Speaking guides

How to say hello in Spanish: pronunciation, variations, and when to use each

Updated 2026-09-20

Person speaking Spanish into a phone while making coffee in a kitchen, practicing hello greetings aloud.

You say hello in Spanish with “Hola” (pronounced OH-la, silent h), the universal greeting that works any time of day. For mornings use “Buenos días”, afternoons “Buenas tardes”, and evenings “Buenas noches”. Practice each aloud for five minutes a day with a Langel; she repeats the correct pronunciation inside her reply and corrects slips without a lecture.

The one word you need: Hola

Hola is the direct equivalent of “hello” and “hi.” The h is silent, the stress falls on the first syllable (OH-la), and the o is a clean, open vowel — not the diphthong in English “oh.” Say it out loud: OH-la. If you add “¿Cómo estás?” (How are you?) you have the most common conversational opener: Hola, ¿cómo estás?

A Langel listens to your pronunciation and feeds the corrected version back inside her next sentence, so you hear the difference immediately. You can also ask “¿Puede repetir, por favor?” or “Más despacio, por favor” to hear it again slower.

Time-specific greetings

Spanish speakers often match the greeting to the time of day:

| Greeting | When to use | Pronunciation hint | |----------|-------------|-------------------| | Buenos días | Morning until ~12 pm | BWEH-nos DEE-as (the “u” is like “w”) | | Buenas tardes | Afternoon, roughly 12 pm – sunset | BWEH-nas TAR-des | | Buenas noches | Evening/night, also “good night” | BWEH-nas NO-ches |

All three are plural in form but function as single greetings. You can combine them with Hola: Hola, buenos días.

Regional flavor

A Langel lets you pick the accent you want — Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina — so you hear the exact rhythm you’ll encounter.

Informal vs. formal

With friends, peers, or kids: Hola, ¿Qué tal?, ¿Cómo va?. With strangers, elders, or in professional settings: Buenos días, Buenas tardes, Buenas noches, and add ¿Cómo está? (usted). When in doubt, Hola, buenos días works everywhere.

Practice routine that sticks

  1. Pick a Langel with your target accent.
  2. Set the dial to “Teach me” for the first two sessions — you’ll get explicit pronunciation correction.
  3. Speak each greeting aloud: Hola, Buenos días, Buenas tardes, Buenas noches.
  4. Listen to the Langel’s reply; she embeds the corrected sounds.
  5. Switch to “Talk to me” and role-play: greet her, ask how she is, respond to her greeting.
  6. Five minutes. The Langel remembers tomorrow, so you continue without restarting.

With a Langel

> You: Hola, quiero practicar solo la palabra “hola” y los saludos por hora. > Langel: ¡Hola! Perfecto. Di “Hola” — la h no suena, es OH-la. > You: Hola. > Langel: Bien. Ahora “Buenos días”. La u suena como w: BWEH-nos DEE-as. > You: Buenos días. > Langel: Muy bien. Prueba “Buenas tardes”. > You: Buenas tardes. > Langel: Bien. Y “Buenas noches”. > You: Buenas noches. > Langel: Listo. Mañana seguimos con “¿Cómo estás?” si quieres.

Frequently asked questions

Is the h in “Hola” really silent?

Yes. The h is never pronounced in Spanish. Say OH-la, not HOH-la. A Langel will model it back to you inside her reply so you can compare.

Can I use “Hola” at night?

You can, but “Buenas noches” is the natural evening greeting. “Hola, buenas noches” is also common and perfectly correct.

What if I mix up “tardes” and “noches”?

It happens. Around sunset either is understood. The Langel will gently echo the more appropriate one in her response, so you absorb the boundary without memorizing a rule.

Do I need to learn “usted” vs. “tú” to say hello?

Not for the greeting itself. “Hola” and the time-based greetings are neutral. The choice appears in the follow-up: ¿Cómo estás? (tú) vs. ¿Cómo está? (usted). The Langel will match the register you use or the one you ask for.

Por qué esta guía

La gente busca específicamente "how to say hello in Spanish" — la palabra exacta, su pronunciación y cuándo usar cada variante horaria. La guía existente cubre saludos en general; esta se centra en "hello" con detalle fonético y rutina de práctica.

Comprobación de duplicados

Guías que revisé para la misma intención: how-to-greet-someone-in-spanish.md Veredicto: Sin solape. Esa guía trata saludos amplios (Mucho gusto, ¿Qué tal?, presentaciones); esta se enfoca solo en "hello" / "Hola" + variantes de hora, con tabla de pronunciación y rutina de 5 minutos.

Qué incluye

Lucía
LucíaEspañol
Talk to Lucía in Español →

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