hola, vecino
In Spanish, 'hello neighbor' is translated as hola, vecino.
This phrase is a friendly greeting used when speaking to someone who lives nearby.
Which one should you use?
The form hola, vecino is used for a male neighbor or as a gender-neutral term when addressing a group of mixed-gender neighbors. If you are addressing a group consisting only of female neighbors, use the feminine plural form vecinas.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, ¡Buen día, vecino/a! can be used as a more formal alternative. In Spain, ¡Hola, vecino/a! is an informal greeting used in Spain.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the neighbor is female, the noun changes from vecino to vecina. To greet multiple neighbors, use the plural form vecinos.
Did you know?
- The greeting hola might actually have its origins in the French expression holà, which was used to command someone to 'stop!' rather than to say 'hello'.
- The Spanish word vecino is a direct cousin to the Portuguese word vizinho and the French word voisin, showing how this concept of 'neighbor' is unified across Romance languages.
Examples in context
- Buenos días, vecina. ¿Cómo ha amanecido hoy?Good morning, neighbor. How did you wake up today?
- ¡Hola, vecino! ¿Qué planes tienes para hoy?Hello, neighbor! What are your plans for today?
- ¡Hola, vecino! ¿Cómo estás?Hello, neighbor! How are you?
- Hola, vecino, buen día.Hello, neighbor, good day.
- Solo quería decir hola, vecino.I just wanted to say hello, neighbor.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María meet in the apartment hallway.
- AlejandroHola, vecino, ¿qué tal todo?Hello, neighbor, how is everything?
- MaríaTodo bien, Alejandro. ¿Y tú?Everything is good, Alejandro. And you?
- AlejandroMuy bien, gracias por preguntar.Very well, thanks for asking.
- MaríaDe nada. ¡Que tengas un buen día!You're welcome. Have a great day!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, vecino, CC BY-SA 4.0.
