hola mono
/ola mono/from spelling rules
The English phrase hello monkey is translated into Spanish as hola mono.
Related variations include the formal greeting Buenos días, señor mono (Good morning, Mr. Monkey) and Buenas tardes, señora mono (Good afternoon, Mrs. Monkey).
Is it said differently in some regions?
The informal greeting ¡Qué onda, chango! is popular in some Latin American countries, especially Mexico.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, mono can also refer to a jumpsuit or coveralls, making the phrase hola mono potentially a greeting to someone wearing a one-piece outfit.
- The Spanish word mono can also mean 'cute' or 'pretty' when used to describe an object or a person. If you call a person un mono, you might be calling them 'a cutie' instead of an animal.
- The word mono shares an unexpected ancestor with the Arabic word maymūn, which refers to a 'baboon' or 'mandrill'. This linguistic path connects the Spanish term for a monkey directly to North African primates.
Example conversation
Lucía is teasing Alejandro during a video call.
- Lucía¡Hola mono!Hello monkey!
- Alejandro¿Por qué me llamas así?Why are you calling me that?
- LucíaPorque eres muy gracioso.Because you are very funny.
- AlejandroEstá bien, acepto el nombre.Alright, I accept the name.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, mono, CC BY-SA 4.0.
