Hola
standard
To say hi to a girl, say Hola. It is the same for everyone. Add her name or a friendly word, as in Hola, Carla or Hola, linda. It is also called Buenas and Hola, ¿cómo estás?
Meaning: casual greeting (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| Hola | standard |
| Buenas | casual |
| Hola, ¿cómo estás? | friendly |
| Hola, linda | affectionate |
Hola works at any time of day. Adding a question like ¿cómo estás? makes it feel warmer. Buenas alone is a short casual greeting for any time of day.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
With a woman you do not know, hola followed by buenos días or buenas tardes is polite. Pet names such as linda belong with friends.
How do you pronounce it?
The letter h is silent in Spanish, so hola sounds like "OH-lah".
Did you know?
- The silent h in hola is one of the first spelling points learners meet, since the letter is written but never pronounced.
Examples in context
- Hola, Carla.Hi, Carla.
- Hola, ¿cómo estás?Hi, how are you?
- Hola, linda, ¿qué haces?Hi, lovely, what are you doing?
Example conversation
Bruno meets his classmate Natalia in the hallway.
- BrunoHola, Natalia. ¿Cómo estás?Hi, Natalia. How are you?
- NataliaHola, Bruno. Muy bien, ¿y tú?Hi, Bruno. Very well, and you?
- BrunoBien, vamos a clase.Fine, let us go to class.
