Which one should you use?
Use hola primo when addressing a male cousin, but switch to hola prima if you are addressing a female cousin. To greet a group of male cousins or a mixed-gender group, use the plural form hola primos.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Hola primo is an informal greeting suitable for family members or close friends.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and some other Latin American countries, you may hear the informal expression ¿Qué onda, primo/a? used instead of ¿Qué tal, primo/a? to mean "What's up, cousin?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes based on gender and number: use primo for a male cousin, prima for a female cousin and primos for a group of male or mixed-gender cousins.
When do people say it?
In many Spanish-speaking cultures, primo is used colloquially to address a male friend or acquaintance, even if there is no biological relation. To make your greeting more endearing, you can say Hola, primo/a lindo/a (Hi, lovely cousin).
Did you know?
- Some linguists have explored whether hola was influenced by the Arabic phrase 'wal-lāh', which means 'by God'.
- In many Latin American countries, calling a stranger primo is a way to establish immediate friendliness and rapport, even without any biological connection.
- If you are greeting a group of female cousins, you must use hola primas, but if even one person in the group is male, the plural shifts to hola primos.
Examples in context
- Hola primo, ¿cómo estás?Hi cousin, how are you?
- ¡Hola primo! Qué gusto verte.Hi cousin! It is good to see you.
- Hola primo, ¿vienes a la fiesta?Hi cousin, are you coming to the party?
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena see each other at a family reunion.
- Mateo¡Hola primo! ¿Cómo va todo?Hi cousin! How is everything going?
- ElenaHola Mateo, todo va muy bien.Hi Mateo, everything is going very well.
- Mateo¿Has visto a nuestra tía?Have you seen our aunt?
- ElenaNo, pero la buscaré ahora.No, but I will look for her now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, primo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
