diff --git a/pandas/core/generic.py b/pandas/core/generic.py
index 495dcc5700241..ef058fd0aa074 100644
--- a/pandas/core/generic.py
+++ b/pandas/core/generic.py
@@ -2359,7 +2359,7 @@ def to_hdf(
         min_itemsize: Optional[Union[int, Dict[str, int]]] = None,
         nan_rep=None,
         dropna: Optional[bool_t] = None,
-        data_columns: Optional[List[str]] = None,
+        data_columns: Optional[Union[bool_t, List[str]]] = None,
         errors: str = "strict",
         encoding: str = "UTF-8",
     ) -> None:
diff --git a/pandas/io/pytables.py b/pandas/io/pytables.py
index 311d8d0d55341..5845202550326 100644
--- a/pandas/io/pytables.py
+++ b/pandas/io/pytables.py
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ def to_hdf(
     min_itemsize: Optional[Union[int, Dict[str, int]]] = None,
     nan_rep=None,
     dropna: Optional[bool] = None,
-    data_columns: Optional[List[str]] = None,
+    data_columns: Optional[Union[bool, List[str]]] = None,
     errors: str = "strict",
     encoding: str = "UTF-8",
 ):