¡hola, idiota!
/ˈola iˈdjota/word by word
The English phrase "hi, idiot!" is translated into Spanish as ¡hola, idiota!
This is an informal and insulting greeting used to address someone the speaker considers stupid. While Hola is the most common and universally acceptable way to say "hello" in Spanish, adding idiota turns the greeting into an insult.
What does it mean word for word?
The word idiota means "idiot".
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, exclamatory phrases like this are typically enclosed by both an opening and a closing exclamation mark (¡ !). The word idiota is an invariable noun in terms of gender, meaning it can be used for both males and females.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola iˈdjota/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, calling a close friend idiota can be a sign of extreme familiarity rather than a genuine desire to offend.
- The word idiota stems from the Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης, which actually meant a 'layman' or a person not involved in politics, rather than someone lacking intelligence.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola, idiota!Hi, idiot!
- ¡Hola, idiota!, ¿qué haces aquí?Hi, idiot! What are you doing here?
- Él me dijo: ¡hola, idiota!He said to me: hi, idiot!
Example conversation
Two friends are joking around at a party.
- Lucía¡Hola, idiota! ¿Cómo estás?Hi, idiot! How are you?
- Mateo¡Hola! Todo bien, Lucía.Hi! Everything is good, Lucía.
- LucíaEres un tonto, Mateo.You are a dummy, Mateo.
- MateoLo sé, lo sé.I know, I know.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (hola, idiota) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, idiota, CC BY-SA 4.0.
