How to Say Hello in Spanish: Casual and Formal Greetings - Rosetta Stone (2024)

A warm hello can help set the right tone for any conversation, whether you’re greeting an acquaintance, a cashier, or an old friend. Warmth can only get you so far though—it’s equally important that your greeting matches the formality level of the interaction taking place. “What’s up?” is well-suited for a friendly encounter, but not as fitting at the start of a client meeting.

In Spanish, you can keep it formal with hola, un placer (it’s a pleasure to meet you) or keep things casual with ¿qué onda? (what’s up?). Of course, there are dozens of ways to customize your greetings and make your hello a noteworthy one.

Rosetta Stone Spanish can help you master greetings for every occasion, without the memorization. But if you’re eager to preview the many ways there are to say “hello” in Spanish, this comprehensive guide was built for you!

Jump ahead with the links below:

• How to pronounce hola in Spanish
• Common ways to say hello in Spanish
• Casual ways to say hello in Spanish
• Formal ways to say hello in Spanish
• Regional greetings in Spanish
• Cultural tips on saying hello in Spanish

How to pronounce hola in Spanish

Hola is the most common way to say “hello” in Spanish. It’s pretty easy to remember, too, since the Spanish and English greetings look so similar!

It’s common for beginner speakers to pronounce the word with a hard “h” sound, as in “hula” or “herald.” In Spanish though, the “h” is almost always silent, unless it’s preceded by a “c.”
Check out the video below to hear how hola is pronounced by a native Spanish speaker. Plus, pick up a quintessential Nicaraguan greeting!

Common ways to say hello in Spanish

If you remember nothing else from this list, commit the phrases below to memory. Consider it your go-to list for striking up a conversation with anyone; each greeting is relatively neutral, so you won’t need to worry about sounding too buttoned up or too laidback.

>>Ready to have a full conversation? Check out this basic vocabulary guide.

Casual ways to say hello in Spanish

When you’re around people you’re familiar with, lean into conversation with the following phrases. They’ll not only help you sound more like a native speaker, but they’re also fun to say. Remember that in casual settings, you’ll use the second person, singular pronoun, tú, when conjugating verbs and addressing others.

Formal ways to say hello in Spanish

When it’s time to button things up, pull out any number of these phrases. You’ll notice that these phrases use the third person singular pronoun, usted, or third person plural pronoun, ustedes. When showing respect or addressing someone you aren’t familiar with, you’ll conjugate all verbs to match the third person.

The second person plural pronoun, vosotros, is also used, though it’s exclusively used in Spain. Usted and Ustedes are the formal pronouns of choice in every other Spanish-speaking country.

>>Keep up the pleasantries by saying thank you in Spanish.

Regional greetings in Spanish

Every Spanish-speaking region has several unique ways of saying hello. Take the example in the video below. In Venezuela, it’s common for friends to greet each other with both épale (hello) and háblame (talk to me). Use these phrases while traveling or to better connect with new friends in your community!

Madeleine Lee

Maddie is an education writer at IXL, a sister brand of Rosetta Stone. She's currently learning Dutch (and forever brushing up on her Spanish and French) using the Rosetta Stone app.