hola, soy yo
The English phrase "hi, it's me" is translated into Spanish as hola, soy yo.
You use this phrase to identify yourself to someone, such as when you are knocking on a door or calling on the phone. In informal speech, the exclamation ¡Hola, soy yo! can be used to convey the meaning "Hey, it's me!"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of hola (hi), soy (I am) and yo (I).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain contexts, you might hear the variation ¡Hola, soy yo!, ¿qué tal, tío/a?, which translates to "Hey, it's me! How are you, buddy?"
How does it change in a sentence?
This phrase uses the first-person singular form of the verb ser (to be) to identify the speaker.
Did you know?
- The greeting hola likely originated from the French word holà, which was used as a command to tell someone to stop.
- In Spain, the addition of tío or tía to a greeting is a common slang term for 'buddy' or 'mate', though it literally means 'uncle' or 'aunt'.
- While soy yo translates to 'it is I', Spanish allows for the omission of the word yo because the verb soy can only refer to the speaker.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola, soy yo! ¿Te apetece tomar un café?Hi, it's me! Do you feel like grabbing a coffee?
- Hola, soy yo. Abre la puerta.Hi, it's me. Open the door.
- ¡Hola, soy yo! ¿Me escuchas?Hi, it's me! Do you hear me?
Example conversation
Lucía knocks on Javier's apartment door.
- LucíaHola, soy yo, Lucía.Hi, it's me, Lucía.
- Javier¡Ah! Hola, Lucía, pasa.Ah! Hi, Lucía, come in.
- LucíaGracias, ¿tienes un momento?Thanks, do you have a moment?
- JavierSí, claro, dime.Yes, of course, tell me.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, soy, yo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
