hola, cariño
/ˈola kaˈɾiɲo/word by word
The English phrase "hello my darling" is translated into Spanish as hola, cariño.
hola, cariño is an affectionate greeting used for a romantic partner or a loved one. Other informal and endearing ways to greet someone include ¡Hey, mi amor! (Hey, my love!), ¡Hola, preciosa! (Hello, gorgeous!) and hola, mi amor (hello, my love).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of hola (hello) and cariño (affection, darling, dear or sweetheart).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, it is common to greet loved ones by saying ¡Hola, mi vida! (Hello, my life!). In Spain, the phrase ¡Buenas, cariñín/a! can be used to mean "Hello, dear!"
How does it change in a sentence?
While the English phrase includes the possessive "my", it is often omitted in the Spanish translation hola, cariño even though it is implied by the affectionate context.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola kaˈɾiɲo/
Did you know?
- The word hola may have originated from the French holà, which was used as a command to tell someone to 'stop' or 'hey'.
- The word cariño is derived from a noun that means 'affection' or 'care', making the greeting literally 'hello, affection'.
- In some contexts, using the diminutive form cariñín or cariñina can change the tone from a deep romantic expression to a more playful or lighthearted greeting.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola, cariño! ¿Cómo estás hoy? Te extrañé mucho.Hello, darling! How are you today? I missed you a lot.
- ¡Hey, mi amor! ¿Vienes a cenar conmigo esta noche?Hey, my love! Are you coming to dinner with me tonight?
- ¡Buenas, cariñín/a! ¿Qué tal estás? ¡Me alegra verte!Hello, dear! How are you? I'm glad to see you!
- Hola, cariño, ¿cómo estuvo tu día?Hello, darling, how was your day?
- ¡Hola, cariño! Te extrañé mucho.Hello, darling! I missed you a lot.
- Hola, cariño, ¿quieres ir a cenar?Hello, darling, do you want to go out for dinner?
Example conversation
Daniel arrives home from work and sees María.
- MaríaHola, cariño, bienvenido a casa.Hello, darling, welcome home.
- DanielHola, María, gracias por esperarme.Hello, María, thanks for waiting for me.
- MaríaNo hay de qué, te amo.You're welcome, I love you.
- DanielYo también te amo, hermosa.I love you too, beautiful.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (hola, cariño) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cariño, hola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
