hola
/ˈola/
The English word "hi" is translated into Spanish as hola.
hola is a versatile greeting used to say "hi" or "hello" in various social settings.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Which one should you use?
While hola is a general, all-purpose greeting, you can use more specific and formal expressions depending on the time of day: Buenos días (good morning), Buenas tardes (good afternoon) or Buenas noches (good evening or goodnight). Additionally, ¿Qué tal? can be used as an informal way to say "What's up?" when greeting someone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hola is appropriate for informal and neutral social situations. For more formal greetings, it is better to use time-specific phrases like Buenos días, Buenas tardes or Buenas noches.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Chile, hola is the most common and versatile way to say "hi".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola/
Did you know?
- The word hola may have originated not as a greeting, but as a command to 'stop' or 'hey you!', much like the French expression holà.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, a simple hola is often accompanied by a single cheek kiss or a light touch on the cheek during an introduction.
- Depending on the country, hola can be combined with local slang, such as hola, che in Argentina, which adds a distinct cultural identity to the greeting.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal estás?Hi! How are you?This sentence shows how to use hola in a friendly greeting.Tatoeba #535238 by Shishir, translation #30316 by Zifre
- Hola chicos, soy Mike.Hi guys, I'm Mike.This sentence demonstrates using hola when addressing a group of people.Tatoeba #1020897 by Shishir, translation #1020895 by CP
- ¡Hola! Soy nuevo aquí.Hi! I'm new here.This sentence illustrates using hola to introduce yourself as a new person.Tatoeba #1666523 by marcelostockle, translation #1654229 by Spamster
- María: Buenas tardes, señora.Good afternoon, ma'am.
- Javier: ¡Hola, amigo!Hi, friend!
- Camila: ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?Hi! What's up?
- 75 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Alejandro see each other in a park.
- María¡Hola, Alejandro!Hi, Alejandro!
- Alejandro¡Hola, María!Hi, María!
- María¿Cómo estás?How are you?
- AlejandroMuy bien, gracias.Very well, thanks.
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.
