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"Hola" is a form of "hola", an interjection which is often translated as "hello". "Cómo" is a form of "cómo", an adverb which is often translated as "how". Learn more about the difference between "hola" and "cómo" below.
hola
An interjection is a short utterance that expresses emotion, hesitation, or protest (e.g., Wow!).
1. (general)
b. hi (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
¡Hola! ¿Qué hay de nuevo?Hi! What's new?
cómo(
koh
-
moh
)An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
a. how
¿Cómo hiciste para llegar tan rápido?How did you get here so quickly?
No sé cómo se prende este celular.I don't know how you turn on this cell phone.
a. no direct translation
The following examples show ways to translate this word or phrase without using a direct equivalent.
¡Uf, cómo pesa esta caja!Gosh, this box is heavy!
¡Cómo me gusta este café!I really like this coffee!
An interjection is a short utterance that expresses emotion, hesitation, or protest (e.g., Wow!).
a. Sorry?
¿Cómo? Yo tampoco te oigo, debe de ser la línea.Sorry? I can't hear you either, it must be the line.
b. Come again?
Fue rey de Babilonia y su nombre era Nabucodonosor. - ¿Cómo?He was king of Babylon and his name was Nebuchadnezzar. - Come again?
