Hola
standard
The safe way to say hello in Venezuela is Hola. Among friends you will often hear the local Épale, and Buenas is a short, polite greeting for any time of day.
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| Hola | standard |
| Épale | casual, Venezuela |
| Buenas | polite, short |
Hola works everywhere. Buenas is a shortened form of buenos días, buenas tardes or buenas noches and is common when entering a shop.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Épale is a very Venezuelan greeting, usually with friends or people of the same age. Epa is the shorter form.
When do people say it?
Greetings are warm and often come with a kiss on the cheek or a hug among friends, and the question ¿Cómo estás? follows right away.
Did you know?
- Me regala is a common Venezuelan way to ask for something politely, literally "do you give me".
Examples in context
- Hola, ¿cómo estás?Hello, how are you?
- ¡Épale! ¿Qué tal todo?Hey! How is everything?
- Buenas, ¿me regala un café?Hello, could I have a coffee?
Example conversation
Daniel meets his friend Pedro on a street in Caracas.
- Daniel¡Épale, Pedro!Hey, Pedro!
- PedroHola, Daniel. ¿Cómo estás?Hi, Daniel. How are you?
- DanielBien, ¿y tú?Good, and you?
