Spanish word

hola

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈola/

Meaning

  • interjectionhi, hello

Example

¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás?

Hi! How are you?

Illustration for hola (hi)

More examples

¡Hola! ¿Quién habla?

Hello! Who is speaking?

Core concept

A short informal greeting used to begin an everyday interaction.

Common phrases

  • responder con hola

    respond with hello

  • decir hola por teléfono

    say hello on the phone

Similar words

buenos días: Greets politely when meeting someone in the morning before noon.
buenas tardes: Greets when meeting someone in the afternoon.
buenas noches: Greets when meeting someone at night or after sunset.
qué tal: Greets casually while asking how the other person is doing.

Definition in Spanish

Expresa un saludo sencillo y directo para comenzar una interacción cotidiana, adecuada en saludos cara a cara y en chats informales.

Word origin

From Old Spanish holla/hola, originally a brief calling word that became the standard informal salutation.

Usage tips

  • The h is silent so hola sounds like ola, and following hola with a name or ¿Cómo estás? helps the conversation flow while tone marks familiarity or formality.

Other meanings

  • heyinterjection

Opposites

Word lists with this word