Hola
everyday
Hola is the standard way to say hi in Argentina. Friends also say ¿Qué hacés?, which literally means "what are you doing" but works as "hi, how are you". It is also called Buenas.
Meaning: short greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| Hola | everyday |
| Buenas | casual, Argentina |
| ¿Qué hacés? | casual, Argentina |
Reply to ¿Qué hacés? with something like Bien, ¿vos? It is not a question about your activity.
Which one should you use?
Buenas is shorter and fits shops, offices and entrances. Hola fits any moment.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Qué hacés uses the Argentine vos form hacés. A speaker from Spain would say ¿Qué haces? or ¿Qué tal?
Did you know?
- The question ¿Cómo va? is also common as a greeting in Argentina.
Examples in context
- Hola, ¿qué hacés?Hi, how are you?
- Buenas, ¿cómo va?Hi, how is it going?
Example conversation
Paula meets her classmate Iván at a university in Buenos Aires.
- PaulaHola, Iván. ¿Qué hacés?Hi, Iván. How are you?
- IvánBien, ¿vos?Fine, and you?
- PaulaBien, vamos a clase.Fine, let's go to class.
