Hola amigos
/ola amiɡos/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'hi friends' is translated into Spanish as Hola amigos.
For a more informal greeting such as 'how are you, friends?', you can use ¿Qué tal, amigos? In written communication, if you wish to say 'dear friends', use Estimados amigos.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are addressing only one male friend, use the singular form Hola amigo. If the group of friends consists only of females, the masculine amigos changes to the feminine Hola amigas.
Did you know?
- The word hola likely originated from a French term meaning 'hey! stop!', which was used to catch someone's attention.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying Hola amigos is often accompanied by a single cheek kiss or a hug, whereas in English 'hi friends' is often just a wave.
- Unlike English where 'friends' is a general term, Spanish has a distinction between amigos and conocidos, the latter referring to people you know but are not actually friends with.
Examples in context
- Hola amigos, ¿cómo están?Hi friends, how are you?
- Hola amigos, bienvenidos a la fiesta.Hi friends, welcome to the party.
- ¡Hola amigos! Qué alegría verlos.Hi friends! What a joy to see you.
Example conversation
Elena greets Daniel and their group of friends at a cafe.
- ElenaHola amigos, qué bueno verlos.Hi friends, it's great to see you.
- DanielHola Elena, nosotros también.Hi Elena, us too.
- ElenaDaniel, ¿están listos para comer?Daniel, are you guys ready to eat?
- DanielSí, tenemos mucha hambre.Yes, we are very hungry.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
