How to Say "Hi" in Spanish - How To Say Guide

hola

/ˈola/

The English phrase "hi" is translated into Spanish as hola.

hola is a friendly, informal greeting.

Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

hola is a versatile greeting that is appropriate for both informal and neutral social situations.

In written Spanish, an exclamation point is used at both the beginning and the end of the greeting: ¡Hola!

/ˈola/

The history of hola may be linked to the Old High German word holā, which was used specifically to hail a ferryman.
In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a physical gesture like a light kiss on the cheek or a handshake often accompanies the verbal hola to reinforce the connection.
Although hola is a greeting, its phonetic similarity to the Spanish word ola, which means 'wave' in the ocean, can lead to puns or wordplay in songs and poetry.

¡Hola! ¿Qué tal estás?
Hi! How are you?
This sentence shows how to use hola when asking how someone is.
Tatoeba #535238 by Shishir, translation #30316 by Zifre
Hola chicos, soy Mike.
Hi guys, I'm Mike.
This sentence demonstrates using hola to address a group of people.
Tatoeba #1020897 by Shishir, translation #1020895 by CP
¡Hola! Soy nuevo aquí.
Hi! I'm new here.
This sentence shows using hola when introducing yourself as a newcomer.
Tatoeba #1666523 by marcelostockle, translation #1654229 by Spamster
Hola, mi vida
Hello, my life
¿Qué tal, cariño?
What's up, darling?
¡Hey, preciosa!
Hey, beautiful!
¿Cómo va, guapa?
How's it going, gorgeous?
Buenas tardes, mi amor
Good afternoon, my love
¡Hola, chula!
Hi, cutie!
¡Hola, novia linda!
Hi, pretty girlfriend!
75 more sentences on Tatoeba

Sofía and Mateo meet in a park.

Sources

Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries hola, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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