hola, señorita
/ˈola seɲoˈɾita/word by word
The English phrase 'hello little lady' is translated into Spanish as hola, señorita.
This phrase is a friendly greeting used when speaking to a young girl or an unmarried woman.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of hola (hello) and señorita (young lady/miss).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hola, señorita is a polite and respectful way to address a young girl or an unmarried woman. For a more informal way to say 'Hello, little girl!', you can use ¡Hola, chiquita!
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola seɲoˈɾita/
Did you know?
- Some linguists suggest hola may be related to the Arabic phrase wal-lāh, which means 'really?' or 'by God!'
- While señorita literally means 'young lady', in many Spanish-speaking cultures it is used as a professional title for female teachers or waitresses regardless of their marital status.
- While it sounds sweet in English, using señorita with an adult woman you do not know can sometimes feel patronizing or overly flirtatious depending on the region.
Example conversation
Alejandro greets Sofía as she enters a small café.
- SofíaHola, señorita, ¿qué desea tomar?Hello, miss, what would you like to drink?
- AlejandroHola, quiero un café con leche, por favor.Hello, I want a coffee with milk, please.
- SofíaMuy bien, Sofía, lo traigo enseguida.Very well, Sofía, I will bring it right away.
- AlejandroMuchas gracias, Alejandro.Thank you very much, Alejandro.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (hola, señorita) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, señorita, CC BY-SA 4.0.
