Inklingo

How to Say "hi" in Spanish

English → Spanish

hola

OH-lahˈo.la

InterjectionA1informal
Use 'hola' as a general, all-purpose greeting in almost any situation, from casual encounters to more formal introductions.
Two diverse friends smiling and waving at each other as a friendly greeting.

Examples

¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?

Hi! How's it going?

¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás?

Hello! How are you?

Hola, me llamo Carlos.

Hi, my name is Carlos.

Cuando llegué a la fiesta, dije «hola» a todos.

When I got to the party, I said 'hello' to everyone.

The Silent 'H'

In Spanish, the letter 'h' is almost always silent. So, 'hola' sounds exactly like 'ola' (which means 'wave'). Remember to never pronounce the 'h' sound at the beginning!

Confusing 'Hola' and 'Ola'

Mistake: “Writing 'ola' when you mean to greet someone.”

Correction: Always write 'hola' for the greeting. Even though they sound the same, 'ola' means 'wave' (like in the ocean). The 'h' is your clue that it's a greeting.

buenas

BWEH-nahˈbwena

PhraseA1informal
Use 'buenas' as a friendly, slightly more informal greeting, often as a shortened form of 'buenas tardes' or 'buenas noches', suitable for everyday casual interactions.
Two women greeting each other warmly on a sunny street, one saying 'Buenas'.

Examples

¡Buenas! ¿Cómo te va?

Hi! How's it going?

¡Buenas! ¿Qué tal todo?

Hi! How's everything?

Buenas noches, que duermas bien.

Good night, sleep well.

Buenas tardes, ¿en qué puedo ayudarla?

Good afternoon, how can I help you?

Always Feminine and Plural

This greeting is a shortcut for 'buenas tardes' or 'buenas noches'. Because 'tardes' and 'noches' are feminine and plural, the greeting 'buenas' always ends in '-as'.

Choosing Between 'Hola' and 'Buenas'

Learners sometimes mistakenly think 'buenas' is a direct, less formal equivalent of 'hola'. In reality, 'hola' is the universal greeting. 'Buenas' is more of a friendly, casual shortcut that implies a time of day (like 'good day/afternoon/evening') but is used very informally.

Related Translations

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