hola

See also: Appendix:Variations of "hola"

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Spanish holabor.

English hola

Borrowed from Spanish hola.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈoʊlɑː/
• Rhymes: -əʊlə

Interjection

hola

1. (informal) Hello, hi, hey.

Anagrams

• HALO, halo, halo-

Asturian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈola/ [ˈo.la]
• Rhymes: -ola
• Syllabification: ho‧la

Interjection

hola

1. hello, hi

Catalan

Catalan phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish hola.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈɔ.lə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈo.la]

• Audio (Catalonia):

  (file)

Interjection

hola

1. hello, hi

Dutch

Etymology

From Late Middle Dutch hola (“wait up!, hold on!, calm down!”), which also had the dialectal form holla; compare Middle Low German hola!, holda! (interjection), Middle High German holā! (interjection), of obscure origin. Possibly from the imperative of Middle Dutch halen, *holen (“to fetch”) (> dialectal holen), or possibly from Old French holà (“hey!”), from ho (“hold!, halt!, stop!”) + là (“there”).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Interjection

hola

1. hallo, hoi

Further reading

• van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “hola”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute

Anagrams

• halo

Esperanto

Alternative forms

• halo

Etymology

Derived from French holà, from ho (“ho!”) + là (“there”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhola/
• Rhymes: -ola
• Syllabification: ho‧la

Interjection

hola

1. hello, hey ("exclamation to get attention")

Further reading

• “hola”, in Plena Ilustrita Vortaro de Esperanto [Complete Illustrated Dictionary of Esperanto], 2020, →ISBN
• “hola”, in Reta Vortaro [Online Dictionary] (in Esperanto), 1997-2026

French

Pronunciation

• ^{(aspirated h)} IPA^(key): /ɔ.la/

Noun

hola f (plural holas)

1. Mexican wave (a phenomenon at sports events)

Further reading

• “hola”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Anagrams

• halo

Hawaiian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈho.la/, [ˈho.lə]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Polynesian *fola, from Proto-Oceanic *polac, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bəlaj (“spread out”).

Verb

hola

1. (transitive) to spread

Derived terms

• hohola
• kauhola
• mahola
• pāhola

Etymology 2

From English hour.

Noun

hola

1. time, hour

   Hola ʻehia kēia?

   What time is it?

References

• Pukui, Mary Kawena; Elbert, Samuel H. (1986), “hola”, in Hawaiian Dictionary, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, →ISBN

Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɔːla/
• Rhymes: -ɔːla

Etymology 1

From Old Norse hol, from Proto-Germanic *hulą (“hole”).

Noun

hola f (genitive singular holu, nominative plural holur)

1. hole, cavity (indent into an object, e.g. the ground)

   Tannlæknirinn fann holu í jaxlinum mínum.

   The dentist found a cavity in my molar.

Declension

Declension of hola (feminine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	hola	holan	holur	holurnar
accusative	holu	holuna	holur	holurnar
dative	holu	holunni	holum	holunum
genitive	holu	holunnar	holna, hola	holnanna, holanna

Etymology 2

Verb

hola (weak verb, third-person singular past indicative holaði, supine holað)

1. to hollow, to hollow out [with accusative]

Conjugation

hola – active voice (germynd)

infinitive nafnháttur		að hola
supine sagnbót		holað
present participle lýsingarháttur nútíðar		holandi
		indicative framsöguháttur			subjunctive viðtengingarháttur
		present nútíð	past þátíð		present nútíð	past þátíð
singular	ég	hola	holaði		holi	holaði
	þú	holar	holaðir		holir	holaðir
	hann, hún, það	holar	holaði		holi	holaði
plural	við	holum	holuðum		holum	holuðum
	þið	holið	holuðuð		holið	holuðuð
	þeir, þær, þau	hola	holuðu		holi	holuðu
		imperative boðháttur
singular	þú	hola (þú), holaðu
plural	þið	holið (þið), holiði1

¹ Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

holast – mediopassive voice (miðmynd)

infinitive nafnháttur		að holast
supine sagnbót		holast
present participle lýsingarháttur nútíðar		holandist (rare; see appendix)
		indicative framsöguháttur			subjunctive viðtengingarháttur
		present nútíð	past þátíð		present nútíð	past þátíð
singular	ég	holast	holaðist		holist	holaðist
	þú	holast	holaðist		holist	holaðist
	hann, hún, það	holast	holaðist		holist	holaðist
plural	við	holumst	holuðumst		holumst	holuðumst
	þið	holist	holuðust		holist	holuðust
	þeir, þær, þau	holast	holuðust		holist	holuðust
		imperative boðháttur
singular	þú	holast (þú), holastu
plural	þið	holist (þið), holisti1

¹ Spoken form, usually not written; in writing, the unappended plural form (optionally followed by the full pronoun) is preferred.

holaður — past participle (lýsingarháttur þátíðar)

strong declension (sterk beyging)	singular (eintala)			plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	holaður	holuð	holað	holaðir	holaðar	holuð
accusative (þolfall)	holaðan	holaða	holað	holaða	holaðar	holuð
dative (þágufall)	holuðum	holaðri	holuðu	holuðum	holuðum	holuðum
genitive (eignarfall)	holaðs	holaðrar	holaðs	holaðra	holaðra	holaðra
weak declension (veik beyging)	singular (eintala)			plural (fleirtala)
	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)	masculine (karlkyn)	feminine (kvenkyn)	neuter (hvorugkyn)
nominative (nefnifall)	holaði	holaða	holaða	holuðu	holuðu	holuðu
accusative (þolfall)	holaða	holuðu	holaða	holuðu	holuðu	holuðu
dative (þágufall)	holaða	holuðu	holaða	holuðu	holuðu	holuðu
genitive (eignarfall)	holaða	holuðu	holaða	holuðu	holuðu	holuðu

Derived terms

• hola að innan (“to hollow out”)

See also

• gat

Ido

Ido phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

Etymology

From Spanish hola.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈo.la/

Interjection

hola

1. hello, hi

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈhɔl̪ˠə]

Noun

hola m

1. h-prothesized form of ola

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• holen

Noun

hola m or f

1. definite feminine singular of hole

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

hola f

1. definite singular of hole

Old English

Noun

hola

1. genitive plural of hol

Polish

Etymology

Onomatopoeic.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈxɔ.la/

• (Lesser Poland):
  • (Kielce) IPA^(key): [ˈxɔ.la]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔla
• Syllabification: ho‧la

Interjection

hola

1. (colloquial) cool your heels!, cool your jets!, hold your horses!, stop!, whoa! (slow down)

   Synonyms: stop, wolnego, z wolna

2. (colloquial) stop!, whoa! (you should not have done/said that)

   Synonyms: stop, wolnego, z wolna

Adverb

hola (not comparable)

1. (Kielce) far away; late

   Po południu juz hola. ― The afternoon is already far away/late.

Further reading

• “hola”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[1] (in Polish)
• Władysław Siarkowski (1878), “hola”, in “Materiały do etnografii ludu polskiego z okolic Kielc”, in Zbiór wiadomości do antropologii krajowej (in Polish), volume 2, chapter 3, Krakow: Komisyja Antropologiczna Akademii Umiejętności w Krakowie, page 247

Sotho

Verb

hola

1. to grow

Spanish

Spanish phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

Etymology

Probably from French holà (“hey! stop!”). This is related to greetings in Germanic cognates such as Dutch hola, Old High German holā, emphatic imperative of Old High German holōn (“to fetch, used especially in hailing a ferryman”)

The Diccionario de la lengua española compares the Germanic expressions English hello and German hallo. Also compared is Arabic وَٱللّٰه (wal-lāh, “really?, by God!”), but support for this is lacking.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈola/ [ˈo.la]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ola
• Syllabification: ho‧la
• Homophone: ola

Interjection

¡hola!

1. hello, hi, hey

   ¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás? ― Hey! How are you doing?

Descendants

• → English: hola
• → Portuguese: olá

Further reading

• “hola”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
• “olá”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026

Anagrams

• halo, haló

Swazi

Verb

-hola

1. to get paid

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Zulu

Verb

-hola

1. (transitive) to drag, to draw, to pull
2. (transitive) to lead, to guide

Inflection

tone L (infinitive ukuhola)

	positive	negative
infinitive	ukuhola	ukungaholi
imperative
	simple	+ object concord
singular	hola	-hole
plural	holani	-holeni
present
	positive absolute	positive relative	positive participial	negative absolute	negative relative	negative participial
1st singular	ngiyahola, ngihola	engiholayo, engihola	ngihola	angiholi	engingaholi	ngingaholi
2nd singular	uyahola, uhola	oholayo, ohola	uhola	awuholi	ongaholi	ungaholi
1st plural	siyahola, sihola	esiholayo, esihola	sihola	asiholi	esingaholi	singaholi
2nd plural	niyahola, nihola	eniholayo, enihola	nihola	aniholi	eningaholi	ningaholi
class 1	uyahola, uhola	oholayo, ohola	ehola	akaholi	ongaholi	engaholi
class 2	bayahola, bahola	abaholayo, abahola	behola	abaholi	abangaholi	bengaholi
class 3	uyahola, uhola	oholayo, ohola	uhola	awuholi	ongaholi	ungaholi
class 4	iyahola, ihola	eholayo, ehola	ihola	ayiholi	engaholi	ingaholi
class 5	liyahola, lihola	eliholayo, elihola	lihola	aliholi	elingaholi	lingaholi
class 6	ayahola, ahola	aholayo, ahola	ehola	awaholi	angaholi	engaholi
class 7	siyahola, sihola	esiholayo, esihola	sihola	asiholi	esingaholi	singaholi
class 8	ziyahola, zihola	eziholayo, ezihola	zihola	aziholi	ezingaholi	zingaholi
class 9	iyahola, ihola	eholayo, ehola	ihola	ayiholi	engaholi	ingaholi
class 10	ziyahola, zihola	eziholayo, ezihola	zihola	aziholi	ezingaholi	zingaholi
class 11	luyahola, luhola	oluholayo, oluhola	luhola	aluholi	olungaholi	lungaholi
class 14	buyahola, buhola	obuholayo, obuhola	buhola	abuholi	obungaholi	bungaholi
class 15	kuyahola, kuhola	okuholayo, okuhola	kuhola	akuholi	okungaholi	kungaholi
class 17	kuyahola, kuhola	okuholayo, okuhola	kuhola	akuholi	okungaholi	kungaholi
recent past
	positive absolute	positive relative	positive participial	negative absolute	negative relative	negative participial
1st singular	ngiholile, ngiholē	engiholile, engiholē	ngiholile, ngiholē	angiholanga	engingaholanga	ngingaholanga
2nd singular	uholile, uholē	oholile, oholē	uholile, uholē	awuholanga	ongaholanga	ungaholanga
1st plural	siholile, siholē	esiholile, esiholē	siholile, siholē	asiholanga	esingaholanga	singaholanga
2nd plural	niholile, niholē	eniholile, eniholē	niholile, niholē	aniholanga	eningaholanga	ningaholanga
class 1	uholile, uholē	oholile, oholē	eholile, eholē	akaholanga	ongaholanga	engaholanga
class 2	baholile, baholē	abaholile, abaholē	beholile, beholē	abaholanga	abangaholanga	bengaholanga
class 3	uholile, uholē	oholile, oholē	uholile, uholē	awuholanga	ongaholanga	ungaholanga
class 4	iholile, iholē	eholile, eholē	iholile, iholē	ayiholanga	engaholanga	ingaholanga
class 5	liholile, liholē	eliholile, eliholē	liholile, liholē	aliholanga	elingaholanga	lingaholanga
class 6	aholile, aholē	aholile, aholē	eholile, eholē	awaholanga	angaholanga	engaholanga
class 7	siholile, siholē	esiholile, esiholē	siholile, siholē	asiholanga	esingaholanga	singaholanga
class 8	ziholile, ziholē	eziholile, eziholē	ziholile, ziholē	aziholanga	ezingaholanga	zingaholanga
class 9	iholile, iholē	eholile, eholē	iholile, iholē	ayiholanga	engaholanga	ingaholanga
class 10	ziholile, ziholē	eziholile, eziholē	ziholile, ziholē	aziholanga	ezingaholanga	zingaholanga
class 11	luholile, luholē	oluholile, oluholē	luholile, luholē	aluholanga	olungaholanga	lungaholanga
class 14	buholile, buholē	obuholile, obuholē	buholile, buholē	abuholanga	obungaholanga	bungaholanga
class 15	kuholile, kuholē	okuholile, okuholē	kuholile, kuholē	akuholanga	okungaholanga	kungaholanga
class 17	kuholile, kuholē	okuholile, okuholē	kuholile, kuholē	akuholanga	okungaholanga	kungaholanga
remote past
	positive absolute	positive relative	positive participial	negative absolute	negative relative	negative participial
1st singular	ngāhola	engāhola	ngāhola	angiholanga	engingaholanga	ngingaholanga
2nd singular	wāhola	owāhola	wāhola	awuholanga	ongaholanga	ungaholanga
1st plural	sāhola	esāhola	sāhola	asiholanga	esingaholanga	singaholanga
2nd plural	nāhola	enāhola	nāhola	aniholanga	eningaholanga	ningaholanga
class 1	wāhola	owāhola	āhola	akaholanga	ongaholanga	engaholanga
class 2	bāhola	abāhola	bāhola	abaholanga	abangaholanga	bengaholanga
class 3	wāhola	owāhola	wāhola	awuholanga	ongaholanga	ungaholanga
class 4	yāhola	eyāhola	yāhola	ayiholanga	engaholanga	ingaholanga
class 5	lāhola	elāhola	lāhola	aliholanga	elingaholanga	lingaholanga
class 6	āhola	āhola	āhola	awaholanga	angaholanga	engaholanga
class 7	sāhola	esāhola	sāhola	asiholanga	esingaholanga	singaholanga
class 8	zāhola	ezāhola	zāhola	aziholanga	ezingaholanga	zingaholanga
class 9	yāhola	eyāhola	yāhola	ayiholanga	engaholanga	ingaholanga
class 10	zāhola	ezāhola	zāhola	aziholanga	ezingaholanga	zingaholanga
class 11	lwāhola	olwāhola	lwāhola	aluholanga	olungaholanga	lungaholanga
class 14	bāhola	obāhola	bāhola	abuholanga	obungaholanga	bungaholanga
class 15	kwāhola	okwāhola	kwāhola	akuholanga	okungaholanga	kungaholanga
class 17	kwāhola	okwāhola	kwāhola	akuholanga	okungaholanga	kungaholanga
potential
	positive absolute	positive relative	positive participial	negative absolute	negative relative	negative participial
1st singular	ngingahola	—	ngingahola	ngingehole	—	ngingehole
2nd singular	ungahola	—	ungahola	ungehole	—	ungehole
1st plural	singahola	—	singahola	singehole	—	singehole
2nd plural	ningahola	—	ningahola	ningehole	—	ningehole
class 1	angahola	—	engahola	angehole	—	engehole
class 2	bangahola	—	bengahola	bangehole	—	bengehole
class 3	ungahola	—	ungahola	ungehole	—	ungehole
class 4	ingahola	—	ingahola	ingehole	—	ingehole
class 5	lingahola	—	lingahola	lingehole	—	lingehole
class 6	angahola	—	engahola	angehole	—	engehole
class 7	singahola	—	singahola	singehole	—	singehole
class 8	zingahola	—	zingahola	zingehole	—	zingehole
class 9	ingahola	—	ingahola	ingehole	—	ingehole
class 10	zingahola	—	zingahola	zingehole	—	zingehole
class 11	lungahola	—	lungahola	lungehole	—	lungehole
class 14	bungahola	—	bungahola	bungehole	—	bungehole
class 15	kungahola	—	kungahola	kungehole	—	kungehole
class 17	kungahola	—	kungahola	kungehole	—	kungehole
immediate future
	positive absolute	positive relative	positive participial	negative absolute	negative relative	negative participial
1st singular	ngizohola	engizohola	ngizohola	angizuhola	engingezuhola	ngingezuhola
2nd singular	uzohola	ozohola	uzohola	awuzuhola	ongezuhola	ungezuhola
1st plural	sizohola	esizohola	sizohola	asizuhola	esingezuhola	singezuhola
2nd plural	nizohola	enizohola	nizohola	anizuhola	eningezuhola	ningezuhola
class 1	uzohola	ozohola	ezohola	akazuhola	ongezuhola	engezuhola
class 2	bazohola	abazohola	bezohola	abazuhola	abangezuhola	bengezuhola
class 3	uzohola	ozohola	uzohola	awuzuhola	ongezuhola	ungezuhola
class 4	izohola	ezohola	izohola	ayizuhola	engezuhola	ingezuhola
class 5	lizohola	elizohola	lizohola	alizuhola	elingezuhola	lingezuhola
class 6	azohola	azohola	ezohola	awazuhola	angezuhola	engezuhola
class 7	sizohola	esizohola	sizohola	asizuhola	esingezuhola	singezuhola
class 8	zizohola	ezizohola	zizohola	azizuhola	ezingezuhola	zingezuhola
class 9	izohola	ezohola	izohola	ayizuhola	engezuhola	ingezuhola
class 10	zizohola	ezizohola	zizohola	azizuhola	ezingezuhola	zingezuhola
class 11	luzohola	oluzohola	luzohola	aluzuhola	olungezuhola	lungezuhola
class 14	buzohola	obuzohola	buzohola	abuzuhola	obungezuhola	bungezuhola
class 15	kuzohola	okuzohola	kuzohola	akuzuhola	okungezuhola	kungezuhola
class 17	kuzohola	okuzohola	kuzohola	akuzuhola	okungezuhola	kungezuhola
remote future
	positive absolute	positive relative	positive participial	negative absolute	negative relative	negative participial
1st singular	ngiyohola	engiyohola	ngiyohola	angiyuhola	engingeyuhola	ngingeyuhola
2nd singular	uyohola	oyohola	uyohola	awuyuhola	ongeyuhola	ungeyuhola
1st plural	siyohola	esiyohola	siyohola	asiyuhola	esingeyuhola	singeyuhola
2nd plural	niyohola	eniyohola	niyohola	aniyuhola	eningeyuhola	ningeyuhola
class 1	uyohola	oyohola	eyohola	akayuhola	ongeyuhola	engeyuhola
class 2	bayohola	abayohola	beyohola	abayuhola	abangeyuhola	bengeyuhola
class 3	uyohola	oyohola	uyohola	awuyuhola	ongeyuhola	ungeyuhola
class 4	iyohola	eyohola	iyohola	ayiyuhola	engeyuhola	ingeyuhola
class 5	liyohola	eliyohola	liyohola	aliyuhola	elingeyuhola	lingeyuhola
class 6	ayohola	ayohola	eyohola	awayuhola	angeyuhola	engeyuhola
class 7	siyohola	esiyohola	siyohola	asiyuhola	esingeyuhola	singeyuhola
class 8	ziyohola	eziyohola	ziyohola	aziyuhola	ezingeyuhola	zingeyuhola
class 9	iyohola	eyohola	iyohola	ayiyuhola	engeyuhola	ingeyuhola
class 10	ziyohola	eziyohola	ziyohola	aziyuhola	ezingeyuhola	zingeyuhola
class 11	luyohola	oluyohola	luyohola	aluyuhola	olungeyuhola	lungeyuhola
class 14	buyohola	obuyohola	buyohola	abuyuhola	obungeyuhola	bungeyuhola
class 15	kuyohola	okuyohola	kuyohola	akuyuhola	okungeyuhola	kungeyuhola
class 17	kuyohola	okuyohola	kuyohola	akuyuhola	okungeyuhola	kungeyuhola
present subjunctive
	positive	negative
1st singular	ngihole	ngingaholi
2nd singular	uhole	ungaholi
1st plural	sihole	singaholi
2nd plural	nihole	ningaholi
class 1	ahole	angaholi
class 2	bahole	bangaholi
class 3	uhole	ungaholi
class 4	ihole	ingaholi
class 5	lihole	lingaholi
class 6	ahole	angaholi
class 7	sihole	singaholi
class 8	zihole	zingaholi
class 9	ihole	ingaholi
class 10	zihole	zingaholi
class 11	luhole	lungaholi
class 14	buhole	bungaholi
class 15	kuhole	kungaholi
class 17	kuhole	kungaholi
past subjunctive
	positive	negative
1st singular	ngahola	ngangahola, angahola, angangahola
2nd singular	wahola	wangahola, awahola, awangahola
1st plural	sahola	sangahola, asahola, asangahola
2nd plural	nahola	nangahola, anahola, anangahola
class 1	wahola	wangahola, akahola, akangahola
class 2	bahola	bangahola, abahola, abangahola
class 3	wahola	wangahola, awahola, awangahola
class 4	yahola	yangahola, ayahola, ayangahola
class 5	lahola	langahola, alahola, alangahola
class 6	ahola	angahola, awahola, awangahola
class 7	sahola	sangahola, asahola, asangahola
class 8	zahola	zangahola, azahola, azangahola
class 9	yahola	yangahola, ayahola, ayangahola
class 10	zahola	zangahola, azahola, azangahola
class 11	lwahola	lwangahola, alwahola, alwangahola
class 14	bahola	bangahola, abahola, abangahola
class 15	kwahola	kwangahola, akwahola, akwangahola
class 17	kwahola	kwangahola, akwahola, akwangahola

References

• C. M. Doke; B. W. Vilakazi (1972), “hola”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “hola (6.3)”