Hola
standard, Chile
In Chilean Spanish "hi" is Hola. People also say buenas as a quick hello and add ¿cómo estai? to ask how someone is.
Meaning: informal greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| Hola | standard, Chile |
| Buenas | casual, Chile |
| ¿Cómo estai? | casual, Chile |
Friends greet with hola, ¿cómo estai? or the longer ¿cómo andai? In more formal settings use hola, ¿cómo está? with usted.
Which one should you use?
Estai is the Chilean informal verb form, where other countries say estás. It marks a very Chilean way of speaking with tú forms.
When do people say it?
When answering the phone Chileans say aló, not hola. A greeting with friends often includes a kiss on the right cheek.
Did you know?
- In Chile the phone greeting aló is standard and is used by everyone when picking up.
Examples in context
- Hola, ¿cómo estai?Hi, how are you?
- Buenas, ¿todo bien?Hi, all good?
- Aló, ¿con quién hablo?Hello, who am I speaking with?
Example conversation
Rafael runs into his friend Catalina at a café in Providencia.
- RafaelHola, Cata. ¿Cómo estai?Hi, Cata. How are you?
- CatalinaBien, ¿y tú?Good, and you?
- RafaelBien, tanto tiempo.Good, it has been a while.
- CatalinaSí, sentémonos a conversar.Yes, let us sit and talk.
