hola, mucho gusto.Hello, nice to meet you.
Example conversation
Julieta walks into a small grocery store and greets the owner Don Carlos.
- JulietaBuenas, Don Carlos.Hello, Don Carlos.
- Don CarlosHola, Julieta. ¿Cómo andás?Hello, Julieta. How are you?
- JulietaBien, ¿y usted?Fine, and you?
- Don CarlosTodo bien, gracias.All good, thanks.
