How to say hello in Spanish [50+ different ways]

Learning how to say “hello” in Spanish is a good place to start if you’re thinking about going to Mexico for a weekend or for good.
Hola is easy to learn, but there are many more casual and specific ways to say “hello” in Spanish that will have you speaking like a pro in no time.

One of the best things about Spanish is how many different ways it can be used. Spanish is spoken by more than 360 million people who were born speaking it, and it is an official language in more than 20 countries.

Let us show you 50+ different ways to say “hello” in Spanish, from the formal to the casual, by email, phone, and in everyday conversation.

Why should you learn how to say “hello” in Spanish?

It won’t take long to learn a few ways to say “hello” in Spanish, and it will go a long way with people who speak Spanish. Whether you’re planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking country or just met some Spanish speakers in your own town, being able to say “hello” in Spanish will be very helpful.

Also, if you take the time to learn how to say a few basic greetings, you will be able to say other Spanish words more correctly. As you may already know, the vowels in Spanish sound very different from the vowels in English. Even if you don’t know much Spanish, if you know how to say a few greetings, you’ll have a better chance of saying other words correctly.

Also, if you decide to learn Spanish in person or online in the future, you will find it much easier to get started with the curriculum. Learning a few simple ways to say hello is a great way to get a feel for the language before you fully commit.

First of all, what do “hello” and “hi” mean in Spanish?

Okay, you probably already know that “hello” in Spanish is “Hola.” But how do you say “hello” in Spanish the right way?

As was already said, the way Spanish is spoken is very different from the way English is spoken. If you try to read “Hola” like it’s an English word, you’ll have a hard time showing that you’re trying to learn Spanish.

You want your greeting to sound like it came from you. Watch the first few seconds of the video below to see how former President Barack Obama greets the crowd in Peru.

Did you notice how crazy the crowd got when someone just said “Hola, Peru”? That’s how powerful a good greeting can be.

To learn how to say “hello” in Spanish, you should review the Spanish alphabet and the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). If you know how to read the IPA, you can say any Spanish greeting correctly without having to remember how to say it.

You can watch this short YouTube video to learn the IPA for each letter of the Spanish alphabet.

50+ other different ways to say hi in Spanish

In our guide below, we will list the English greeting followed by the equivalent Spanish greeting, followed up with the IPA. Now, let’s get into the greetings!

Common greetings in Spanish

Casual and informal greetings in Spanish

Formal greetings in Spanish

Email greetings in Spanish

Morning greetings in Spanish

Afternoon greetings in Spanish

How to answer the phone in Spanish

Country-specific greetings

Spain:

Mexico:

Argentina:

Colombia:

Chile:

Venezuela:

Peru:

Dominican Republic: