Word
hola
Phoneticsho·la
/ˈhoʊɫə/
Definition
interj. a friendly greeting used to say hello in Spanish. You might hear this in Spanish-speaking countries or from people who speak the language.
interj. a standard greeting in Spanish, equivalent to 'hello' or 'hi'. Used as a loanword in English to signal a casual, friendly, or culturally specific tone.
Examples
“Hola! How are you doing today?”
“She walked into the room and gave a cheerful hola to her colleagues before sitting down.”
“While primarily a Spanish greeting, the use of hola in English-speaking environments often serves as a low-stakes marker of cultural affinity or casual familiarity between speakers.”
Examples
simple
“Hola! How are you doing today?”
contextual
“She walked into the room and gave a cheerful hola to her colleagues before sitting down.”
complex
“While primarily a Spanish greeting, the use of hola in English-speaking environments often serves as a low-stakes marker of cultural affinity or casual familiarity between speakers.”
Usage
Used as a standalone greeting or as an introductory particle before a sentence.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hola