hola
[ˈo̞.lə]
The English phrase "hi" is translated into Catalan as hola.
Hola is a friendly and universal greeting. While it is a basic way to say hi in any context, it is also appropriate for formal situations. Other time-specific greetings include Bon dia for good day (used in the morning) and Bona tarda for good afternoon.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Which one should you use?
While hola serves as a general greeting, bon dia is a more standard way to say "good morning" or "good day" when you want to be polite or formal.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Hola is primarily used in informal or neutral social settings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Balearic Islands, it is common to end informal greetings with the word bé, which means "well".
When do people say it?
To expand on a greeting, you might use the informal phrase Què tal? (how are you?) or the phrase Com va?, which is more commonly used in certain regions like Barcelona. For a very informal "hey", you can use Ei.
Did you know?
- In Catalonia, a common way to greet friends is by kissing both cheeks, starting with the right side. This gesture often accompanies the word hola.
- The word hola was borrowed into Catalan from the Spanish language.
- In Catalan, greeting someone with Bon dia is considered more than just a 'hi' and often functions as a necessary social ritual before starting any conversation.
Examples in context
- Hola a tots.Hi, everyone.This sentence shows how to use hola to greet a group.Tatoeba #5163840 by gonsalet, translation #499391 by hoangphuong_92
- Hola, com va tot?Hi, how is everything going?
- Hola, molt bona tarda.Hi, good afternoon.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Marc and Laia meet on a street in the morning.
- MarcHola, Laia!Hi, Laia!
- LaiaHola, Marc. Com estàs?Hi, Marc. How are you?
- MarcMolt bé, gràcies.Very well, thanks.
- LaiaEm alegro molt.I am very glad.
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.
