hola, persona
/ˈola peɾˈsona/word by word
The Spanish phrase for "hello person" is hola, persona.
hola, persona is a greeting used to address a person. The term Hola is a general greeting suitable for less formal encounters or when addressing a group of people.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions, particularly in Argentina, it is common to use the informal greeting ¿Cómo te va? to mean "how's it going?"
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola peɾˈsona/
Did you know?
- While persona is the direct equivalent of the English 'person', using it in a greeting like hola, persona can sound unnaturally robotic or strange to native speakers.
- The greeting hola might be related to an Old High German shout used to hail a ferryman.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a greeting is often accompanied by a physical gesture, such as a single kiss on the cheek or a light touch on the arm, which adds a layer of meaning beyond the words used.
Examples in context
- Buenos días, señora González. ¿Cómo ha amanecido hoy?Good morning, Mrs. González. How did your day start today?
- Buenas tardes, señorita. ¿En qué puedo ayudarle hoy?Good afternoon, miss. How can I assist you today?
- ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?Hello! What's up?
Example conversation
Two people meet for the first time in a park.
- MaríaHola, persona nueva. Soy María.Hello, new person. I am María.
- DanielHola, María. Yo soy Daniel.Hello, María. I am Daniel.
- María¿De dónde eres, Daniel?Where are you from, Daniel?
- DanielSoy de España.I am from Spain.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (hola, persona) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, persona, CC BY-SA 4.0.
