How to Say Hello in Spanish
Learn how to say hello in Spanish. 'Hola' is the universal greeting, but Spanish has formal, informal, and time-specific greetings. Pronunciation guide + all the ways to greet.
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Quick answer
To say hello in Spanish, say 'Hola' (OH-lah) — the universal greeting that works in every situation, formal or informal. Note that the 'H' is silent. For time-specific greetings use 'Buenos días' (good morning), 'Buenas tardes' (good afternoon), and 'Buenas noches' (good evening/night).
Hola
/OH-lah/ — Spanish
How to Say Hello in Spanish
Spanish is spoken by over 480 million native speakers across more than 20 countries — and the good news is that one friendly word, Hola, will greet every one of them.
The Essential Greeting: Hola
Hola — pronounced OH-lah
The single most important rule: the ‘H’ is silent. Spanish never pronounces the letter H. So Hola is “OH-lah,” not “HOH-lah.” This trips up nearly every beginner.
Hola works:
- Formally and informally
- With strangers, colleagues, and friends
- In person, on the phone, and in writing
- Across every Spanish-speaking country
Copy the Phrase
The Spanish word for hello is Hola (OH-lah).
All the Ways to Say Hello in Spanish
| Spanish | Pronunciation | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Hola | OH-lah | Universal — any situation |
| Buenos días | BWEH-nos DEE-as | Good morning (until ~noon) |
| Buenas tardes | BWEH-nas TAR-des | Good afternoon (noon–sunset) |
| Buenas noches | BWEH-nas NOH-ches | Good evening / good night |
| ¿Qué tal? | keh tahl | What’s up? (casual) |
| ¿Cómo estás? | KOH-mo es-TAHS | How are you? (informal) |
| ¿Cómo está? | KOH-mo es-TAH | How are you? (formal) |
| Buenas | BWEH-nas | Casual all-purpose greeting |
| ¿Qué onda? | keh OHN-dah | What’s up? (Mexico) |
Time-of-Day Greetings
Spanish greetings shift with the clock:
| Time | Greeting | Literal |
|---|---|---|
| Morning (until ~noon) | Buenos días | Good days |
| Afternoon (noon–sunset) | Buenas tardes | Good afternoons |
| Evening/night (after dark) | Buenas noches | Good nights |
Note the plural forms (días, tardes, noches) — Spanish uses the plural in these set greetings.
Formal vs. Informal
Spanish distinguishes formal and informal “you”:
- Tú (informal) — friends, family, peers, children → “¿Cómo estás?”
- Usted (formal) — strangers, elders, superiors, professional settings → “¿Cómo está?”
Hola itself is neutral, but the follow-up question and verb form signal formality. When in doubt with someone older or in a professional setting, use usted.
Regional Casual Greetings
Spanish is wonderfully diverse across countries:
- Mexico: ¿Qué onda? / ¿Qué tal?
- Spain: ¿Qué tal? / Buenas
- Colombia: ¿Quiubo? / ¿Qué más?
- Argentina: ¿Qué hacés? / Buenas
The Inverted Question Mark
Spanish opens questions with ¿ and closes with ? — for example, ¿Cómo estás? This signals a question from the start. Exclamations use ¡ and ! the same way.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pronounce Hola?
'Hola' is pronounced OH-lah. The crucial point: the 'H' is completely SILENT in Spanish — never pronounce it. So it's 'OH-lah,' not 'HOH-lah.' The 'o' is a clean, short vowel and the 'la' rhymes with 'ah.' It's one of the easiest and most useful Spanish words to learn.
Is Hola formal or informal?
'Hola' is wonderfully versatile — it works in both formal and informal situations, with strangers and friends alike. Unlike some languages, Spanish lets you use 'Hola' almost anywhere. For extra formality, pair it with a time-of-day greeting: 'Hola, buenos días' (Hello, good morning) is polite and warm in professional settings.
What is the difference between Buenos días and Buenas noches?
These are time-specific greetings. 'Buenos días' (BWEH-nos DEE-as) = good morning, used until around noon. 'Buenas tardes' (BWEH-nas TAR-des) = good afternoon, from noon until sunset. 'Buenas noches' (BWEH-nas NOH-ches) = good evening AND good night — used after dark both as a greeting and a farewell.
How do you say hello informally to friends in Spanish?
Casual greetings among friends: '¿Qué tal?' (keh tahl — what's up?/how's it going?), '¿Qué pasa?' (keh PAH-sah — what's happening?), '¿Cómo estás?' (how are you?), 'Buenas' (a casual shortening of the time greetings), and in many countries '¿Qué onda?' (Mexico), '¿Qué hubo?' or 'Quiubo' (Colombia). 'Hola, ¿qué tal?' is a friendly all-purpose opener.
Why is there an upside-down question mark in Spanish greetings?
Spanish uses an inverted question mark (¿) at the start of a question and a normal one (?) at the end — for example, '¿Cómo estás?' This signals to the reader that a question is coming from the very beginning. The same applies to exclamations with ¡ and !. It's a unique and helpful feature of written Spanish.