¡Hola! is used to greet at the start of an encounter, a call, or a message. It can open a conversation without signaling special closeness, so it works with both familiar people and in neutral situations. In a brief exchange it usually appears alone: ¡Hola! or ¡Hola, Marta!. It also fits in formulas like hola a todos and hola, ¿qué tal?. In Spanish, the greeting can be the first word of a contact, just like other interjecciones básicas that also appear at the beginning of the conversation, such as ¡eh! or ¡ah!.

recibimientobuenasencuentrosaludohola

---

Es la primera palabra de contacto que abre una conversaciónEs la manera amable de dar la bienvenida a alguienEs una forma breve y natural de saludar en muchas situacionesEs el momento en que dos personas se encuentran y se dicen algoSirve para saludar al empezar un contacto con otra persona

Basic greetings with everyday use

Word	Definition
hola	It is used to greet at the start of contact with another person.
buenas	It is a brief and natural way to greet in many situations.
saludo	It is the first word of contact that opens a conversation.
recibimiento	It is the polite way of giving someone a welcome.
encuentro	It is the moment when two people meet and say something.

Scramble

¡Adiós! closes an encounter, a call, or a message when the conversation ends. It is used alone or accompanied by a name: adiós, Luis. In daily life it can sound neutral, courteous, or a bit firmer depending on the tone, but the function is always to say goodbye. In a short outing it is also paired with other expressions like adiós, hasta luego or adiós, nos vemos. In front of a greeting like ¡hola!, it marks the end of the contact.

adióspartidachaudespedidahasta luego

---

Es el acto de irse de un lugar o de una reuniónEs una despedida que indica reencuentro próximoEs una despedida informal y muy usada en habla cotidianaEs el momento de terminar un encuentro con cortesíaSirve para cerrar una conversación y despedirse

Goodbyes common at the end of a chat

Word	Definition
adiós	It is used to close a conversation and say goodbye.
hasta luego	It is a farewell that indicates an upcoming reunion.
chau	It is an informal and widely used farewell in everyday speech.
despedida	It is the moment of ending an encounter with courtesy.
partida	It is the act of leaving a place or a gathering.

Scramble

¡Ay! expresses pain, annoyance, worry or a brief complaint. It comes out naturally when someone bumps themselves, feels a sharp pinch, receives bad news, or wants to show frustration about something small. It can appear alone, as an immediate reaction, or before a sentence: ¡Ay, qué dolor!; ¡Ay, no llego a tiempo!. It is also used to softly lament in everyday conversations, and it is heard often in fixed expressions like ay, Dios mío or ay, qué pena. The emotional strength depends on the voice and the context.

ayudaupsufquejaay

---

Muestra cansancio, alivio o fastidio leveSe usa para indicar un pequeño error o una torpezaExpresa dolor repentino o molestia breveEs una expresión de malestar por algo que no gustaEs una llamada de socorro o petición urgente

Interjections of pain and brief complaint

Word	Definition
ay	Expresses sudden pain or brief discomfort.
uf	Shows fatigue, relief, or mild annoyance.
ups	Used to indicate a small error or clumsiness.
ayuda	It is a call for help or an urgent request.
queja	An expression of displeasure about something you don’t like.

Scramble

¡Ah! appears when a person understands something, remembers something, or reacts with a mild surprise. It is heard a lot after receiving an explanation: Ah, ya entiendo; Ah, era eso. It can also show immediate recognition, such as when someone remembers a name, an address, or a date. In conversation, it tends to come at the beginning of the reply and can be brief or extended: ¡Ahhh! to add more emphasis. It does not express a strong feeling like ¡oh!, but a soft and quick reaction.

entiendoandaclaroyaah

---

Expresa sorpresa amable ante una novedadSirve para decir que has comprendido lo que te explicanSirve para mostrar comprensión repentinaIndica que algo quedó claro o entendidoSe usa para mostrar entendimiento sin duda

Soft reactions of understanding and surprise

Word	Definition
ah	Used to show sudden understanding.
anda	Expresses a kind surprise at a novelty.
ya	Indicates that something is clear or understood.
claro	Used to show understanding without doubt.
entiendo	Used to say that you have understood what is being explained.

Scramble

¡Eh! serves to get someone's attention, ask for repetition, or show doubt. At the start of a sentence it can work as a warning: ¡Eh, tú!; ¡Eh, espera!. It also appears when a word or idea has not been understood: ¿Eh? No te oí; ¿Eh? Repítelo, por favor. In a more doubtful tone, it signals surprise or gentle disagreement: ¿Eh? No sé si eso es cierto. Its value heavily depends on intonation and whether it is used alone or with words.

Uses of attention and request for repetition

Usage	Explanation
Call attention	It is used to make another person look at you or listen to you before speaking.
Request repetition	It is used to ask that someone repeats something when it wasn’t heard well.
Show doubt	It is used to buy time when you are not sure what to answer.
React with surprise	It is used to respond immediately to something unexpected.

¡Uy! expresses light surprise, a small scare, embarrassment, or a quick reaction to something unexpected. It is used when something happens suddenly, when there is a small mistake, or when someone sees that something might go wrong: ¡Uy, se me cayó!; ¡Uy, llego tarde!; ¡Uy, qué vergüenza!. It can also sound playful or informal in brief comments. It is a very common interjection in spontaneous conversations and usually appears alone or followed by a short explanation.

anda yavayacarambahuyuy

---

Es una exclamación de sorpresa o admiraciónExpresa sorpresa breve ante algo inesperadoSirve para expresar susto leve o reacción rápidaSe usa para mostrar incredulidad divertidaMuestra asombro suave o comentario espontáneo

Informal reactions of light surprise

Word	Definition
uy	Expresses brief surprise at something unexpected.
vaya	Shows soft astonishment or spontaneous remark.
caramba	An exclamation of surprise or admiration.
huy	Used to express slight fright or quick reaction.
anda ya	Used to show playful disbelief.

Scramble

¡Oh! expresses surprise, admiration, or emotion, often with a stronger tone than ¡ah!. It can accompany news, a gift, a landscape, or an impressive phrase: ¡Oh, qué bonito!. ¡Guau! conveys informal admiration, enthusiasm, or positive astonishment. It is mainly used in everyday speech, among friends or in a close context: ¡Guau, qué coche!; ¡Guau, qué bien cantas!. Both interjections are usually used alone or before an exclamatory phrase, and they are very useful for Oraciones Exclamativas.

maravillaohguaufantásticoincreíble

---

Sirve para remarcar que algo parece muy impresionanteExpresa que algo resulta muy bueno o admirableSe usa para decir que algo es extraordinario y bonitoExpresa admiración, emoción o sorpresaMuestra sorpresa positiva o admiración informal

Exclamations of admiration and positive surprise

Word	Definition
oh	Expresses admiration, emotion, or surprise.
guau	Shows positive surprise or informal admiration.
increíble	Used to emphasize that something seems very impressive.
maravilla	Used to say that something is extraordinary and beautiful.
fantástico	Expresses that something is very good or admirable.

Scramble

¡Bah! shows disdain, indifference, or skepticism. It serves to downplay an idea, reject a proposal, or indicate that something does not convince: ¡Bah, no pasa nada!; ¡Bah, eso no me interesa. It can also sound condescending when someone does not think something deserves attention. It normally appears at the start of the reply, followed by a short sentence. In discourse, it helps to mark attitude, just as the order and placement of other words can change the tone in Orden de palabras.

anda yaqué vaeh yani hablarbah

---

Sirve para cortar una idea y mostrar poca importanciaSe usa para mostrar rechazo firme a una ideaSirve para expresar negación con duda o rechazoExpresa escepticismo burlón ante algo poco creíbleMuestra desinterés o desprecio leve por algo

Expressions of disdain and skepticism

Word	Definition
bah	Shows disinterest or mild contempt for something.
qué va	Used to express denial with doubt or rejection.
ni hablar	Used to show firm rejection of an idea.
anda ya	Expresses skeptical joking disbelief at something not very believable.
eh ya	Used to cut off an idea and show little importance.

Scramble

The same interjection changes a lot depending on intonation, repetition, and context. ¡Ah! can be understanding, surprise, or doubt; ¡eh! can call someone or request clarification; ¡uy! can sound like fear, error, or admiration. Repetition intensifies the emotion: ¡ay, ay, ay! sounds stronger than ¡ay!. The context decides whether the phrase is kind, ironic, worried, or enthusiastic. Because of this, these forms are very common in real conversation and in lively expressions like Modismos, where voice and situation matter as much as the word.

Changes in intonation for short interjections

Word	Notation	Description	Example
hola	ˈola	The initial o can sound more open and the melody of the voice marks whether it is a greeting, surprise, or call.	Dije hola con una voz larguísima para que me oyera el búho.I said hola with a very long voice so the owl could hear me.
ay	aj	The voice usually rises quickly and falls right away when ay expresses pain or complaint.	Ay salió de mi boca cuando pisé el lego valiente.Ay came out of my mouth when I stepped on the brave LEGO.
eh	e	The vowel is usually pronounced short and clear, and the tone decides if it asks for attention or repetition.	Eh sonó tan fuerte que hasta la sopa levantó la cuchara.Eh sounded so loud that even the soup raised the spoon.
oh	o	The pronunciation is open and prolonged when oh shows admiration or surprise.	Oh brilló en la sala cuando apareció el pastel de estrellas.Oh shone in the room when the starry cake appeared.
bah	ba	Said with a falling voice that conveys disdain, boredom, or little faith.	Bah cayó de mis labios cuando vi el truco del conejo.Bah slipped from my lips when I saw the rabbit trick.