hola
/ˈola/
In Spanish, the phrase "hi politely" is translated as hola.
hola is the standard way to say "hi" in Spanish in both formal and informal contexts. While hola is a general greeting, using time-specific greetings like buenos días is considered more polite and formal in many Spanish-speaking cultures.
Which one should you use?
buenos días is a formal and respectful way to greet someone in the morning until around noon and buenas tardes is used from around noon until evening to politely say 'hi' in a more formal context. If you are meeting someone for the first time in a formal setting, you might use the phrase encantado/a de conocerle to say "pleased to meet you".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Costa Rica, the expression ¡Pura vida! is a popular way to say "hi".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola/
When do people say it?
If meeting a person for the first time in a formal capacity, you can use encantado/a de conocerle to express pleasure in the meeting.
Did you know?
- The word hola may have originated not as a greeting, but as a command to 'stop' or 'hey!' similar to the French 'holà'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a polite greeting is often accompanied by a light kiss on the cheek or two, known as dos besos in Spain.
- In some Latin American countries, it is considered more polite to greet every single person individually when entering a room rather than saying one general hola to the group.
Examples in context
- Hola, ¿cómo estás?Hello, how are you?
- Hola a todos.Hello everyone.
- Hola, buenos días.Hello, good morning.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier meet in a hallway at work.
- ElenaHola, Javier.Hello, Javier.
- JavierHola, Elena. ¿Qué tal?Hello, Elena. How's it going?
- ElenaTodo bien, gracias.Everything is fine, thanks.
- JavierMe alegro mucho.I am very glad.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry hola, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
