Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hola | /ˈola/ | |
| holi | /ˈoli/ | familiar |
| holis | /ˈolis/ |
hola is the most common and universal way to say hello in Spanish. Depending on the time of day, you might also use Buenos días (good morning) before noon, Buenas tardes (good afternoon) from noon until evening or Buenas noches (good evening or good night) after dark or when wishing someone a pleasant evening. Other ways to greet or inquire about someone include the informal ¿Qué tal? (How's it going?), the casual ¿Cómo estás? (How are you?) or the casual greeting ¡Saludos! (Greetings! or Regards!).
Which one should you use?
While hola is the standard greeting for almost any situation, holi and holis are much more casual and should be avoided in professional or formal contexts. Additionally, ¿Qué onda? (What's up? or What's happening?) is a colloquial greeting used mostly in certain regions, such as Mexico.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In very informal settings, such as texting friends, you might see the cute or diminutive version holi. The slangy, playful variation holis is also used in casual digital communication. Both holi and holis should be avoided in professional or formal contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a greeting like hola is often accompanied by a physical gesture, such as a single kiss on the cheek or two, depending on the region.
- The word hola may have originated not as a friendly greeting, but as a command to stop or pay attention, derived from the French 'holà'.
- Spanish speakers often chain multiple greetings together, such as Hola, ¿qué tal?, ¿cómo estás?, treating them as a single opening sequence rather than three separate questions.
Examples in context
- Dile hola a Jimmy.Say hello to Jimmy.Tatoeba #1240331 by Shishir, translation #53376 by CP
- Tom nunca dice hola.Tom never says hello.Tatoeba #5939755 by arh, translation #5939656 by CK
- Di hola a tus amigos.Say hello to your friends.Tatoeba #741281 by Shishir, translation #70346 by CK
- ¿Cómo estás vos?How are you (in Argentina/Uruguay/Paraguay)?
- 113 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro meet in a park.
- Sofía¡Hola, Alejandro!Hello, Alejandro!
- Alejandro¡Hola, Sofía! ¿Cómo estás?Hello, Sofía! How are you?
- SofíaMuy bien, gracias.Very well, thank you.
- AlejandroMe alegro mucho.I am very glad.
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.
