hola a todos
/ola a todos/from spelling rules
To say hello to a group in Spanish, say hola a todos.
What does it mean word for word?
hola means hello, a means to and todos means everyone.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the group is made up only of women, say hola a todas. In more formal or inclusive settings, some speakers say hola a todos y todas to address both genders.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /ola a todos/. The h in hola is silent.
Did you know?
- Some linguists suggest hola might be related to the Arabic phrase wal-lāh, which means 'by God!' or 'really?'
- While hola a todos is used for mixed groups, some modern speakers use hola a todxs or hola a tod@s in writing to be gender-neutral.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, it is considered more polite to skip hola a todos entirely and instead use a time-based greeting like buenos días or buenas tardes when addressing a group.
Examples in context
- Buenos días a todos. Me llamo María García y represento a la compañía XYZ. Es un placer estar aquí hoy.Good morning, everyone. My name is María García, and I represent XYZ company. It's a pleasure to be here today.
- ¿Qué tal, amigos? ¿Cómo les ha ido? Estoy emocionado de verlos.How's it going, friends? How have you been? I'm excited to see you.
- Hola a todos, ¿cómo están?Hello to everyone, how are you?
- ¡Hola a todos! Es un gusto verlos.Hello to everyone! It is a pleasure to see you.
- Entro a la sala y digo: hola a todos.I enter the room and say: hello to everyone.
Example conversation
Lucía enters a small room where Mateo and his friends are sitting.
- Lucía¡Hola a todos!Hello to everyone!
- Mateo¡Hola, Lucía! Pasa, por favor.Hello, Lucía! Come in, please.
- Lucía¿Hay sitio para mí?Is there a seat for me?
- MateoSí, siéntate con nosotros.Yes, sit with us.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, hola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
