Hola with pronouns and nouns

Question

I know it is proper to greet someone with: Hola, señor, or hola, Pablo.

I have also heard Hola Ud. and Hola tú, but I am wondering about a difference in meaning between Hola tú and Hola, without the pronoun. I am guessing, and would appreciate confirmation, that Hola without any pronouns is equivalent to the English greeting "Hi", and that including the pronoun means something like the English, "Hey", "Hey there" or even "Hey, you!" Thanks in advance for your help.

Answer 1

There is no difference.

Sometimes we say things like "¿Qué haces tú aquí?", etc. "Hola tú" can also be used because it´s among friends, but I would never say "Hola Ud. to anyone because it sounds very strange plus it doesn´t imply the respect that you need for using the formal "Ud."

"Hola" is the same as "Hi". "Hey" seems to be more accepted now like "Hi" but in the past it was considered a little rude, so if you use it as "Hi" then it´s the same as "hola."

Answer 2

As Julián says: you can say : hello or hi to anybody you know well , but you can't say Hello ,Sir, it sounds awkward and is rude .

You say : Good morning , Sir. Buenos días, señor.

In English you can say, "Hello, sir." Right? At least here in the U.S. hello sounds formal. - Jubilado, Jan 17, 2013