TooterHow to say hi in Spanish
Hi in Spanish is hola (OH-lah). The h is silent, and it works with anyone at any time of day. For a slightly more polite hello, use the time of day: buenos días, buenas tardes or buenas noches.
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Where will you say hola?
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Every way to say hello
Hola is always safe. The others add warmth, politeness or local flavor.
Neutral and friendly. Fine with friends, strangers and shop staff alike.
From waking up until about noon. A little more polite than hola alone.
From noon (or lunch, in Spain) until it gets dark.
After dark. It also means good night when you leave.
Quick and friendly, any time of day. Common in Spain and much of Latin America.
Often right after hola: Hola, ¿qué tal? You don't always need a long answer.
Mexico and Central America, among friends. Not for strangers or older people.
Phone only, and it depends on the country: ¿Bueno? in Mexico, ¿Aló? in much of South America, ¿Diga? or ¿Dígame? in Spain.
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Saying hi to someone new
Meeting someone at a café language exchange.
How to pronounce hola
Drop the h
The letter h is silent in Spanish, so hola is OH-lah. A breathy h at the start is the most common beginner giveaway.
Keep the vowels pure
The o is short and round, not the long oh-oo glide of English hello. The a is open, like the a in father.
Use the opening marks
In writing, exclamations and questions open with ¡ and ¿: ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? Many people skip them in quick texts, but they are correct in anything formal.
Add a greeting gesture
In much of Latin America friends and new acquaintances often greet with one light kiss on the cheek; in Spain it's usually two. A handshake is normal in business and between men who don't know each other well.
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@learningwith.michelleQuestions learners ask
How do you say hi in Spanish?
Say hola (OH-lah), with a silent h. It is the everyday hello across every Spanish-speaking country.
Is hola formal or informal?
Hola is neutral, so it works with anyone. To sound more polite with an older person or in a shop, add the time of day: Hola, buenos días.
How do you say hello on the phone in Spanish?
It depends on the country. Mexicans answer with ¿Bueno?, much of South America uses ¿Aló?, and in Spain people say ¿Diga? or ¿Dígame?. A simple ¿Hola? is understood everywhere.
What is the difference between hola and buenas?
Hola is the standard hi. Buenas is a casual greeting you can use at any time of day. Both are friendly; buenas just sounds a bit more relaxed.
How do you respond to hola?
Say hola back, often with a question: Hola, ¿qué tal? or Hola, ¿cómo estás?. With Tooter you can practice that exchange out loud with an AI tutor until it feels automatic.
How do you say good morning in Spanish?
Say buenos días until about noon, then buenas tardes (good afternoon) and, after dark, buenas noches.
How do you say hey in Spanish?
Among friends, many people just say hola or ¿qué tal? (how's it going?). You will also hear ¿qué onda? in Mexico and ¿qué pasa? in Spain.
How do you greet someone in Spanish?
Say hola or buenos días, then ¿cómo estás? (how are you?) to a friend, or ¿cómo está? to someone older or a stranger.
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Updated October 23, 2026. Tooter tutors are AI characters, not human teachers.