Hello #Vivers! In our Spanish courses for foreigners, we always try to teach our students to use the words they know best in our language, such as the word "olé". Without a doubt, this is one of the most international words in Spanish. Who hasn't used it or heard it at some point? Although many people relate it to the world of flamenco, bullfighting or football. It is usually used to express admiration for the good work someone does, such as a good Almodóvar film, a good song, or a Mbappe dribble, but do you know what its true origin is?
There are many hypotheses about the origin of this word. There are those who claim that it comes from the Greek verb ololizin, used as a shout of joy. Others say that it comes from the Bible, when Jacob is deceived at his wedding with Rachel, because people tried to warn him that it was Leah and not his beloved, saying Oh, Leah! But the most widespread hypothesis has to do with the Arabic expression Allah (Oh, God). The RAE, on the other hand, notes that olé! comes from the Arabic exclamation Wa-(a)llah (By God!), an exclamation of enthusiasm at surprising or excessive beauty or joy. In the Arabic language, there is no vowel “e” and sometimes the vowel “a” sounds similar to “e”.
Surely Olé is a word that you have used when you wanted to imitate the Spanish. If you want to learn Spanish and enrich your vocabulary, you should start with the Spanish courses for foreigners from the Luis Vives Spanish School. Take a look at the Spanish classes that we offer, they will surely adapt perfectly to your needs. Luis Vives Spanish School The best option to learn Spanish in Madrid!
