Ways to say it
| Latin American Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| ¡Hola! | |
| ¿Qué tal? | informal |
| ¿Qué onda? | slang, Mexico, Central America, Argentina |
| ¿Quiubo? | slang, Colombia, Chile, Mexico |
¡Hola! and ¿Qué tal? are understood everywhere. With friends many countries have their own slang greeting, like ¿Qué onda? in Mexico or ¿Quiubo? in Colombia.
What does it mean word for word?
¿Qué onda? is literally "what wave?" and means "what's up?" ¿Quiubo? is a run-together form of ¿Qué hubo?, "what was there?"
Which one should you use?
¡Hola! is safe with anyone. ¿Qué onda? and ¿Quiubo? are only for friends and people your own age.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
All of these are informal. With an older person or a stranger, use Buenos días or Buenas tardes instead.
Is it said differently in some regions?
¿Qué onda? is typical of Mexico, Central America and Argentina. ¿Quiubo? is heard in Colombia, Chile and Mexico. In Colombia friends also say ¿Qué más?
How does it change in a sentence?
¿Qué tal? needs no verb. It works on its own or with a name: ¿Qué tal, Ana?
How do you pronounce it?
¿Qué onda? sounds like "keh OHN-dah", and ¿Quiubo? like "kyoo-boh".
What mistakes should you avoid?
Answer ¿Qué tal? with Bien or Todo bien, not with a long report. It is a greeting more than a real question.
When do people say it?
Young people often greet friends with a quick ¡Hola! and a hug or a kiss on the cheek, depending on the country.
Did you know?
- ¿Qué onda? literally asks "what wave?" It became the Mexican way of saying "what's up?" in the twentieth century and spread to neighbouring countries.
- ¿Quiubo? comes from ¿Qué hubo?, "what was there?", run together in fast speech.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola, Ana! ¿Qué tal?Hi, Ana! How's it going?
- ¿Qué onda, Carlos?What's up, Carlos?
- ¡Quiubo, parce! ¿Todo bien?Hi, buddy! All good?
Example conversation
Two friends, Diego and Valeria, bump into each other in a café in Mexico City.
- Diego¡Hola, Valeria! ¿Qué onda?Hi, Valeria! What's up?
- Valeria¡Hola! Todo bien, ¿y tú?Hi! All good, and you?
- DiegoBien, aquí tomando un café.Good, just having a coffee.
- ValeriaQué bueno. Me siento contigo.Nice. I'll sit with you.
