Hola means hi in Spanish, and it’s spelled H-O-L-A. The H is silent, however. So the actual pronunciation is O-L-A. Formal vs informal — a quick guide If you’re greeting someone in Spanish, context counts! It’s an extra thing you’ll need to bear in mind as it’s quite important. Hola is one of the simplest ways to greet someone in Spanish, and it can be translated as either hello, hi, or hey depending on the formality of the context. But let’s not just leave it at hola in English. Let’s learn how to use hola in different phrases and contexts! Basic Phrases with Hola Here are some phrases in Spanish that use hola: vvbimp.