Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hola | /ˈola/ | |
| holi | /ˈoli/ | familiar |
| holis | /ˈolis/ |
The term is used as a standard greeting. Depending on the time of day or the specific level of interaction, you might also use other greetings such as Buenos días (good morning), Buenas tardes (good afternoon) or Buenas noches (good evening/night). Other ways to check in with someone include ¿Cómo está usted? (How are you?), ¿Cómo le va? (How is it going for you?) or ¿Qué tal? (How's it going?).
Which one should you use?
While hola is the standard greeting, holi and holis are much more diminutive and playful forms.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
hola is the standard form suitable for most situations. holi is a highly informal, cute way to say hello often used in texting or among close friends. holis is a slangy and playful variation used in very casual social settings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you might use the relaxed greetings ¡Ey! or ¡Ey, qué pasa! In Mexico, ¿Qué onda? is used to mean "What's up?" In various parts of Latin America, you can use ¡Buen día! for "Good day!" or use ¿Qué hubo? and ¿Cómo andas? as equivalents to "How's it going?"
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola/
Did you know?
- Some linguists have explored a possible connection between hola and the Arabic phrase wal-lāh, meaning 'by God', though this remains a debated theory.
- In certain parts of Latin America, you can greet someone by asking ¿Qué hubo?, which is a contraction of 'What was there?'
- While hola is the universal standard, in Mexico you can skip it entirely by asking ¿Qué onda?, which literally translates to 'What wave?'
Examples in context
- Dile hola a Jimmy.Say hello to Jimmy.This sentence demonstrates how to use the form hola when telling someone to greet another person.Tatoeba #1240331 by Shishir, translation #53376 by CP
- Tom nunca dice hola.Tom never says hello.This sentence shows a negative use of the form hola to describe someone's habit of greeting.Tatoeba #5939755 by arh, translation #5939656 by CK
- Di hola a tus amigos.Say hello to your friends.This sentence illustrates using the form hola to greet a group of friends.Tatoeba #741281 by Shishir, translation #70346 by CK
- 113 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía meet at a cafe.
- MateoHola, Sofía. ¿Cómo estás?Hello, Sofía. How are you?
- SofíaHola, Mateo. Estoy muy bien.Hello, Mateo. I am very well.
- Mateo¿Qué haces por aquí?What are you doing around here?
- SofíaVine a leer un libro.I came to read a book.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries hola, holi, holis, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, holis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
