hola, señora
/ˈola seˈɲoɾa/word by word
The English phrase 'hello to a lady' is translated into Spanish as hola, señora.
hola, señora is a respectful way to say hello to a married or older lady. Depending on the time of day, you might use more specific formal greetings like Buenos días señora (good morning, ma'am), Buenas tardes señora (good afternoon, ma'am) or Buenas noches señora (good evening, ma'am). In formal introductions, you can also use Encantado/a de conocerla to say you are pleased to meet her. While Hola is a common way to say hello in general, hola, señora adds a layer of respectful address.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between addressing women based on age or marital status. Use hola, señorita to say 'hello, miss' when speaking to a younger or unmarried woman. In contrast, use hola, señora when addressing an older or married woman.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase hola, señora, the word señora is a noun used as a vocative, which means it is used to address the person directly.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola seˈɲoɾa/
Did you know?
- The greeting hola may be related to ancient Germanic words used specifically to hail ferrymen, essentially acting as a shout to get a boatman's attention.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, calling a woman señora can be a social faux pas if she is quite young, as it implies she is married or of an older generation.
- In some regions, señora is used as a title of respect for any woman in a position of authority, even if she is younger than the speaker.
Examples in context
- Buenos días señora, ¿cómo amaneció hoy?Good morning, ma'am, how are you today?
- Buenas tardes señora, es un placer saludarlaGood afternoon, ma'am, it's a pleasure to greet you
- Hola señora, ¿me permite presentarme? Soy Juan, un gusto conocerlaHello ma'am, may I introduce myself? I'm Juan, pleased to meet you
- ¡Hola guapa! ¿Cómo has estado?Hello beautiful! How have you been?
- Hola, señora, ¿cómo está?Hello, ma'am, how are you?
- Hola, señora, buen día.Hello, ma'am, good day.
- ¡Hola, señora! Es un gusto.Hello, ma'am! It is a pleasure.
Example conversation
Javier greets his neighbor in the hallway.
- MaríaHola, señora María, buenos días.Hello, Mrs. María, good morning.
- JavierHola, Javier, ¿cómo estás?Hello, Javier, how are you?
- MaríaEstoy muy bien, gracias.I am doing very well, thank you.
- JavierQué bueno, que tengas un lindo día.That's great, have a nice day.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (hola, señora) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, señora, CC BY-SA 4.0.
