When adiós = aloha in Spanish
As a child I learned that "aloha" means both "hello" and "goodbye". Now, with some linguistic training under my belt, I realize that technically it's a greeting which is used at the moment of encounter and at that of departure.
Why am I writing about "aloha"? Because a couple of days ago I was riding my horse through the countryside and I saw my friend Angel (who is a vet) in a field about 50 yards away. We shouted out this short conversation:
Me: Adiós Angel.
Him: Hola Brad.
"Adiós" is an international word and everyone except undiscovered tribes in the Amazons knows that it means "goodbye". That's true, but what everyone doesn't know is that it's also used as a short greeting in one type of situation: when you are just passing by each other - whether on foot, on horseback, bicycle or in a boat. All of the following short combinations are possible in this situation (I'll call the two parties "A" and "B"):
A: Adiós.
B: Adiós.
A: Hola.
B: Adiós.
A: Adiós.
B: Hasta luego.
I mention this because people learning Spanish who haven't actually lived or traveled in a Spanish-speaking country find it surprising when someone sees them, tells them "adiós" and walks on. The person is actually being sociable so be sure to say "adiós" back to them.
Brad
